The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time, in Pakistan, is the next planting season. Timing matters more than most people think: a sapling planted in May goes straight into the hottest weeks of the year, while one planted in the monsoon gets weeks of free rain to grow its roots.
Pakistan’s two planting seasons
| Season | Months | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Monsoon | July to September | Rain waters the sapling for you, and warm, humid weather speeds up root growth. This is the main season across Punjab, Sindh, KP and Islamabad. |
| Spring | February to March | Mild temperatures let the tree settle before summer. Best for colder areas like Quetta, upper KP and Gilgit-Baltistan, where monsoon planting is less reliable. |
Avoid planting from late April to June in the plains. Heat above 40°C kills young saplings quickly unless you can water them every day.
How to plant a sapling, step by step
- Choose a healthy native sapling. Look for one about 2 to 4 feet tall, with a straight stem and roots that aren’t circling tightly inside the bag. See our guide to native species.
- Pick the right spot. Keep large trees like Pipal and Bargad at least 6 metres (20 feet) from buildings, walls and pipes. Avoid planting directly under power lines.
- Dig a wide hole. Aim for about 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, wider than the root ball, so the roots can spread into loose soil.
- Mix in compost. Mix the dug-out soil with well-rotted compost or farmyard manure. In very sandy or salty soil, this makes a big difference.
- Remove the plastic bag carefully. Slit it down the side rather than pulling the sapling out, so the soil around the roots stays intact.
- Plant at the same depth. The top of the root ball should sit level with the ground, not buried deeper.
- Fill, firm and water. Backfill, press the soil down gently, then water deeply until the hole is soaked.
- Make a basin. Build a low ring of soil around the tree so water collects over the roots instead of running off.
- Mulch. Cover the soil with dry leaves or straw, keeping it a hand’s width from the stem. This keeps roots cooler and holds moisture.
- Add a guard. A simple brick, bamboo or metal guard protects against goats, cattle and people.
Aftercare: the first two summers decide everything
- Water deeply once or twice a week in the first summer, more often during heatwaves. Deep, occasional watering grows deeper roots than a daily splash.
- Water early morning or evening so less evaporates.
- Keep weeds and grass away from the base, because they compete for water.
- Don’t prune heavily in the first year. The tree needs its leaves to grow.
- Replace losses quickly. If a sapling dies, replant in the same spot next season.
Planting with a group
Schools, companies and housing societies often plant dozens of trees at once. A dense “mini forest” in the Miyawaki style packs several saplings per square metre so they shade each other and grow quickly. Karachi and other cities have used this approach for urban forests.
Planning a drive this season? Join or organise a TreeProject plantation drive, or sponsor saplings and we’ll plant them for you.