How to keep your baby trees alive and thriving

Published on 30 August 2024

The lucky recipients of our National Tree Day giveaway all went home with some baby plants to take care of. But how do you know how to keep them healthy?

Whether you have some native shrubs or trees, some vegetable seedlings or even fruit trees, there are some general signs you can look out for to make sure your plants live out their full life expectancy.

How to tell if my plant is healthy

• Leaves: your plant should have plenty of leaves that are the right colour and size for their species. Curling, browning or wilting leaves and stems can be due to pests, diseases, watering or light issues, incorrect nutrients, soil pH issue, transplant shock, or chemicals.
• Strong bark: make sure your tree is not missing patches, peeling or losing too much bark, which can be a sign of physical damage, an insect infestation, or environmental factors such as a lightning strike, sunscald, or frost damage. However, keep in mind this can be normal for some species of trees, such as some species of Melaleuca and Eucalyptus.
• Signs of new growth: a healthy tree should produce new growth every year. This can be identified by seeing bright colours of green on the ends of the tree branches. 

How to keep my tree healthy

• Prune: by pruning your established trees, you can prevent accidents by removing high risk branches and identifying any pest or diseases early. This will reduce the amount of wood-decay fungi and will also improve the health of the tree and extend its lifespan. 
• Mulch: mulching allows shade and cools the soil as well as adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil, reducing soil compaction, and helps keep grass and other plants from growing under and competing with the trees. 
• Water: water is necessary for all plants to thrive - but not all plants have the same need for water. Read up on your species and make sure you give it the right amount of water for its needs.
• Right spot: try to plant your trees in the right spot, taking into consideration availability of shade and sun, type of soil, surrounding plants, and where they won’t cause problems when they grow to size. 

On July 26^th, Kempsey Shire Council celebrated National Tree Day with a successful free tree giveaway event. We distributed 1,500 native plants and trees, 400 punnets of Vegetables, and 80 fruit trees across various locations, with an additional 2,000 seed sticks that were included in our gift bags, that provided the community the chance to grow their own plants from scratch.