Once your trees are in the ground, you’ll need to take care of them until they’re established enough to only need occasional monitoring. Check out our top tips for success.
Make sure everyone involved in maintaining the space knows where your trees have been planted to avoid accidental damage.
Aim to keep the area around each tree clear of weeds and long grass for the first 2-3 years. Avoid mowing the immediate area as this could stimulate grass and weed growth. Instead, pull up by hand any weeds or long grass growing around your saplings, and inside guards if you’re using them. This will reduce competition for groundwater and nutrients and make a significant difference to the establishment and survival of your trees.
Suppress weeds with a mulch about 10cm deep and 1m in diameter around each tree. An annual application of bark chips, straw or fallen leaves in winter is ideal. You can also buy mulch mats to peg into the ground.
While saplings are establishing, watering is a good idea, especially in hot, dry weather. For the first couple of years, unless it’s been raining a lot, aim to water:
You’ll need to thoroughly soak the soil so the water runs deep and encourages root growth. Removing weeds beforehand and applying mulch will help retain moisture in the soil too.
Many trees will survive without any protection at all and for small-scale projects, simple monitoring and basic aftercare can be enough to ensure success. If you feel extra measures are necessary due to rabbits, deer or other mammals in the area, you could consider tree cages or fencing, or buy tree guards or make your own.
Keep guards upright and firmly pressed into the soil to help withstand strong winds and prevent pest damage too. Check out our quick video guide to installing tree protection. Remember to check inside the guards regularly to remove weeds and monitor tree health.
When the trees are three metres tall, the guards have done their job and could hamper growth if not removed. Please reuse or recycle them – many manufacturers run recycling schemes, or check with your local council.
Your students or community group members can get involved in all of these steps and there are plenty of ways to make it fun! Check out Tree Tools for Schools – it's useful for community spaces too.
Credit: Emma Jolly / WTML
Pruning isn’t essential but will encourage trees to grow upwards rather than outwards once established, which can be useful if you’ve planted in a small space.
Invest in a good pruning saw. Make a clean cut close to the tree trunk, square to the branch and preserving the bulge at its base. To prevent disease and decay, be sure not to damage the tree’s bark and never cut the branch flush with the main stem as this creates a larger wound.
Most native trees are best pruned in winter when dormant, but some species like cherry and walnut need pruning in summer to reduce risk of disease and sap bleeding. If unsure, ask an expert.
Credit: © Forest Research
As your trees grow, keep an eye out for signs of unwelcome visitors that could impact their health. Our list of pests and diseases has details of what to look for and how to tackle each one, or if you’ve spotted symptoms but aren’t sure what caused them, visit our blog to help diagnose the issue. If you find any diseased branches, remove them straight away.
Individual trees or small clusters will now be self sufficient. If you've planted more than 50? trees together, check out our woodland management advice.
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