Tree Planting

Most tree surgery companies focus on what comes down. Thor's Trees also handles what goes in. From a single specimen tree in a back garden to a full planting scheme across a development site, the team plants trees properly - right species, right location and right time of year.

Poor planting is one of the biggest reasons newly planted trees don't make it past the first few years. Planted too deep, in the wrong soil, without decent staking or watering, or somewhere they'll outgrow within a decade - it's a common story. Having an arborist involved from the start avoids those problems, and it's a lot cheaper than replacing a dead tree down the line.

Our constraints planning gives you a clear picture of what trees you've got and how they might affect your plans.
Tree planting work in Hertfordshire and North London comes from all sorts of people, each with their own reasons for putting new trees in the ground.

Homeowners want a feature tree in the garden, some screening from a road or neighbouring property, or a replacement for one that's been taken down. Developers and builders working through landscaping conditions attached to planning permission, including replacement planting after TPO removals. Estate owners and land managers thinking about succession, filling gaps left by storm damage, or putting in new hedgerow and woodland. Councils, schools, and housing associations looking to improve green spaces. And businesses wanting trees around car parks, office grounds, or commercial premises.

Whatever the reason, the approach is the same - look at the site, pick the right tree, plant it properly, and give it the best chance of looking after itself long term.

Picking a tree because it looks good in a photo is how expensive mistakes happen. A species that does well in sandy, free-draining soil will struggle on the heavy London Clay that covers much of Hertfordshire and North London. A tree that reaches 25 metres at maturity is going to cause headaches if it's three metres from a house. And anything prone to ash dieback or oak processionary moth might need replacing within a few years of going in.

Thor's Trees can talk you through what's likely to do well on your site - taking into account soil type, drainage, how much space there'll be at maturity, aspect, light levels, and how close you are to buildings or underground services. If you've already got a tree in mind, the arborists will let you know if there's anything to watch out for before it goes in the ground.

Getting a tree into the ground properly takes more thought than most people expect. The arborists dig planting pits to at least two to three times the width of the root ball, break up compacted ground around the edges so roots aren't circling back on themselves, and plant at the right depth so the root flare sits at ground level. If the soil is heavy clay, drainage gets sorted before the tree goes in rather than after problems start showing.

Staking goes in where it's needed - low single or double stakes with proper ties that let the trunk move and build strength rather than leaning on the support forever. Mulch goes down around the base to hold onto moisture and keep grass and weeds from competing, but it's kept away from the trunk to stop rot setting in. For bigger specimens and semi-mature trees, underground guying or root ball anchoring does the job where above-ground stakes would get in the way.

Container-grown trees get checked for circling roots before planting and sorted out if needed. Bare-root stock is handled carefully to stop the roots drying out and goes in during the dormant season window.

If a tree has been taken down under TPO consent, the council will almost always want a replacement planted. The same goes for landscaping conditions on new builds - approved planting schemes need to be carried out in the first available planting season and looked after for at least five years. If anything dies in that time, it has to go back in.

Thor's Trees plants to meet these conditions and puts together the paperwork local authorities need to see when you're looking to get them signed off - planting records, photographs, species and size details, and confirmation that everything matches the approved scheme.

Sorting this out properly the first time round saves you from enforcement headaches and the cost of doing it all again.

The main planting season runs from November through to March, while trees are dormant and the shock of being moved is at its lowest. Bare-root trees are only available during this window and need to be in the ground before buds start breaking in spring. Root-balled stock works on a similar timeline and should go in before growth picks up again.

Container-grown trees can go in at other times of year, but planting over summer on the heavy clay soils you'll find across Hertfordshire and North London is a gamble without reliable watering in place. Autumn tends to be the sweet spot - the soil is still warm and there's enough moisture around to give roots a head start before the first proper growing season.

Timing is always based on the stock type, the species, and what the ground is doing at that particular site, so planting gets scheduled to give each tree the best possible start.

A newly planted tree isn't done once it's in the ground. The first two to three growing seasons are the make-or-break period, and without some attention during that time, even a well-planted tree can struggle. Keeping on top of watering through dry spells, topping up mulch, checking stakes and ties, and doing a bit of early formative pruning all go a long way towards getting a tree properly established.

Thor's Trees can walk you through what your newly planted tree will need and talk about aftercare options that suit the site and the scale of the planting.

It depends on the size of the tree, how much ground preparation is involved, and whether aftercare is part of the package. A small container-grown tree in a straightforward garden spot will cost a lot less than putting a semi-mature specimen into a hard landscape with engineered soil. Thor's Trees quotes after a site visit so the price reflects what's involved.

Smaller trees - whips and feathered trees - tend to establish faster and often catch up with larger stock within a few years because they settle into the soil and conditions more quickly. Semi-mature trees look the part straight away but need more looking after and cost more to buy and plant. It comes down to the budget, what the tree is for, and how soon you want the result.

Winter is the best time to plant. November to March is when bare-root and root-balled trees are available and when transplant shock is at its lowest. Planting can go ahead in cold weather as long as the ground isn't frozen solid or completely waterlogged.

Thor's Trees plants and establishes replacement trees to satisfy TPO conditions and provides the records the local authority needs to confirm the condition has been met.

Ask Thor's Trees about guarantee options and aftercare agreements for newly planted trees, including extended programmes for development sites with five-year compliance conditions.

Thor's Trees reviews the approved landscaping plan, carries out the planting within the required timeframe, and documents everything for condition discharge.

If a survey is needed before planting begins, Thor's Trees provides BS5837 tree surveys and arboricultural impact assessments that feed directly into the planting scheme.

Thor's Trees handles everything from a single garden tree to a full planting scheme across a development site, covering species selection through to established growth. Call 020 8292 8992 or get in touch through the website to arrange a site visit.
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