The First Decade:

A Manifesto for Tree Establishment

This document is intended as a starting point for discussion and collaboration.

Across the UK, significant public and private investment is now being directed toward much needed tree planting and canopy expansion. National targets, local authority programmes and charitable initiatives have mobilised significant effort and funding to increase canopy cover and deliver the environmental benefits that trees provide. Increasingly this work is delivered through collaboration between public and private organisations, bringing together government bodies, local authorities, developers, charities, consultants and contractors around the shared goal of planting more trees.

Yet planting a tree is only the beginning of its journey.

The long-term success of a tree is determined during the years that follow. Those early years, when a young tree adapts to its new environment, develops its root system and begins to establish itself within the landscape, are critical. If we want the trees we plant today to deliver benefits for decades to come, we must pay far greater attention to this stage of their life.

At present, responsibility for young trees is spread across multiple professions and sectors. Nurseries grow them, designers specify them, contractors plant them and landowners maintain them. Each part of the process plays an important role, yet too often these activities happen in isolation rather than as part of a coordinated approach to establishment.

This manifesto sets out a simple proposition: if we improve how we design, deliver and monitor the early years of tree establishment, we can dramatically improve the long-term success of tree planting programmes.

It outlines four areas where greater collaboration, better information and practical knowledge sharing could help the industry move forward. It is not intended as a finished position, but as a starting point for discussion.

The challenges surrounding early years tree care sit across the boundaries of many allied industries and sectors. Addressing them will require collaboration between arborists, nurseries, landscape architects, contractors, researchers, charities, developers, local authorities and government bodies. Strengthening this partnership between public and private organisations will be essential if the sector is to translate planting ambition into long-term canopy success.

Thrive Tree Consultancy has been established with a focus on this early years phase. The intention is to contribute to this conversation, support practical improvements in the sector and help ensure that the trees we plant today are still thriving in the landscapes of the future.

Underlying principle

One simple principle sits behind this manifesto: planting a tree is only one moment in a much longer process.

The real measure of success is not how many trees are planted, but how many go on to thrive decades later.

The early years of a tree’s life are where that success is determined. Soil conditions, planting practice, irrigation, maintenance and monitoring all play a role in whether a young tree establishes successfully. When these factors are considered together and supported properly, establishment is not complicated. When they are overlooked or fragmented across different parts of the industry, failure becomes far more likely.

Much of the knowledge required to establish trees successfully already exists within the sector. The challenge is less about discovering new techniques and more about aligning the systems, knowledge and collaboration required to apply what we already know.

This document therefore focuses on practical areas where improved coordination and shared understanding could significantly improve establishment outcomes.

Focus areas

1. Data capture - Consistent monitoring is essential if the sector is to understand what drives successful tree establishment.

In order to manage anything well it must first be monitored. Tree planting programmes across the UK represent a significant public and private investment, yet the data collected on newly planted trees is often inconsistent or incomplete. Without reliable information it becomes difficult to understand which approaches are successful and where improvements are needed.

Thrive will advocate for a consistent and structured approach to capturing tree planting and establishment data. The aim is to develop practical frameworks that allow comparable information to be recorded across projects, particularly those funded through public programmes such as government or local authority initiatives.

Over time, this data could be aggregated and shared through research bodies such as Forest Research, creating opportunities for wider analysis and learning across the sector. With appropriate safeguards, elements of this information could be made available in an open data format, helping turn large-scale planting programmes into valuable sources of evidence.

The scale of tree planting currently underway across the UK represents a significant opportunity. If captured consistently, the data generated from these projects could provide powerful insights into how trees establish in different environments and how practices can be improved.

2. Training for specifiers - Better design decisions at the outset significantly improve establishment outcomes.

Many of the challenges affecting newly planted trees originate at the design and specification stage. Decisions around soil volumes, planting environments, irrigation provision, staking systems and aftercare responsibilities are often made without a full understanding of how these factors influence long-term establishment.

Those specifying planting schemes play a critical role in determining whether a tree has the conditions it needs to thrive.

Thrive will contribute to training and knowledge sharing aimed at those responsible for specifying planting schemes, including landscape architects, planners, local authority tree officers, environmental charities and project managers involved in delivering planting programmes.

The aim is to support better informed decisions during the design process, ensuring that trees are provided with realistic conditions for successful establishment and long-term growth.

3. Training for practitioners - Successful establishment ultimately depends on the knowledge and care applied on the ground.

Planting, soil preparation, staking, irrigation and early maintenance are practical tasks that require both knowledge and care.

Yet training opportunities for practitioners can be inconsistent and guidance is often spread across technical documents that are not always accessible to those carrying out the work.

Thrive will support the development and delivery of practical training aimed at those responsible for planting and maintaining young trees. This includes landscape contractors, site supervisors, maintenance teams and others directly involved in establishment and aftercare.

The focus will be on translating technical guidance into clear, practical approaches that improve outcomes on site.

4. Developing cross-industry partnerships - Improving early years tree care requires collaboration across the full supply chain.

The early years of a tree’s life sit at the intersection of multiple professions and sectors. Nurseries, arborists, landscape architects, contractors, researchers, charities and public bodies all play important roles.

Despite this, there are relatively few structures that bring these groups together specifically around the shared objective of successful tree establishment.

Thrive will seek to foster cross-industry partnerships that connect leading practitioners, researchers and organisations working in this space. By creating opportunities for collaboration, communication and the sharing of experience, these partnerships can help reduce the gaps that often exist between allied industries.

The intention is to provide a platform through which knowledge, practical tools, innovations and skills can be shared more effectively across the sector. By strengthening connections between the public and private sectors and encouraging collaboration across the supply chain, the industry can accelerate learning and improve the outcomes of planting programmes. 

A call for collaboration

The ambition set out in this manifesto is simple. By improving how we design, deliver and monitor the early years of tree establishment, we can significantly improve the long-term success of tree planting programmes.

The scale of planting currently underway presents an opportunity to learn, adapt and improve how the sector approaches tree establishment. However, achieving this will require collaboration across the industries and organisations involved in delivering these programmes. This document is therefore not intended as a definitive position, but as a starting point for conversation.

If you work with young trees in any capacity, whether in arboriculture, nurseries, landscape architecture, contracting, research, charities, development or the public sector, and these ideas resonate with you, the opportunity for collaboration is significant.

Thrive Tree Consultancy aims to contribute to this work and help bring together those interested in improving how we support trees through their early years.

The trees we plant today should still be thriving in the landscapes of the future.