Tree Planting
Choosing the Right Tree
One of the questions we are asked most frequently is, "What tree should I plant?"
On the surface it appears to be a simple question, but in reality it is one of the most complex decisions in arboriculture. There is rarely a single correct answer because every landscape presents its own opportunities and constraints, and every client has different aspirations for the future of their property.
For that reason, we are cautious about making quick recommendations.
A tree is expected to occupy the same piece of ground for decades, and in many cases centuries. Spending an extra hour understanding the site before selecting a species is insignificant compared with the lifetime of the tree itself. Good decisions at the beginning often prevent expensive problems many years later.
Our approach always begins with understanding the objective. What is the tree expected to achieve? Is it intended to provide shade for a garden that becomes uncomfortable during the summer? Is it being planted to create privacy, soften a new development, restore a historic landscape or become a striking specimen tree that will define the character of the property? Perhaps the priority is ecological enhancement, roadside resilience, seasonal colour or screening from neighbouring buildings. Every objective influences the species that we are likely to recommend.
Once we understand the desired outcome, we begin assessing the site itself. The surrounding landscape, the amount of available space, local competition from existing vegetation, soil conditions, drainage, prevailing winds and levels of sunlight all contribute to the long term suitability of a tree. We also consider factors that are often overlooked, including future maintenance requirements, resilience to a changing climate, the ecological value of different species and how the tree will interact with the surrounding landscape as it matures.
Only after building a complete understanding of both the site and the client's aspirations do we begin discussing individual species.
Even then, the process rarely ends there.
It is common for us to return to the office, reflect on what we have seen, carry out additional research where appropriate and carefully consider which species are likely to provide the greatest long term benefit. Tree planting is one of the few decisions in arboriculture that cannot easily be undone. Taking the time to think carefully is not hesitation; it is professional responsibility.
Sometimes the Right Tree Is Not the Tree You Wanted
Choosing the right tree occasionally means advising against the one a client originally had in mind.
That can be disappointing, particularly when somebody has fallen in love with the appearance of a particular species, but our responsibility is to recommend what is most likely to succeed over the long term rather than what appears most attractive on the day of planting.
We encounter this most frequently when replacement planting follows the removal of a protected tree.
Increasingly, Local Planning Authorities expect appropriate replacement planting where a Tree Preservation Order tree has been removed, and quite rightly so. Those replacement trees are intended not only to compensate for the loss of an individual specimen but also to preserve the long term character of the landscape.
Recently, we advised a client whose mature ash tree required removal. Their preference was to replace it with a magnolia, a beautiful tree in its own right and one that we are very happy to recommend in the right setting. In this instance, however, the replacement planting formed part of the wider planning process. We explained that substituting a large canopy tree with a comparatively small ornamental species was unlikely to satisfy the Local Planning Authority and that a more appropriate replacement should be considered.
These conversations are never about imposing our preferences.
They are about helping clients understand the purpose behind replacement planting and ensuring that today's decisions continue to benefit the landscape many decades into the future.
Our philosophy has always been that honest advice is more valuable than easy agreement. If we believe another species will better serve the site, the surrounding landscape or the long term health of the tree itself, we will explain our reasoning openly and recommend what we believe is the right course of action.
Tree Preservation Order Advice
Planting the Tree Is Only the Beginning
One of the greatest misconceptions surrounding tree planting is that the difficult part is getting the tree into the ground.
In reality, that is often the easiest part of the entire process.
The success or failure of a newly planted tree is determined not by the quality of the planting alone, but by the weeks, months and years that follow. We have seen countless examples of well planted trees fail simply because they were forgotten once the spade was put away. Equally, we have watched trees establish successfully in less than ideal conditions because somebody took the time to care for them properly.
If there is one lesson we would encourage every homeowner, landowner and developer to remember, it is this:
A newly planted tree is not yet established. It is dependent upon you.
Young trees require water during prolonged dry periods, particularly throughout their first few growing seasons. They benefit from appropriate mulching to help regulate soil temperature and retain moisture, formative pruning where necessary to encourage good structure and protection from accidental damage caused by machinery, wildlife or routine garden maintenance. In some situations, careful staking or shelter may also be appropriate until the tree has established a sufficiently robust root system.
This is not unlike caring for any other valuable living thing.
You would not expect an orchid to flourish without attention, nor would you plant a rose and assume it would look after itself indefinitely. Trees deserve exactly the same consideration, yet because they appear strong and resilient, they are often expected to fend for themselves from the moment they are planted.
Unfortunately, that assumption is one of the principal reasons so many planting schemes fail.
Over the years we have worked on projects ranging from modest domestic planting through to large scale schemes involving thousands of young trees. Whilst ambitious planting programmes undoubtedly have their place, we have also seen first hand how quickly good intentions can be undone when aftercare is overlooked. There is little value in celebrating the number of trees planted if the majority fail before they have the opportunity to establish.
For that reason, we believe success should never be measured by the number of trees placed into the ground.
Success should be measured by the number of trees still thriving many years later.
