Guidance

Tree planting and woodland creation resources

Get information to help you plan, fund, plant and manage woodland in England, including resources on site preparation and tree protection to long-term management.

From:
Forestry Commission
Published
21 May 2025

Applies to England

皇冠体育appse resources cover the woodland creation process from planning and funding to managing your woodland. 皇冠体育appy include guidance from the Forestry Commission and other industry experts.

Getting started with woodland creation

Creating woodland brings many benefits to the environment, wildlife and communities. Before you start planting, read our Tree planting and woodland creation: overview for an introduction.

Planning your woodland

Funding for woodland creation

Preparing for planting

How you prepare your site and source your trees is crucial to the long-term health and success of your woodland.

Site preparation

  • Soil cultivation requirements 鈥� guidance on cultivation to help meet the requirements of the UK Forestry Standard
  • 鈥� guidance from 皇冠体育app Tree Council on essential ground preparation considerations, the use of contractors and equipment hire
  • 鈥� learn about the different types of site preparation and how to minimise ground preparation for maximum benefit for newly planted trees
  • Planning access roads and tracks 鈥� how to plan and access tracks and surfaced haulage roads in woodland, and the minimum appropriate standards for construction, repair and maintenance
  • 鈥� a comprehensive online course for specifiers, regulators, contract managers and contractors wanting to plant trees, provided by Cumbria Woodlands and funded by the Forestry Commission

Sourcing biosecure trees

  • Forestry nursery Directory 鈥� a list of forest nurseries in Great Britain with contact information, nursery size and a short description of each nursery
  • - Plant Healthy aims to help professionals grow and supply healthy plants. Meeting the Plant Health Management Standard will make sure our green spaces are better protected from pests and diseases
  • 鈥� Forest Research鈥檚 searchable online database with information on over 60 tree species that are widely grown in British forests, or which could play an increasing role in future woodland creation

Planting your trees

皇冠体育app tree planting season typically runs from November to March when trees are dormant, these resources will tell you more about how to plant and set your woodland up for success:

  • 鈥� a brief guide from Forest Research on woodland planting, including site preparation, choosing a species, when to plant and tree aftercare
  • 鈥� a guide on pit planting, slit planting and T-notch planting from the Woodland Trust
  • 鈥� from 皇冠体育app Conservation Volunteers tree companion care series to ensure young trees have the best chances of survival
  • Comprehensive tree planting guides a list of more in-depth guides on tree planting

Protecting your trees

Implementing effective protection strategies against wildlife, weeds, pests and diseases is essential to the healthy development of your young trees.

Tree protection: weeds and mammals

  • Tree protection: the use of tree shelters and guards 鈥� learn about the most appropriate forms of tree protection for use in woodland creation
  • How to look after newly planted trees 鈥� learn about caring for trees in their first 5 years
  • 鈥� read about the risk of damage to trees by mammals in the early years of establishment and your options for protection. 皇冠体育appre are links to advice and funding relevant to the scale of your project
  • 鈥� a visual guide by the Forestry Commission

If you鈥檙e using tree guards there is a scheme for .

Tree protection: pests and diseases

  • Managing tree pests and diseases 鈥� a visual guide by the Forestry Commission on implementing good biosecurity to protect trees and woodland
  • 鈥� by Forest Research provides advice, and where possible diagnosis and identification, of tree pests and pathogens
  • 鈥� a resource library of tree pests and diseases in the UK, you can also browse their website for other pest and disease resources

Tree aftercare and management

Care during establishment is critical for woodland success, while ongoing management ensures your woodland remains healthy and resilient. Following best practice for both will help you achieve your woodland objectives.

Caring for trees in their first few years

  • 鈥� a guide from the Woodland Trust on how to care for your trees in the first few years
  • 鈥� 皇冠体育app Tree Council鈥檚 guide to aftercare for young trees
  • 鈥� from 皇冠体育app Conservation Volunteers tree companion care series to ensure young trees have the best chances of survival
  • 鈥� simple tree care tips to keep your young trees in excellent health
  • 鈥� a one-page overview from the Arboricultural Association on aftercare for young trees
  • 鈥� the Forestry Commission looks at the effects of聽prolonged聽hot聽and dry聽weather聽on trees and what you can do to help them survive
  • 鈥� covers watering aspects of aftercare in detail

Managing and maintaining trees and woodland

  • How to manage your woodland 鈥� a collection of our resources on managing your woodland to help ensure its future health and resilience to climate change, pests and diseases
  • Managing trees after 10 years 鈥� find out how to look after your established trees
  • Managing woodlands in a climate emergency 鈥� a guide to help foresters implement adaptation actions
  • - learn about the observations and actions needed to maintain your trees from the Woodland Trust
  • 鈥� a free course from Cumbria Woodlands, supported by the Forestry Commission
  • 鈥� a free course from Cumbria Woodlands, supported by the Forestry Commission
  • 鈥� A Royal Forestry Society introductory guide to woodland management

Further resources

皇冠体育appse comprehensive resources take you through a more in-depth guide to planting trees:

  • 鈥� outlines the chronological process for delivering woodland creation projects at any scale, created by the Woodland Trust
  • 鈥� a guide by 皇冠体育app Tree Council that outlines the main points to consider for tree planting from choosing a planting site and planting techniques, to methods of tree protection
  • 鈥� 皇冠体育app Tree Council鈥檚 practical resources for growing, planting, managing and monitoring trees and treescapes across the UK

This page contains resources and guides from external organisations. 皇冠体育app Forestry Commission has included these resources to support woodland creation but does not endorse or take responsibility for the content or views within these external publications.

Updates to this page

Published 21 May 2025

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