Greener Streets Campaign tip 1: How to plant a tree

From muffling sound to keeping out winds and providing a home for wildlife, trees are a tremendous natural resource. Here's how to choose and plant one...

Choosing a tree...

■ Check the potential height and spread of the tree. Saplings that grow to six feet and 60 feet can look the same in a garden centre. A huge tree may deprive you and your neighbours of sunshine.
■ Consider when you want your tree to look good. If you only have room for one, go for a fruit tree, which will have blossom, fruit and autumn colours.
■ Deciduous or evergreen? Each has its advantages; evergreens are useful for year-round privacy but not for autumnal colours.
■ In smaller spaces, medium-sized trees, such as wild cherry (Prunus avium) and crab apple (Malus sylvestris), look wonderful and
provide a haven for wildlife.
■ If you have a large garden, a tree such as a native oak will provide homes for 423 species of insect and the birds that feed on them.
■ A willow tree will attract bats, which feed off the moths and caterpillars in the branches.
■ Trees such as hawthorn and holly can be planted as hedges and provide shelter for insects and small mammals.
■ As a rule of thumb, plant trees only as close to the house as the height they're expected to grow.

Planting a tree

1 First dig a hole, making it three times wider and a little deeper than the length of the roots or the size of pot, and fork over the bottom of the hole to help the water drain easily.

2 Mix a bucket of rotted manure or homemade compost with the topsoil and put about a fifth of it in the hole. You don't want too much compost on the bottom or your tree will sink. If you have heavy soil, add some grit to aid drainage.

3 If your tree is more than 1.5 metres tall, you'll need a stake to support a sapling while it grows. Hammer in your stake, slightly off-centre, in the direction of the wind to add extra protection. You want the stake to stand 60cm-90cm above the soil.

4 Trim back very long or broken roots before planting. If it's been stored in a container, water before planting so you can ease it out of the pot. If the roots are tightly bound, pull them away gently.

5 Plant the tree so the top of the root ball is level with the ground; use a straight stick placed over the hole as a guide. Ask a friend to hold the tree while you fill in around the roots with soil. If you plant your tree too deep, the roots won't be able to breathe freely and will slowly suffocate.

6 Tread the soil gently around the roots and give the tree a gentle shake to remove any air pockets. Keep adding soil until the hole is level with the rest of the garden.

7 Tie the tree to the stake, making sure to secure with spacers to keep the tree growing vertically.

8 Lay a mulch of homemade compost or bark chippings around the tree to hold in moisture during warmer months. Leave a depression close to the stem to help water reach the roots, as drought is the most common reason for a tree dying during the first year.

Trees in the community If you don't have enough space for a tree but have a few hours a week to spare, volunteer as a Tree Warden. There are around 8000 across the UK who work with the Tree Council, helping to look after local trees and woods.