Once you have planted your tree, it will depend on you to look after it. You will need to give it:
SOMETHING TO DRINK - if you have planted young trees in Winter, they should not need watering unless there is a long dry spell. If you have planted older trees, or planted in the Summer they may need watering during dry weather in the growing season - soak them with lots of water about every other week.
ENOUGH TO EAT - your tree should get all the food it needs from the soil, but you can help your tree by reducing competition for food. Keep an area of about a square metre around the tree free of weeds for at least 3 years. Mulching (this is when you put a layer of something like manure or bark chips around the tree) helps keep down weeds and keeps the soil moist.
STAKES AND GUARDS - if your trees have been staked you should check at least once a year to make sure the tie isn't too tight. Once the tree has settled in, the stake can be removed. also check that the tree guards are doing their job. Replace them if they are broken, and remove them if they are no longer needed.
PRUNING - this is when you cut off any dead branches or branches which are growing in the wrong direction. Pruning a tree correctly helps to keep it strong and healthy. It's a job for an expert, so ask the people who look after your grounds to check the trees once a year.
And don't forget to celebrate all your hard work.
