trees
Tree planting and aftercare
£150 to £250 plants a sapling of one to two metres, £300 to £600 a garden tree of four to six metres, and £600 to £1,500 a semi-mature specimen. Bare root stock costs £15 to £60 and container grown £60 to £250.
What this covers
What it costs. Two numbers make up every planting quote: the stock and the labour. Full cost breakdown.
What the job covers
- Choosing species for the soil and the space
- Planting bare root and containerised stock
- Staking, tying and guarding new trees
- Semi-mature and instant hedging planting
- Watering and formative pruning in the first years
What is involved
Stock type decides both the price and the planting window. Bare root trees are lifted from the field in the dormant season and go in between November and March, which makes them the cheapest option at £15 to £60 and the one that establishes fastest. Root-balled stock at £40 to £150 suits evergreens and larger deciduous trees. Container grown trees at £60 to £250 can be planted in any month provided watering follows, which is why garden centres stock them year round.
Labour is charged at £20 to £40 an hour or £150 to £300 a day. A sapling takes half an hour to an hour; a four metre tree with a proper pit, stake and guard takes two to three hours; a semi-mature specimen needs machinery and most of a day. Pit preparation is where quotes differ: digging and improving soil runs £20 to £50, clearing stone and old roots £30 to £80, and drainage work £75 to £200. Stakes add £10 to £30, ties and guards £5 to £20, and mulch another £5 to £20.
Position matters more than species for most gardens. Clay soils shrink as tree roots draw water, so vigorous species including willow, poplar and oak belong well away from shallow Victorian footings. Aftercare is the part that decides survival: two growing seasons of watering through dry spells, a mulch ring kept clear of the stem, and stake removal once the trunk can flex. Professional aftercare contracts run £50 to £150 a year over the establishment period.
Choosing someone for the job
Which species and what final height, measured against the distance to the nearest footing and drain? Is the stock bare root, root-balled or container grown, and what girth is being supplied? What does the pit specification say about depth, backfill and drainage? Who waters through the first two summers, and is that priced as a contract? Does any guarantee cover replacement, and for how many seasons?
Common questions
When is the right time to plant a tree?
November to March suits bare root and root-balled stock, with the ground unfrozen and the tree dormant. Container grown trees go in at any time of year, though summer planting demands committed watering for the first two seasons.
How far from a house should a tree go?
Distance depends on soil and species rather than a single rule. On shrinkable clay, structural engineers commonly keep vigorous broadleaves at least their mature height from shallow foundations, and local building control will advise on a specific plot.