Challenge 33: Grow a tree from a seed

Points available: 1

About the challenge

Think of the future and plant a tree. Go for a woodland walk near where you live and collect a tree seed. Plant it in a big pot or somewhere suitable in your garden, water then sit back and relax… and wait, because trees grow very slowly!

Choose the tree to suit your space- remember how big they can get! Oak trees when fully grown would be too big to fit in most peoples gardens or backyards. Think about growing smaller trees like hawthorn and rowan, or crab apple and wild cherries which are all great for wildlife.

Helpful tips

You might need to protect your seed from  mice and squirrels  which could be tempted to eat it. Check the soil regularly to make sure it  doesn't dry out.

Don't worry if you don't have enough room for a tree in your garden- there might be tree planting schemes taking place near where you live which you could help with

The Woodland Trust have more information about growing a tree from seed here

More information

Have you heard of Ash dieback? It’s a disease which is expected to kill nearly 90% of our Ash trees in Devon over the next few years and change our landscape dramatically. Devon Wildlife Trust and its partners are running a campaign to Save Devons Treescapes and help people take action to ensure we have a wooded landscape in the future- so every seed you are able to grow on will be vital . https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/what-we-doour-projects/saving-devons-treescapes