The council's tree planting contractors are scheduled to water street trees for the first three years, visiting once a week during June, July and August and once or twice a month in April, May and September. They'll usually leave a mark on the tree stake to show when they've been, although some contractors report their visits in other ways. But don't hesitate to do the job yourself if you find the watering truck hasn't turned up, or if the weather is especially hot or dry, or if a tree looks distressed.

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One way for us to check whether the contractors are coming would be to lift the green bag off the ground by a few inches.  If it's still raised after a couple of weeks then the tree is not on the council's watering list and we should report this.

 

Together, we can make sure we eliminate avoidable tree deaths in Herne Hill. All we have to do is follow the simple principles below to make sure our saplings survive any heat stress and drought.  

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Key points

• Newly planted trees need a good, slow soaking every week during the hot, dry months to encourage the formation of deep roots. These will help anchor the tree in the ground and allow it to find sub-surface water when it's mature.

• Normal rainfall isn't enough, since it won't penetrate deep into the soil. And heavy downpours will mostly run off the tree pit and into the road. We've got more guidance on watering during rainy spells on this page and additional advice from professional arborists here.

• Likewise an ordinary watering can, bucket or hose on its own won't do the job. Use the specialised equipment that the council provides for us: the green watering bag.

• Every one of our young trees needs a volunteer to 'adopt' it and make sure it's getting the water it needs.

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How much water?​

• Start watering slowly in the spring, increase the volume in the summer, and taper it down again in the autumn.

• The target is to work up to delivering around 50 litres (11 gallons) of water a week to each young tree in May-August. 

• You can start with a lower figure in March and April and slowly cut back again through September and early October, but if at any time the weather is especially hot, dry or windy do increase the volume.

• You’ll know if a tree is getting stressed from lack of water because the leaves will be limp, rather than firm.

• Don’t worry about giving them too much: you can’t over-water young trees (unless the ground has been waterlogged by persistent heavy rain) but you can easily give them too little.

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What about fruit trees?

• The fruit trees that were planted during the winter of 2022/23 are what's known as first year maidens, with a very slender trunk, no side branches to speak of and a height of only about one metre.  

• They'll only need 20 litres of water a week. 

• You'll find these apples, pears and plums at the Hillcrest estate on Sunray Avenue, the big green on Sunray opposite the junction with  Casino Avenue, and the garden square outside the flats on Casino.    

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The green bag​

• Every new tree has its green bag zipped around the trunk which releases water slowly through tiny holes in the bottom, allowing it to percolate down to the roots instead of running off into the gutter or along the pavement.

• It takes five to nine hours for a full bag to empty completely.

• Fill it early in the morning or in the evening if you can, when the hot sun won't evaporate the water away.

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Using your hose or watering can​

• There’s a square cut out of the metal tree cage where your hose or watering can goes into the bag.

• Always aim for the little slit between the two straps at the top of the bag. You'll probably have to widen this a little with your fingers before you start watering.

• If you miss the slit the water will just pour through the middle of the bag and straight on to the ground.

• If you find a tree where there isn't a hole in the metal cage please tell us. We'll come over and cut out a square with our bolt cutters. The same applies if the hole isn't big enough.

• If your green bag collapses to the ground we can support it with cable ties. 

• And if you come across a faulty bag that’s not filling or emptying properly please let us know and we’ll ask for a replacement. Sometimes they get blocked and we can simply prick a few more holes in the underside.

 

How often to fill up

• The older Treegator bags can hold about 55 litres but you don't have to fill them to the brim in a single weekly visit. The newer ones are bigger: 65 or 70 litres.

• It’s perfectly OK to space out your watering trips over a few days, as long as the weekly total in summer is about 50 litres.

• Keep up the routine for the first three years after planting, so don’t leave out the young trees from the previous couple of seasons. You can check to see when your young trees were planted by clicking the 'PLANTING' tab at the top of each page, which carries records for each street.

• After three years the cage, the stakes and the green bag will be removed.

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Where to find water

• Water is heavy: each litre weighs one kilogram.

• To cut down the distance you have to carry it we have a network of outside taps which members are happy to share. These are located at:

• BURBAGE ROAD - nos. 29 and 70

• ELFINDALE ROAD - no. 53

• FRANKFURT ROAD - no. 60

• HOLLINGBOURNE ROAD - nos. 48, 50 and 51

• WARMINGTON ROAD - no. 12

• WINTERBROOK ROAD - no. 19.

• The manager of the car wash on Herne Hill, between Casino Avenue and Danecroft Road, has said you can fill up there too if you speak to him first.

• If you've got a tap in your front garden that you'd be prepared to offer please let us know.

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Competition for water

• Finally, please avoid the temptation to plant flowers at the base of the tree until it’s been in place for at least two years.

• They’ll compete for water and it won’t reach the tree roots.

• Grass and weeds in the tree pit are also unhelpful.

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