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Other important selection criteria

Other factors can influence nursery tree quality. Some of these are listed in the following table.

Factors influencing tree quality

  • canopy uniformity (uniform is usually preferable)
  • canopy fullness (full is usually better)
  • seed or propagule source (what region of the country did the seed come from)
  • quality of old pruning cuts (avoid trees with flush cuts)
  • insect and disease infestation (none is best)
  • trunk injury and broken branches (none is best)
  • trunk wrap (it may be covering up injury)
  • foliage color and size (should be typical for the tree)
  • die-back in the canopy (should be none)
  • presence of stakes (a tree that comes from the nursery with a stake may not be capable of holding itself erect)