Biostimulant application practices in Australian urban forestry

To enhance urban greening outcomes, nursery and urban forest practitioners can use biostimulants to improve plant performance. However, to date, little is known about their actual effectiveness in enhancing urban greening outcomes. This study aimed to gain insight into the use of biostimulants in urban forestry in Australia. To do this, the authors distributed a questionnaire to urban forestry practitioners within Australia that asked how and why they use biostimulants, as well as their attitude towards them. The majority of respondents (82%) reported that they use biostimulants, with the most cited reason for their use (75%) being to improve establishment after transplanting. Seaweed extract biostimulants were the most frequently used biostimulant type (35%), with foliar spray being the most popular application method (29%). Overall, most of the respondents were at least somewhat satisfied with their experience in using biostimulants (73%), with the vast majority believing that they improved plant quality/performance (96%). This questionnaire has not only demonstrated how common biostimulant use is in urban forestry in Australia but also how positively its use is regarded by practitioners.