Planting

Before Planting

Pick The Right season

Research your tree species and guidelines for planting in your area. Some species are very hardy, and your climate may be mild enough that planting can be done any time of the year, but the best time for planting is often Spring through early Summer, or perhaps in the Autumn, especially where seasons are harsher. 

If your area has a dry and wet season, planting will probably be most successful around the beginning of the rainy season, giving the plants time to get established before the dry weather sets in.

Progressive Planting

This method means that older trees can shelter younger trees, and that there will always been younger trees to replace older trees as they grow sick or old. This is also a good method if you are only just getting into tree planting and/or if you are working with a restricted budget. If trees in the first year die, then it gives you time to evaluate what went wrong, and find solutions such as alternative species, soil/hole amendments, improved watering, maybe providing protections via shade or fencing.

Starting with a smaller number of trees also lowers the risk of not getting around to planting them all in time, for example you may start digging only to find the ground is unexpectedly solid/compact. 

Spacing

There are several ways to space plants including trees. 

Microforest (Dense Thicket)

For maximizing carbon absorption, and other benefits such as higher biodiversity, you can also crowd multiple tree species more tightly together than is typically suggested. When planted closer together, trees can easily fill in the space of one another when inevitable die offs happen during droughts, freezes, or other harmful events. Trees can also help shade one another from harsh sun and wind.

Standard Spacing

For shade trees you can plant them wide enough to let them grow to their full size with little to no room between. 

Wide/Agricultural Spacing

If they are to be used for harvesting fruit, then you may want to plan for the full grown size of the tree, then add some extra room for people or machines to move between them. 

Hole Requirements

Hole Size & Soil Amendments

Trees generally do best when you dig a hole bigger than the root ball, add some nutritious soil, or if they need additional drainage you may need to add sand, gravel, perlite or other amendments so to prevent root rot.

Prevent Root Rot

Dig the hole a little deeper and wider than the root ball, then take your shovel and stab at the bottom and edges of the hole to make the surface area uneven. If you don't do this, and the edges/bottom of the hole are too smooth, then this can create a bowl that holds water, and kills the plant during heavy rain or watering.

Watering & Moisture Retention

Water Immediately

Water is life, and should be applied as soon as the planting is completed. Hold your plant gently, and use your boot to gently press down all the way around the base to compact the soil, and push out air pockets. Water all around the freshly dug area to complete this process and give the tree what it needs to start growing it's roots into the soil of it's new home.

Long-Term Watering Strategies

This is critical for tree survival. You may be lucky enough to live in a place where very little watering is needed, but young trees are especially vulnerable to droughts and heat waves. Having a long-term plan can help reduce catastrophe after putting in the effort to plant and grow your trees.

Cactus Pads for Arid Climates

One of our Native American contributor explained that cactus pads can be used around the base of a freshly planted tree to help seal in water, which is particularly helpful when working in hot, arid climates. The cactus pads have a long-lasting gel that holds water even as the cactus begins to break down, but that the cactus also works like a mulch which eventually breaks down and provides additional nutrition to the plant.

Steep Slope Solution

Swales are only appropriate for a certain range of slopes. Too shallow and the water won't flow, too steep, and the swales can make the hillside unstable. 

Feeding

Right After Planting

All plants need nutrients, but a feeding at the same time or right after planting can shock the plant. It is generally best to wait a few weeks, and start with a smaller amount of nutrients than established plants would require.

Feeding Schedule

Plants generally do best with fairly frequent feeding during the growing season. This can be solid or liquid, but all fertilizer types should be applied during dry weather to avoid rain water from washing nutrient run off into waterways. 

Where to Apply

Apply around the drip line, as this is the best place for roots to absorb the nutrients. The drip line is generally around the outer reaches of the leaves above, where rain water rolls off the leaves, and lands above the outer reaches of the roots beneath the soil. As the plant grows, the drip line will expand outward. Some species collect water with their leaves, and lets the liquid roll down towards the center of the plant. Their roots will be concentrates closer to the center of the plant.

Pruning

Pruning is an important method for keeping plants healthy. It can reduce the weight of branches, reduce how much nutrients the plant needs to split up among too many limbs which can reduce fruit quality, or cause imbalance which can cause the tree to topple or break limbs. Pruning can also allow better light and rain infiltration. Gardeners can also use pruning time as an opportunity to check the health of the plant, remove any sick or dead limbs, suckers, or simply to reshape the plant into a more aesthetic shape.

