Good Growing

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Author: Chris Enroth

Talking all things horticulture, ecology, and design.
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Language: en

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Ep. 250 Tree care pet peeves | #GoodGrowing
Episode 291
Friday, 1 May, 2026

Long-time listeners know that Ken, Chris, and Emily are passionate about proper plant care practices. On this week’s podcast, the team discusses six hot-button issues related to improper tree care, including tree topping, the misuse of plastic sheeting under mulch, and codominant leaders. Listen to discover the other three pet peeves and what can be done to better support tree health. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Rhg5WXPlaw Skip to what you want to know: 03:12 – Co-dominant leaders 06:33 – Nursery pruning for bushier trees 10:57 – Tree topping 12:36 – Two times when topping may be considered 15:34 – What to do with vegetation at the base of a tree 20:32 – Not removing burlap from a root ball 26:38 – Removing healthy trees 29:08 – Overview of tree benefits 34:44 – Making good pruning cuts 41:19 – Tree diversity – species and age 46:02 – Available resources 49:34 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye! Resources Morton Arboretum - https://mortonarb.org/ Community Tree Care Series - https://extension.illinois.edu/plants/community-tree-care-series Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.edu Ken Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.edu Emily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingSubscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies. Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk --You can find us on most podcast platforms. iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377 Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/ Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/ Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902 Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us