One Tree Per Child

One Tree per Child is an international initiative established by the co-founders of National Tree Day (Jon Dee and Olivia Newton John) which aims to get every child to plant at least one tree before they leave school.

Since One Tree Per Child was launched, participating Australian councils and community groups have planted trees and shrubs in the hundreds of thousands.

Council delivered the program in 2023, providing opportunities for Grade 3 students within Greater Dandenong to plant 1000 new trees in 2023.

This year, council has offered schools the opportunity to secure indigenous plants for their Grade 3 students to plant at home or on school grounds.

Registrations for the One Tree per Child 2024 program have now closed.

Planting in Greater Dandenong

Below are some handy tips and an instructional video to ensure your planting is a success.

Plan your planting

• Understand the soil type - is the soil sandy, clayey or loamy? How compact is it? Does it need loosening before planting?
• Select suitable plants - research plants that are well-suited to your soil, climate, and garden size. For example, consider how high the plant will be at maturity and how wide it’s canopy will spread. Does it need lots of sun, shade and how much water does it require? 

Plant your tree

• Dig a hole that is at least twice as wide and slightly deeper than the pot size.
• Turn the pot upside down and gently tap the sides and rim to loosen the plant. Carefully slide it out, handling the root ball rather than pulling on the plant stem. Gently place the loosened root ball in the hole. Ensure the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil so the roots can be fully covered with soil.
• Press the soil firmly around the length of the root ball with your hands or trowel, and shape the surface with a slight dip to help retain water.
• Water the plant deeply after planting. 

Caring for your plants

• Water your plants every day for the first couple of days, then twice a week for few weeks, then once a week until they are established. After that, switch to watering generously only when the soil feels dry, until they have been in your garden for a year.
• If you have access to mulch, apply a layer with a radius of at least 50cm and a thickness of 10cm. This will help retain moisture and prevent weeds. Avoid placing mulch directly against the plant’s stem. Indigenous plants prefer organic mulches such as eucalyptus leaf litter, wood chips and pine bark chips.
• Many indigenous plants are adapted to low-nutrient soils and can thrive without additional fertilisation, as they do in their natural environment. If necessary, use only specially formulated Australian native plant food or an organic-based fertiliser, such as blood and bone or pelletised chicken manure in the plant’s active growing season typically spring and autumn.