• How to Prune Banana Trees

• How to Prune Citrus Trees

• How to Prune Your Fruit Trees

Lone Shade Trees

Trees can be a huge help on farms when planted as shade trees in fields. These shade trees take up minimal space, but provide important resting spots for migratory birds, and can improve crop yields. This method has significantly improved life for African Farmers, reducing irrigation requirements, while providing additional firewood and other resources.

"Planting trees on crofts can strengthen this fragile woodland network, while delivering multiple benefits for the crofter and the wider public, including improved productivity, business diversification, carbon capture and richer habitats.

There is, however, little tradition of tree planting or woodland management in crofting. Until the 1991 Crofter Forestry Act, woodland ownership and management rights were reserved for landowners, not their crofting tenants." - Woodland Trust: Croft Woodlands 

Europe

UK

Scotland

• Orkney Woodland Group "consists of local representatives from Orkney Islands Council, NatureScot, the RSPB, Orkney Field Club and Orkney Woodland Project who meet twice a year to discuss local woodland issues and ideas. OWG also welcomes representatives from Woodland Trust Scotland and Scottish Forestry to our meetings."

• Scottish Crofting Federation: The Croft Woodlands Project (CWP) "offers free advice and support to crofters, common grazings committees and the wider crofting community to create new native woodland and shelterbelts. CWP advisors can also help with enquiries around improving the management of existing native woodland. This support is available to smallholders in the Crofting Counties, and for general enquiries from non-crofters."

• Shetland Amenity Trust: Woodlands "constantly strives to preserve and enhance everything that is distinctive about Shetland's cultural and natural heritage, promoting access to it whether physical or intellectual."

• Woodland Trust: Croft Woodlands "Growing trees in the north and west of Scotland presents both unique challenges and benefits. Our Croft Woodlands advisory team helps crofters, smallholders and common grazings to create and manage woodlands that will flourish. "

North America

USA

Pennsylvania

• PHS: Tree Tenders Program "works with volunteer-based community groups to plant trees. The program provides workshops in tree planting and care and volunteer group organization. PHS has trained more than 6,500 people who have gone on to lead volunteers in planting over 3,000 trees each year.
  
  PHS’s Watersheds program provides funding and technical support to watershed management non-profits. Through this program, dozens of such watershed restoration projects are conducted throughout the region. This results in thousands of trees planted in those sensitive water protection zones every year.
  
  Yet, the Greater Philadelphia region still needs more trees. While a “good” tree canopy coverage (the area of land shaded by trees) is considered to be 30% of land area, the city of Philadelphia only has 20% coverage and as little as 2.5% in some neighborhoods.
  
  PHS is committed to increasing the canopy, especially in neighborhoods with few trees and high average temperatures. Throughout the year, PHS works with more than 100 community groups to plant and care for trees in the Philadelphia region. Help PHS partner with community members and plant more trees in your neighborhood."

Maps

North America

USA

• Direct Native Plants: Find Your Growing Zone 

Grants & Funding

Europe

UK

Scotland

• Woodland Trust: Crofting MOREwoods "We have funding available for crofters, common grazings, smallholders and communities in the crofting counties. If you are planting 300+ trees as woodland on at least 0.1 hectare, we'll contribute to the cost of trees and tree protection. We can also support up to 100m of hedge planting, or more if in combination with woodland planting. Please apply by emailing ..."

• Woodland Trust: Forestry Grant Scheme "For sites that meet Scottish Forestry funding criteria, we will help with the cost of preparing and submitting a grant application. Email or call..."

North America

USA

Pennsylvania

• PHS: Trees for Watersheds Grant Program "(formerly TreeVitalize Watersheds), which helps municipalities, nonprofits, and private landowners plant trees along streams, neighboring upland areas, and natural stormwater basins. The result is thousands of trees planted every year in sensitive water protection zones."

South Carolina

• TreesSC: Energy-Saving Tree Giveaway Program "Duke Energy has created a program to educate the consumer on ways to utilize trees to reduce electricity costs in their homes.  Through a partnership with Duke Energy, Trees SC is distributing FREE trees along with educational materials to ensure proper planting and maintenance of the trees."