The natural world is vital to the continuation of human life on the planet. We rely on natural resources to breathe, eat, construct and hundreds of other applications. That is why it is vital to take care of the world around us. One way we do this is through horticulture.
Horticulture is the art of cultivating plants to produce medicinal ingredients, food and ensure they remain healthy. Horticulture can be further divided into areas of focus, each working with a different type of plant. One of these is arboriculture.
But what is agriculture and why is it so important? Read on to find one.
The History of Horticulture
As previously mentioned, arboriculture is one of the subsets of horticulture, which is the art of cultivating plants. While some of the modern science behind horticulture is new, the study and practice has been traced back thousands of years.
It first began when human communities stopped living as primarily hunter-gatherer communities and began to think about the prime conditions for growing crops. Nowadays we know the exact scientific reasons why some conditions are more optimal than others for growing crops, but the first examples of horticulture were civilisations simply finding enhancements naturally, such as natives in the Pre-Columbian Amazon Rainforest using a type of charcoal to enhance soil productivity.
Arboriculturalist’s & Tree Surveys
Arboriculture is one of the specific areas of horticulture that focuses on the cultivation, management and study of shrubs, vines, wood plants and most commonly trees. An arboriculturalist, or arborist for short, is a person who studies or practises arboriculture.
There are quite a few cultural techniques that an arborist uses:
● Selection: This is the art of picking the kind of trees, shrubs, vines or other plants to plant in an area. An arborist will take into account plenty of things when selecting plants such as ground conditions, water sources, potential height and width, risk of planting etc.
● Planting: Once the wildlife has been selected, it is time for the planting. While some see this as an easy job, an arborist has specialised knowledge of how to plant different types of wildlife for optimum growth and cultivation.
● Training: While a tree, shrub or other piece of wildlife is growing, an arborist can help to train it to specific behaviour. This could be the direction it grows and managing it to grow at its best potential.
● Pruning & Shaping: Associated with the training of plants, this also helps to aid with the growth. Pruning can help a tree or shrub grow back fuller than ever, so cutting back a little can actually have a big benefit in the long run. It can also remove diseased, damaged, dead or unwanted material. Shaping is also essential, especially if a plant begins to grow in the wrong direction and needs managing. Shaping can also be used to create artistic shapes with plant matter, some common examples being bonsai trees and the creation of natural wooden chairs.
● Fertilisation: An arborist can work to fertilise plants properly, using the exact materials in the right amounts to stimulate the growth of each specific plants.
● Removal: If trees or other plants post a danger to the surrounding lands, or need removing for any reason, an arborist can safely remove the plant without harming any surrounding wildlife.
● Tree Survey: An arborist can generate a tree survey, analysing the health of a tree which can later be used as evidence.
A similar job is a tree surgeon, but this is someone who is more trained in the maintenance and manipulation of trees and not the wider arboriculture field.
An arborist can play a big role in matters of town planning, as in the United Kingdom trees are a material consideration and may be conserved as amenity landscape features. An arborist can identify trees of high qualities and decide they may need preserving in an area that somebody wants to build over.
The Importance of Arboriculture
Arboriculture is very important to the planet, focusing on keeping nature healthy and maintaining green spaces. Trees act as a filter for dust and pollution while also absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the air, so it is essential they are kept healthy to benefit the health of the public. As well as physical health benefits, trees are also great for mental health, helping to reduce stress.
Another reason arboriculture is important is because it preserves habitats. Most woodland spaces are home to a wide range of wildlife, with plants offering shelter and food to them all. If trees and plant life isn't kept healthy, animals will migrate to other areas or begin to die off. Other benefits to the environment is reducing the risk of flooding and soil erosion. Healthy wildlife acts as a natural barrier against flooding, while also helping maintain great soil conditions.
It’s important trees are maintained for aesthetic purposes. Nobody wants to be surrounded by unkempt bushes, dead trees and dying wildlife. You want to be able to walk through a beautiful green space unhindered by any decay. Arborists can make sure parks and other green spaces look amazing. Having a healthy park near your home also increases the property prices, making the upkeep of trees good for the economy and housing market.
Another way arboriculture aids the economy is through harvesting of resources. By recruiting arborists to plant wildlife and allow it to flourish to the best of its abilities, you’ll maximise the yield of resources at harvesting. Arborists can also advise on the best ways to harvest and plant new resources to have as little impact on the environment as possible.
Different Types of Horticulture
While arboriculture is important to the natural world, it is only one of the several major areas of horticulture. Some of the other types include:
● Pomology - The branch of botany that focuses on the production of fruits and nuts. It studies the development, enhancement and cultivation of fruit trees to improve the quality and reduce production costs.
● Olericulture - The production of vegetables, dealing with the culture of herbaceous plants for edible parts. Olericulture is then divided into nine major categories to differentiate different types of vegetables.
● Floriculture - This is the discipline that deals with the cultivation of ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry. It includes everything from houseplants, cut flowers to gardens and cultivates greens.
● Viticulture - While pomology focuses on the production of fruits, viticulture is the specialised cultivation and harvesting of grapes. Grapes have a lot of work that goes into them to make them grow successfully, including controlling pests, irrigation, fertilisation, pruning and deciding when to harvest.
● Landscape Horticulture: This is the selection, production and care of plants specifically used in landscape architecture.
● Postharvest Physiology: This specialised area deals with managing harvested crops to stop spoilage while stored or transported.
Arboriculture Surveys & Services From Lizard Landscape Design
Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology is a chartered consultancy of landscape planners, tree surveyors, ecological consultants and landscape architects. We put sustainability at the heart of our projects, working to retain and protect the natural environment by incorporating it into the work that we do.
As well as landscape planning, we also provide expert arboriculture services. We generate objective, detailed and well-presented documents that will use non-technical language to present our findings. We can then provide advice for development projects based on the report and using our extensive knowledge of the industry.
The arboriculture services we offer include tree surveys, arboricultural impact assessments and tree risk assessments. Our tree surveys assess the size, species, condition, crown spread and stem diameter of trees within or near a development. Our team of professional arboriculturists then generate an arboricultural impact assessment that analyses any risks the trees may face, including the risk of falling, the health of the tree and more.
We can then provide you with tree and woodland management plans, replacement and enhancement tree planting proposals, applications for tree preservation and conservation, tree constraints and tree protection plans.
If you’re trying to make a planning application for an area of development, a detailed risk assessment on the condition of the trees in the area can help make this application a success. We can also provide these services in combination with our landscape design services to offer a comprehensive package to our clients.
So if you need arboriculture services from an expert team for both the private and public sector, get in touch today on 01903 216033. To find out more about the range of projects and services we have on offer, visit our website now.