Tips for Planting a Tree to Ensure It Thrives
Climate change and how to halt it is finally beginning to gain traction.
It is estimated that here in the UK we need to plant 50 million trees a year until 2050 to stand a chance of carbon neutrality. That is all well and good but maintaining these trees through their establishment phase to ensure they contribute to the cause is often overlooked. With this in mind here are a few tips to apply when planting a tree in your garden to make sure it thrives and makes a difference:
Never plant a tree deep
In nature, seeds fall to the ground and germinate naturally — the roots grow down, and the shoot grows up. When planting a tree from a container, make sure the top of the compost is level with the ground (once the pot is removed). Dig a wide hole rather than a deep one, as roots need access to both oxygen and water.
If you’re unsure, watch this four-minute video on how to plant a container-grown tree for a quick demonstration.
Protect Against Weed Competition
Once your tree is planted into soil with a good structure, give it a good watering. Autumn and winter are the best seasons for planting deciduous trees, as root growth will continue underground as long as moisture is present and temperatures stay above 10°C.
However, if you’re looking after your tree, chances are weeds will thrive too. Grass, in particular, competes heavily with young trees. To help your tree establish itself, keep at least a 1-metre radius around the trunk free of weeds and grass.
Apply a 5cm layer of bark mulch to help retain soil moisture and promote healthy microbial activity between the soil and mulch. Avoid chemical weed killers, as they can be absorbed by the tree and do more harm than good.
Water Well During the First Year
Climate change is already affecting UK weather patterns — we’re experiencing hotter dry spells and longer periods of drought, particularly in the South and East.
Trees are naturally adapted to harvest rainfall. Try to mimic this when watering: a garden sprinkler is ideal as it mimics rainfall and allows water to soak into the soil, reaching the roots effectively.
Avoid using lots of plastic accessories like watering pipes or root chambers — these add unnecessary carbon costs. For the first summer, water your new tree once a week using a sprinkler or rose watering can. If there’s a hosepipe ban in place, tree hydration bags are a great alternative, delivering water slowly and efficiently to the root zone.
With the right care, your tree will establish well and start locking up carbon — doing its bit to combat climate change.
As Clive Anderson, ambassador for the Woodland Trust, once said:
“We don’t need a clever new invention to fight climate change — that device already exists. It’s called a tree.”
In a world where meaningful climate action is often bogged down by economic and political debate, trees are a rare point of agreement. They don’t offend, don’t require complicated legislation, and quietly get on with the job we all need done.