Baton Rouge Green

A big thank you to LSU Hilltop Arboretum for hosting us! 🌳💚

Last week, our Baton Roots and apprentices spent the day at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum getting hands-on experience with tree inventory techniques. From measuring DBH and identifying tree species to using clinometers to calculate tree height, they gained valuable skills that help support healthy urban forests.

There’s no better classroom than the outdoors, learning directly in the field and building the knowledge needed to care for our community’s canopy.

And of course, no day in nature is complete without meeting a few adorable critters along the way! 🐢✨

Thanks again to LSU Hilltop Arboretum for sharing your space and helping grow the next generation of urban forestry professionals!

Don’t let a good investment go to waste!

Trees are one of the best ways to invest in your community for your community! For every $1 invested, $2-5 is returned to the region through Eco-Benefits, improved property values, and safer neighborhoods!

Sadly, many of these initial investments don’t pay off because of poor planting and maintenance practices - by both home gardeners and landscape professionals alike.

These magnolias, for instance, could have been major assets to this sidewalk and its surrounding homes and businesses, but unfortunately they were planted too deeply. Instead of thriving, they will continue to slowly decline over the next several years. The addition of “Volcano Mulching” has further added insult to injury. Losses such as this can diminish trust and limit planting opportunities in the future.

Some quick tips to not let your investments go to waste:
-When removing your tree from its container, cut major roots circling or “girdling” the rootball
-Expose the “trunk flare” / tops of roots as they enter the soil
-Plant 2-4” above the grade of the surrounding soil
-Dig a shallow hole that’s 2-3x the width of the rootball
-MULCH (in a donut shape), MONITOR, WATER, repeat
-Remove/readjust stakes 9-12 months post planting

Please share our planting guide with your friends, neighbors, and even your contractors BEFORE work has begun. If you spend extra time during planting and monitoring in the first 1-3 years your investment can really pay off both for you AND your community!