Tree Planting Aftercare & Maintenance – Why It’s So Important

You’ve just finished replanting a significant number of trees, maybe for rewilding, biodiversity net gain, or simply to introduce a diverse habitat to your land. With the hard work out of the way, you might be convinced that your job is done, and that nature can do the rest. But without the right aftercare and maintenance, your efforts are at risk of going to waste.

At The Habitat Restoration Co., we help developers, architects, and landowners to restore, maintain, and care for woodland. In this article, we’ll explain why tree planting aftercare is just as important for your trees as the time and money spent on quality, guards, and protection.

Need support with tree planting, maintenance, or aftercare? Contact us today!

Why Tree Planting Aftercare Matters More Than You Think

Without the right aftercare, some tree planting projects can see losses of over 90%. This staggering figure shows how crucial care and maintenance are with the survival of a tree planting initiative. But why does this matter for you?

Firstly, failed tree planting projects can lead to carbon credit invalidation. This is because the offsetting the project aimed to achieve won’t have been realised, so your business is left with a carbon void that needs to be filled – likely with another such initiative. Over time, failed tree planting initiatives can become time consuming and expensive.

Likewise, greenwashing accusations could emerge should your sustainability efforts continually fail. If the public doesn’t feel you’re doing your due diligence towards the environment, your reputation could suffer, leading to a loss of business and revenue.

Finally, for local authorities in particular, failed tree planting projects represent wasted resources and manpower, which could be diverted towards other local restoration and maintenance projects. Aftercare takes far less resources and time than starting your tree planting initiative fresh.

The Critical First 3–5 Years of Tree Growth

The first few years of tree growth are some of the most vital. During this time, the trees will be in their infancy, making them vulnerable to disease, pests, and the elements. Proper maintenance and aftercare ensure they’re able to resist these factors, helping them last until they’re strong enough to ‘fend for’ themselves.

Here are some of the main reasons why aftercare in the first 3–5 years is important:

Competition. Regularly clearing weeds near the trees reduces competition for water, light, and nutrients.
Hydration. A proper root network takes a while to establish, so regular, adequate watering ensures the trees can intake enough water while their roots grow.
Guard Adjustments. Young trees are often installed with guards, such as wire mesh and rubber rings, to protect them against animals and impacts as they grow. These often need adjusting to prevent them from rubbing, pressing, or hindering the tree’s growth.
Pests & Diseases. Weeds, debris, and damp, humid conditions can all lead to fungal infections or a breeding ground for damaging pests. Aftercare mitigates this risk by ensuring an ideal growing environment for the trees at all times.
Long-Term Growth. By ensuring the early survival of the trees, we can set them up for success in the long term, giving them the foundations they need to flourish and thrive on their own.

Key Steps for Successful Tree Establishment

To ensure your trees properly take root, there are a few key steps to follow. You can still have a successful project without all of the items on this list, but it’s a good set of guidelines to try and meet where possible.

Choose the right location. Where you plant your trees is just as important as how you look after them. Try and obtain space far from roads, ideally a flat open location with plenty of sun and limited flood risks.
Choose the right trees. Some species of tree like oak, birch, and rowan are hardier than others. Planting these trees will give you an easier time when it comes to raising and protecting them.
Provide adequate funding. It may be tempting to maximise the number of trees planting without regarding funding for maintenance or protection measures, but these steps are vital for the survival of the trees and the success of your venture – preventing future unwanted payments.
Add protective measures. Wire meshes, rubber rings, and proper signage all passively protect your trees against pests, threats, and the general public, giving them space to breathe and grow.
Provide aftercare. As we’ve discussed, aftercare is absolutely vital for your trees’ survival. Once you’ve set out a plan for aftercare, this can continue until your trees can survive on their own, at which time your main obligations towards them will be complete.

Common Mistakes in Tree Planting Aftercare

Alongside our guidelines for successful tree planting and aftercare, we’ve highlighted some common mistakes that businesses and local authorities make when it comes to caring for trees as and after they’re planted.

Here are just a few:

Planting near roads – fumes from cars can damage trees, hindering their growth or even killing them entirely.
Adding too many protective measures – too much protection can actually harm trees by stunting their growth or digging into them as they expand.
Infrequent checks – not every site visit needs to involve maintenance measures, and sometimes checking on the trees every now and then is enough to ensure they’re able to grow.
Not enough budget – you need to put enough budget towards your tree aftercare so that the trees you’ve planted can survive, preventing wasted time, money, and effort should the initiative fail.

How to Budget for Tree Maintenance

Budgeting for tree maintenance requires looking at a few different factors, namely the cost for the project and the risk of failure. The goal is to bring the risk of failure down to an acceptable level, without breaking the bank on maintenance, as spending too much here will mean less budget for your actual tree planting and sustainability.

Performing a risk analysis of the tree planting project is the best way to determine how much to spend on maintenance, with the trees themselves ideally taking the bulk of the budget. This way, you ensure enough is set aside for your trees’ survival, while minimising the chances of having to spend even more should the project fail.

Quality Tree Planting Aftercare and Maintenance from THRC

Without the right aftercare, your trees will struggle to survive on their own in nature. Competition from weeds, damage from pests, and fungal infections can all lead to catastrophic project failure – which in turn can harm your sustainability efforts, and your bottom line.

At The Habitat Restoration Co., we prevent all of this through impactful and considered tree aftercare and maintenance. By continuing to monitor and protect your trees, we enable them to grow in an ideal environment, and reach maturity with the ability to thrive on their own.

Supercharge your next tree planting initiative with THRC – get in touch today.

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