The Arboricultural Association is stepping up efforts this summer to help young trees survive, as last year marked the warmest summer ever recorded globally and across Europe.
With rising temperatures and dry spells threatening newly planted trees, the Association’s Young Tree Watering Campaign is expanding to ensure that tree planting efforts truly make a lasting impact.
Research shows that 30% of newly planted street trees die within their first years, often due to lack of proper aftercare. Since its launch in 2020, the campaign has distributed over 10,000 tree watering tags—including 3,500 free tags to community groups—to remind people to water young trees during dry weather.
It is recommended that newly planted trees are given 50 litres of water per week during the summer months, for the first three years after planting.
The campaign has gained support from leading environmental organisations, including the Woodland Trust, emphasising the importance of aftercare to help millions of newly planted trees reach maturity.
Local authorities and residents across the UK are joining forces to water young trees, recognising that planting is just the beginning. Proper aftercare ensures trees survive to deliver environmental benefits and combat the climate crisis.
Everyone can help young trees thrive. To learn more or get involved, https://trees.org.uk/watering
Around the world there are efforts to plant millions of trees to help tackle the climate crisis, but the health and survival of urban trees is threatened by increasingly dry weather. Without proper aftercare they will not survive to provide full environmental benefits. Trees are part of the solution, and watering young trees is an investment for a greener future.
Summer 2024 was the Earth's warmest on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. It was also the warmest across Europe at 1.54C above the 1991-2020 long term average, exceeding the previous record from 2022.
