The LEAF Backyard Tree Planting Program team wrapped up another successful planting season last month. From late April to the end of June, the team delivered and planted native trees and shrubs for 259 property owners across the Toronto, York and Durham regions.
Much of the spring was cold and wet, which made the work challenging, but the team stayed motivated. In the end, our small but mighty team helped add 232 new native trees to the urban forest! As these young trees grow into maturity with support from property owners, they will provide a range of benefits that will be enjoyed by the larger community.
Earlier this year, we introduced new shrub bundles along with a Shrub Request Form to make ordering shrubs easier than ever. As a result, property owners planted a whopping 591 shrubs through LEAF this spring! Whether planting for bees, butterflies, privacy or a tasty snack, one thing was clear: property owners not only planted a lot of shrubs but a diversity of them. Can you guess what the most requested shrub was this spring? Hint: It is edible.
Shrubs weren’t the only popular plant this spring. Our annual pawpaw sale also saw strong interest. If you are unfamiliar with this native tree, it produces a tropical-tasting fruit with a flavour described as a cross between a mango and banana. Property owners eager to add this unique tree to their yards planted 134 of them this spring. If you missed out on ordering pawpaws this spring, don’t worry! Check out these FAQs and visit our online store to place your order for fall while quantities last.
Of course, planting is just the beginning. To ensure newly planted trees and shrubs establish and thrive, property owners play a key role in ongoing watering throughout the summer. With summer here, regular, monitored watering is more important than ever.
On average, young trees and shrubs should be watered twice weekly using either a hose with no nozzle on a very slow trickle for 15 minutes (10 minutes for shrubs) or three two-gallon watering cans (two two-gallon watering cans for shrubs) each time. Not sure if a tree or shrub needs watering? The best way to judge is by checking the top few inches of soil. If it feels dry, the tree or shrub probably needs to be watered.
So, what will the Backyard Tree Planting Program team be doing throughout the summer? Preparing for the fall planting season, of course! Interested in planting trees, shrubs or pawpaws with LEAF this fall? Check out our Homeowners page to get started on tree planting and our Shrubs, Cedars and Pawpaws page to learn more about how to order native shrubs and pawpaws.
Thanks to everyone who planted with us this spring — we couldn’t grow the urban forest without you!
Jess Wilkin is an ISA certified arborist and the Residential Planting Programs Operations Supervisor at LEAF.
LEAF offers a subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program for private property. The program is supported by the City of Toronto, the Regional Municipality of York, the City of Markham, the Town of Newmarket, the City of Vaughan, the Regional Municipality of Durham, the Town of Ajax, the Municipality of Clarington, the City of Oshawa, the City of Pickering, the Township of Scugog, the Town of Whitby and Ontario Power Generation.