Tree Planting

Plant a tree yourself – please fill out the application and email it to the urban forester who will respond with a list of tree species appropriate for your location.
Request a tree from the city - Contact the Urban Forester and tree will be selected on your behalf to be planted in front of your home in the next available season. This program is limited in availability based on staff time, season and funding.
Participate in a tree planting event – Join the Neighborwoods Program or
Volunteer Visit our volunteer page to be added to our list for tree planting or other volunteer projects in parks
Donate to plant a Memorial Tree.

Select the right tree for your location from the approved species list, the City’s Urban Forester can advise you on an appropriate tree for your location
Buy from a reputable grower
Call before you dig! A single phone call can save lives and lots of money so make sure to call 811
Check out our tree planting specifications.
Excavate a hole with sloping sides at least 3x the diameter of the root ball and to the proper depth so that the surface roots stay just above the surface of the soil after backfilling.
Carefully place the tree and check for correct depth Backfill with soil and tamp firmly at the base of the root ball to stabilize the tree, the rest of the backfill should be watered-in rather than tamped and not compacted after watering.
If necessary stake the tree in place to stabilize it (see illustration)
Add mulch 3-4” deep but keep mulch 6” away from the trunk of the tree.
Check out these great videos from the National Arborday Foundation!

Trees provide a multitude of benefits to people living in an urban environment including
- Shelter from summer heat and winter wind
- Clean air and life-giving oxygen.
- Increased property value and improved curb appeal for your home
- Reduced storm water runoff = cleaner rivers and streams and a reduced load on our municipal sewer system.
- Carbon sequestration.
- Provide food and shelter for wildlife.
In addition to all of these benefits trees provide a gift to future generations, planting a tree is an act of altruism and helps to strengthen our community.

Newly planted trees require more care. The following steps will help a newly planted tree establish itself.

Water deeply with 20 gallons of water once a week during the growing season.
Mulch with a clean natural wood mulch 2-3” deep in a saucer around the tree, don’t mound mulch up around the base of the tree.
Keep weeds and grass down by hand-pulling. The biggest single killer of newly planted trees is string trimmer or mower damage. Keep grass away for the base of the tree so you have adequate room to mow without damaging the tree.

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