Why Plant?
Trees and shrubs provide many important functions.
- They reduce soil erosion and filter runoff. Planting along waterways improves water quality and reduces flooding risks. Trees also assist in the recharge of groundwater.
- Native trees and shrubs provide food and shelter for wildlife. Planting trees can help improve biodiversity in our watersheds and mitigate the impacts of invasive species.
- In addition, trees improve air quality and hold carbon.
Types of Planting Projects - when you’re thinking about a planting project consider the type of planting that will best suit your goals and site conditions. Funding for tree planting generally requires a minimum of 50 trees or shrubs. The amount of funding available depends on your county, municipality, project type and the size of the project. Project types include:
- windbreaks – rows of trees and shrubs planted along agricultural fields or roads
- plantings in areas prone to flooding
- stream buffers – rows of trees and shrubs planted along a watercourse
- plantings on farmland that is tricky to work
- and plantings within woodlots to fill open areas.
Tips for Picking Your Site:
- Tree roots can extend two times the width of a tree’s canopy or more when the tree is fully grown.
- Fully grown trees, like Sycamore, can have a canopy with of 21 metres (70 feet).
- Consider potential future problems with roots and branching including:
- Hydro lines
- Roads
- Property lines
- Septic ststems
- Tile drain systems including closed municipal drains
- Underground wiring, piping or cables
Quick Tips for Planting Success:
Prepare your site before planting and ask questions early. Tall grassy areas require more site prep than others
- We’ll be posting Site Preparations Guidelines shortly so please check back.
Match the types of plants you choose to your site. For example pick water loving shrubs for wet locations. Be sure to consider soil type, amount of water on the site and sunlight conditions.
- See our What to Plant guide or contact our staff for advice.
Tend to your project after planting. Trees and shrubs face many challenges as they grow. The most successful projects have attentive caretakers!
- Looking for tips on maintenance? We’ll be posting Maintenance Tips shortly so please check back.
Resources
- Mulching and Staking Factsheet
- Tree Planting Guide – for balled, burlap and potted stock
- Tree Planting Guide – for seedlings
- What to Plant
- Jann and Mike Van Massenhoven – an inspiring tree planting story
- All About Windbreaks – OMAFRA recently developed a series of four videos focusing on windbreaks. Click the link below to view the videos:
All About Windbreaks
Landowner Spotlights
Check out the interviews with Bill Roy and Allison Stoecker, local landowners who have been undertaking a variety of stewardship planting projects. Click an image below for more details for each Landowner Spotlight.
