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After harvesting, it is time to plant. It is the phase when trees and shrubs are given a second life. Anyone can request and collect trees for free, and call for volunteers to help with planting. A fun and special moment to attend as a volunteer!
The disadvantaged saplings and shrubs harvested on a harvest day are planted on a planting day in a place with greater chances of survival. Planting sites come in all shapes and sizes. They range from a backyard garden, to start-up food forests to the farmyard.
The trees are usually between 50 and 150 cm.
Between November and mid-March is best time to plant trees and shrubs. The sooner a tree from a harvest day is back in the ground, the better it is for your tree!
The perfect weather for plants is ‘cold weather’. It is cold, but not freezing. It is dry, partly cloudy and there is little wind. In ‘cold store weather’, the planter gets a breath of fresh air without getting wet. The roots of the trees are not at risk of damage from wind or sun. When it is cold, sap streams are at a standstill. The tree is at rest, so it can be moved without consequences.
The planting day starts with picking the right spot for the trees and shrubs. The depth and density of the pits in which the trees are planted varies according to tree species and landscape. The tree or shrub is placed in the dug hole and finally the hole is filled. Take great care not to damage the roots.
The Tree Planner is a digital platform connecting everyone participating in the project. Tree hubs, harvest supervisors, planting locations, volunteers: they all get a profile in this online system. In the Tree Planner, you can sign up for a planting day, harvest or distribution days. Collecting trees can be done on a harvest or distribution day. Calling people to help with planting can be done by creating a planting day yourself.
Can you collect trees and shrubs without making an account in the Tree Planner? You can! Go directly to the calendar and sign in as a guest, or download the app to immediately see all harvesting and distribution days in your neighbourhood! If you want to call for volunteers to help with planting, you do need an account.k
Have you obtained seedlings and want to plant them? Then read our comprehensive planting guide!
Highly recommended! A nice film about planting trees (in a forest, in the Netherlands).
