​​​​​Tree Planting & Forestry

​​Why ​plant trees?

Forests help to moderate the effects of both drought and flooding. Forests can also reduce the extent of soil erosion, provide habitat for wildlife and are an important economic resource.

Things to Consider​

While the trees are only planted in the spring, landowners are encouraged to call any time. Staff from the NVCA will meet with you onsite to help determine the best tree species and planting methods for your property. The program is generally fully booked 6 to 12 months in advance of spring planting.

Some general things to keep in mind when thinking about tree planting:

• The seedlings should be planted 7 to 10 feet apart. To cover an acre you need approximately 700 trees.
• The availability of hardwood tree seedlings varies considerably from year to year.
• Hardwoods are more expensive, and considerably more difficult to grow than evergreens.
• Trees planted in rows are easier to maintain.
• Seedlings will require some sort of weed control for a period of up to 4 years after planting.
• Proper planting site preparation and post-planting care will increase your planting success.
• Trees planted by machine planters experience a higher rate of success than those planted by hand.
• Trees planted by machine planters cost less than those planted by hand.
• The program is not meant to provide landscaping services, and the plantings are not designed to enhance the appearance of any property.

Realistic Expectations

Tree seedlings are fragile living things. As young trees they are vulnerable to many things which are beyond the control of human beings. Drought, insects, disease, and predation by rabbits, mice, voles and deer all contribute to give tree-planting efforts a certain level of risk. Proper care in site preparation, planting, and post-planting care will reduce the risks but not eliminate them. Care should be taken when designing a planting plan to allow for some seedling loss. Unlike landscaping, the large scale of these projects makes it impractical to provide close care or monitoring of individual trees.

Planting Costs

Calling well in advance of spring planting will ensure access to the widest selection of trees and site preparation options.

There is a minimum order of 1,500 trees. This requires a minimum of 2.5 acres of land to be planted. The cost per tree planted varies considerably, but generally falls in the range of $0.20 to $2.50 per tree.

There are special programs available to help offset the cost of tree planting. Staff from the NVCA will be able to advise you if you are eligible. Grant rates for the various programs range from 25% to 95% of the cost of planting.

Partnerships and Special Programs

In an effort to expand forest cover in the watershed, the NVCA has entered into partnerships with other organizations to offer plantings at subsidized rates. These subsidies lower the costs of reforestation, enabling landowners to plant critical areas, providing benefits to the entire watershed. Some examples of this are:

•   Forests Ontario
  
•   NVCA Healthy Waters Program
  

These programs provide effective cost-sharing for landowners who have trees planted along key stream corridors:

• Town of New Tecumseth Priority Areas Reforestation Partnership:  Residents of the Town of New Tecumseth may be eligible for a grant when they have trees planted under the NVCA program.  
• Simcoe County Private Land Priority Planting Program:  Residents of Simcoe County may be eligible for a grant when they have trees planted under the NVCA program.
• Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP):  Landowners participating in the NVCA program are encouraged to consider enrolling in the MFTIP. Click here for more i​nformation on the MFTIP​.
  

Purchasing Tree Seedlings

Landowners wanting to purchase small numbers of trees and shrubs (1 to 100) should visit one of our Arbour Day Tree Sales held in May each year. Check our events page in the spring for details. At these sales, a wide variety of trees and shrubs for the home and garden are made available to the public at the Tiffin Centre and in other locations throughout the watershed in partnership with various community groups.

The NVCA does not retail tree seedlings at any other time. Landowners wishing to plant their own tree seedlings are urged to contact our seedling supplier, Somerville Nurseries at 1-877-708-7337.

Contact Us

For more information on NVCA forestry programs, please contact Rick Grillmayer, Manager of Forestry, at 705-424-1479 ext. 230 or by e​mail.