That philosophy influences every planting recommendation we make. We would rather see fewer trees planted well, with a genuine commitment to their long term care, than thousands planted simply to satisfy an arbitrary target.
Why We Believe in Planting Two More Trees
Whenever we remove a tree, we find ourselves reflecting on what has truly been lost.
A mature tree is far more than timber and foliage. It has spent decades, and often centuries, cooling the landscape, storing carbon, intercepting rainfall, supporting wildlife and quietly shaping the character of the place around it. Cavities become homes. Branches become nesting sites. The canopy becomes shelter, shade and a familiar part of people's lives.
None of those qualities can be replaced overnight.
Even the most carefully selected replacement tree will take many decades before it begins contributing to the landscape in the same way.
That understanding lies behind an initiative we are developing called Two More Trees.
The principle is simple. Rather than replacing one removed tree with one new tree, we believe our profession should aspire to plant two. Wherever practical, one would be of the same or a closely related species to preserve the existing character of the landscape, whilst the second would introduce greater diversity and resilience for the future.
There are practical reasons for this approach. Not every newly planted tree will survive. Drought, disease, accidental damage and countless other factors mean that some losses are inevitable. Planting two improves the likelihood that the landscape will continue to benefit in the decades ahead.
More importantly, however, it reflects a broader philosophy.
We believe arboriculture should not merely mitigate the changes it makes to the landscape. It should improve the landscape wherever the opportunity exists.
Today, Two More Trees remains an ambition that we are actively developing. Our long term vision is to work alongside local authorities, landowners, other arborists and landscape professionals.
Planting for Future Generations
One of the greatest privileges of planting trees is knowing that their greatest contribution may come long after we have gone.
Unlike many things we build or purchase, a tree rarely reaches its full potential during the lifetime of the person who planted it. It grows steadily and quietly, becoming more valuable with every passing decade. As its canopy expands, so too does the shade it provides. Its branches become home to nesting birds, its bark supports insects and lichens, its roots improve the soil beneath it and its presence gradually becomes woven into the identity of the place.
The person who planted it may never see any of that.
There is something wonderfully selfless about that idea.
A tree asks us to think beyond ourselves. It encourages us to make a decision today that will benefit people we are unlikely ever to meet. Future homeowners may shelter beneath it during a summer heatwave. Children may climb through its branches without ever wondering who first placed it there. A family may gather beneath its canopy for generations, never realising that somebody decades earlier carried a young sapling into that garden, watered it faithfully and protected it until it could stand on its own.
The tree will simply be there, ready to lend a hand whenever it is needed.
We think that is one of the finest investments anyone can make.
It is easy to describe tree planting in terms of biodiversity, carbon storage, climate resilience and ecological gain. Those are all genuine and important benefits, and they should never be overlooked. Yet we believe trees contribute something less tangible as well. They become landmarks that help define a place. They provide a sense of permanence in an increasingly fast moving world. They quietly remind us that some of the most worthwhile things we can do are those whose rewards are realised slowly.
That is why we often describe a newly planted tree as an asset.
Not simply because it improves a property.
Not simply because it supports wildlife.
But because it enriches the landscape and the lives of the people who will inherit it.
Why Clients Choose Southfleet for Tree Planting
We believe successful tree planting begins long before the first hole is dug.
Our clients choose us because they want more than somebody to supply and plant a tree. They want professional advice that considers the landscape as a whole, honest recommendations that are supported by evidence and a planting scheme designed to succeed not just this year, but for decades to come.
We take the time to understand your objectives before recommending a species. We explain why we believe one tree may be more suitable than another and we are never afraid to advise against a choice if we believe there is a better long term solution. We also recognise that planting is only the beginning of the journey and are happy to provide guidance on aftercare, formative pruning and ongoing management to give your tree the greatest possible opportunity to establish successfully.
Most importantly, we approach every planting with the same philosophy that guides all of our work.
We balance the needs of the client, the tree, the landscape and the wider environment. We recommend the minimum intervention necessary. We value long term stewardship over short term convenience and we explain not only what we recommend, but why.
Those principles shape every recommendation we make, whether we are planting a single ornamental tree in a private garden or helping restore part of a much larger landscape.
If you are considering planting a tree, we would be delighted to help you choose a species that will thrive, enrich its surroundings and continue providing value for generations to come.
About the Author
Jackson Moran
Founder, Southfleet Tree Services and Arb & Environmental
Level 4 Arboriculture (Merrist Wood)
AA Technician Member
Over ten years of practical arboricultural experience across tree surgery, tree inspection, surveying and long term landscape management.
Jackson believes the best arboriculture balances the needs of trees, people and the wider landscape through evidence based, proportionate decision making. His work spans practical tree care through Southfleet Tree Services, professional consultancy through Arb & Environmental and, in the future, landscape implementation through Hawthorne Surry.
als to create opportunities for meaningful replacement planting beyond the boundaries of individual gardens. If enough people adopt that way of thinking, our profession has the potential not simply to manage Britain's trees, but to increase and strengthen them for generations to come.
