Tree Planting Specifications for Northeastern Communities

The tree issues we currently face in our communities often originate during the tree planting process. Planting large trees in undersized, compacted planting holes or near utility lines can lead to significant problems. Trees are resilient, but they may struggle for decades before succumbing to issues that well-established healthy trees can easily overcome. To ensure the success of trees, it is crucial to create favorable conditions for their growth and establishment. Proper planning is the initial step toward achieving this success.

In our region, numerous developments, neighborhoods, and even entire townships have been planted with thousands of trees that will never reach maturity or fulfill their full potential, despite costing millions of dollars. In many instances, the decline and failure of these trees can be attributed to unresolved issues that were created decades ago during the initial planting phase.

We offer these specifications as a guide to ensure quality control and the successful establishment of urban forests that will increase in value and provide benefits over time. This publication is intended for use by township officials, public works departments, shade tree committees, homeowner associations, developers, planners, or anyone involved in sizable tree planting projects.