Trees provide clean air, fruit, wood and shelter, prevent landslips and help reduce the impact of flooding. With a rustle of drying leaves, a spinning seed or a crushed conker shell under our feet, they reconnect us with nature and, if fortunate, a childhood spent exploring woods and parkland. Trees make us happy. But while UK woodland coverage has increased since a low during the first world war, tree cover is far below where it should be, just 13% compared with a European average of 37%.
To redress the balance, the Woodland Trust has promised to plant 64 million new trees by 2025 – one for every person in the UK. The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, with more than 200,000 members and more than 1,000 free-to-visit sites, covering 22,500 hectares of woodland. It campaigns for protection of the UK’s irreplaceable ancient woods, and works on its own estate and with others to restore ancient woods that have been planted with non-native conifers. By becoming a member of the Trust, you can help directly with this important tree-planting mission and receive a native tree sapling of your own to plant.
Caring for your sapling
Each new Woodland Trust member will receive their own rowan tree sapling – carefully selected to suit the UK’s climate and the size of your garden or shared space.
The best time to plant a tree is when it is dormant, from autumn to late winter, so less likely to be shocked by relocation. Choose your spot carefully, as a healthy tree should last you a lifetime. Use a spade to dig away a patch of turf, then split this in half. Dig a hole slightly wider and deeper than your tree’s roots, and loosen the soil around the hole, where the roots will spread outwards.
Look carefully at your sapling. There will be a “collar” mark above the root ball indicating where the tree first grew above ground. This should be level with the ground when you plant it. Keeping the sapling upright in the hole, gently push back the soil, pressing it down around the roots for support but not compacting it, as this will restrict water and air circulation. Now, replace the two halves of the turf – grass side down – with a piece either side of the tree. You can support the young tree, if necessary, with a stake or guard to keep rabbits or footballs from damaging it.
Like all garden plants, your sapling will need some TLC in its first few months. Weeding will remove competitors that would steal the water and nutrients it needs from the soil. You can also lay mulch, such as bark chips, around the base to deter weeds. While winter promises wet weather to feed the sapling’s roots, the young tree should be watered during any particularly dry spells.
Woodland Trust saplings tend to be 40-60cm in height. At this size, they quickly get used to a new environment and grow at a fast rate. As the tree matures, you may choose to prune it to shape. With relatively little care, the leafy addition to your garden should grow to be the centre of attention, a lifelong presence, providing far more than year-round beauty. And, should you choose to plant your sapling in woodland, your tree is a gift for generations to come.
Find out how to join the Woodland Trust and receive your free sapling*
*For a limited time only and while stocks last. One rowan sapling per each adult membership
