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More Trees Now rescues excess or unwanted saplings, cuttings and shrubs, then transplants them to sites where they can grow into mature trees. Each tree produces hundreds of saplings every year. However, most of these don’t reach maturity because they grow in the wrong place, are removed, or wither and die. By carefully scooping out these seedlings in winter and giving them away, they have another chance to grow elsewhere. This is a logical, cheap, sustainable and fun way to plant more trees!
Usually, trees and shrubs are purchased from a tree nursery. This remains an important source of (certified) planting material for many. But there’s another often overlooked source for trees and shrubs: nature itself! More Trees Now gathers surplus young shrubs and trees from natural and green spaces, redistributing them to, farmers, food forests, and citizens eager to green their local areas.
From November to March, most plants are dormant, which stops the movement of essential nutrients through their roots, branches, and leaves. This is an ideal time for carefully harvesting and transplanting saplings and cuttings. Some can be easily uprooted by hand, while others may require the use of a shovel for loosening. It’s crucial to ensure the roots remain intact during this process. Saplings and cuttings can be collected throughout this dormancy period as long as they are planted before the end of March.
Collected saplings can be immediately transplanted to a new location or they can be heeled in until early spring in a Tree Hub.
More Trees Now collects the trees and shrubs from different harvest days together in a Tree Hub. Tree Hubs come in all different shapes and sizes! Whether it is a community garden that switches from vegetables to trees in wintertime, a front yard, or a 1-acre garden, each consists of trenches where you store the bundles of rescued saplings together. You can store thousands of saplings on a 100m² plot.
Finally, the collected saplings are planted. Our tree planner system allows anyone to sign up for free trees. Saplings can be picked up directly from a ‘harvest day’ when they are collected, or you can sign up for a giveaway from a tree hub. We can only collect what nature provides in abundance, so there is no guarantee that your preferred tree will be available. However, we strive for fair distribution. Pioneer trees such as Maple, Birch, Willow, Black Alder, Ash, Beech, and Oak are most frequently harvested. The Elderberry bush and Butterfly bush are the most commonly cut. We harvest many varieties, so a suitable tree for your environment is always within reach!
