Tree Care Tips

Is it My Tree or the City's Tree?

Street trees situated outside of the road right-of-way, within a five-foot planting easement on private property, are the responsibility of the homeowner. A goal of Muskego's urban forestry program is to provide basic information for homeowners to properly care for the trees on their property. If you have questions regarding tree care and maintenance feel free to contact us, we're happy to help! 

Planting	Mulching	Pruning
Dig a shallow hole, wider than the root ball. Planting too deeply will deprive the roots of oxygen. Remove all twine, burlap & wire. The roots should be underground and the trunk should be above ground. The root flare (widening trunk base) should be visible at ground level.	Mulching conserves moisture, improves aeration and adds nutrients to the soil. Mulching also reduces the potential for lawn mower damage. Mulch a wide ring 2"- 4" deep around the base. Roots grow outward just under the soil surface so the wider you mulch the better. Be sure that less than 1" of mulch is in direct contact with the trunk. "Volcano mulching" will cause your tree to decay and disease.	Pruning provides clearance, removes competing limbs, and removes diseased or dead branches. Pruning cuts should not leave large stubs and should never be flush to the trunk. This will cause irreparable trunk wounds. A proper pruning cut does not damage the branch bark ridge nor the branch collar.
Tree planting diagram	Tree mulching diagram	UW-Extension Properly Pruning Trees