Growing a greener Warwickshire – Tree planting season 2022/23

The UK tree planting season runs between the colder months of November and March, when trees are naturally dormant and there is less chance of them being damaged during the planting process. Trees planted during this period will tend to have the best chance of survival to maturity.

It’s also timely to be thinking about tree planting as The Tree Council’s National Tree Week gets underway from November 26 until 4 December, which is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration. Each year, the country’s conservation sector, volunteer groups and tree-lovers come together to plant thousands of trees to mark the start of the tree planting season.

Warwickshire County Council has ambitious tree planting plans for coming years that will see a tree for every resident planted across the county. This tree planting has been strategically planned to restore parts of forests and wooded areas that have been long lost to time, such as the ancient Forest of Arden, which once covered most of the county and beyond into Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

While the Council has its own targets for tree planting, it is also inviting residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups to embark on their own tree planting during the 2022/23 season. To make things a bit easier, Officers from the WCC Forestry and Ecology Teams have shared some of their top tips for anyone wanting to plant a tree:

• Think carefully about the type of planting you are going to do. There are a range of options from the cheapest (but slowest) of planting from seed, to planting saplings and whips all the way up to planting trees that are closer to maturity.
• Always try to pick trees that are native to the UK. This will give you the best chance at success. Trees to think about are Oak, Elm and Ash or fruit trees like Apple, Pear or Cherry. Here is a useful guide from the Woodlands Trust on which species of trees you could plant: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/advice/choose/
• Plant trees at least 2 meters apart. If you are planting a tree in your own garden, ensure it is far enough away from your property that root systems, when fully grown, will not interfere with the foundations.
• Always prepare your planting site. This means that if your planting area is overgrown, cut the grass short and weed. This will make planting easier and reduce competition for water, helping your saplings to thrive. Find out more about different methods of planting here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/advice/how-to-plant/
• Trees are like pets, they need ongoing care. Although native trees are resilient and can be hardy, you can’t just plant one and leave it, hoping for the best. For at least the first 3 years your newly planted tree is going to need ongoing care to ensure that is survives and, later, thrives and that your planting efforts are not wasted. Here is a useful guide to ongoing tree care: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/advice/care/

Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and the Environment, said: “There is no better time than right now to plant a tree in Warwickshire and to play your part in reducing carbon emissions and increasing the County’s biodiversity through the creation of new habitats for wildlife. 

“The global reduction of woods and forests and associated habitat and biodiversity loss is one of the greatest damages that we have done to our planet and its ecosystems. Renewed tree planting across the world will be integral to our response to the mounting climate crisis, which is why this Council is so committed to its own tree planting and to encouraging our residents, businesses, community and voluntary groups, that are able, to do the same.

“The Woodlands Trust have stated that to meet the UK’s carbon net-zero target, it will need to plant at least 1.44 million hectares of new forestry across the country. In Warwickshire, we are fully committed to playing our part in this huge tree planting challenge.

“To anyone who does rise to the challenge of planting a tree in the 2022/23 season, I would encourage you to log it on the West Midlands Virtual Forest platform so we can contribute to creating a picture of new trees and woodland across the region.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Virtual Forest platform is an online mapping tool that enables anyone who has planted a tree to register it on the Virtual Forest and it is hoped that all new tree planting across Warwickshire, and the wider region, will be included. It is part of the WMCA’s long-term commitment to the environment, #WM2041, which is the regional plan to be carbon neutral by 2041 and to restore and enhance the natural environment.

The Council is currently engaging with residents around the draft Sustainable Futures Strategy.  Anyone can find out more and have their stay here: https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/sustainable-futures-strategy/

Find out more about the Warwickshire tree nursery, which will underpin the WCC tree planting targets: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/3250/the-warwickshire-tree-nursery-planting-for-our-future   

Find out more about Warwickshire County Council’s commitment to planting a tree for every resident: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/2528/a-tree-for-every-resident-in-warwickshire

For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/

Get the latest news about how Warwickshire County Council and partners are facing the challenge of the climate emergency and how you can get involved: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf

To register your tree planting on the Virtual Forest platform, visit www.wmvirtualforest.co.uk