Plant Your Place! is the City of Ottawa's free tree program for private property, run with EnviroCentre. In 2026 it gave out about 2,400 free trees for residents to pick up and plant themselves, one per address, plus about 100 trees planted at no cost by professionals in priority neighbourhoods. The 2026 season is fully subscribed, and the program's site is taking waitlist sign-ups for 2027. This guide covers how the program works and how to plant your tree so it is still alive in ten years.
How Plant Your Place! works
The program has two streams.
- City-wide tree distribution. About 2,400 trees in 2026, free, one tree per planting address, registered online at plantyourplace.ca. There were 16 species, typically 1.5 to 2.5 metres tall. You pick the tree up and you plant it.
- Full-service tree planting. About 100 trees in 2026, for private residential properties in the City's Priority Areas. A professional visits, helps choose the right tree for the spot, and plants it at no cost. Priority Areas are the neighbourhoods with low tree canopy identified in the City's 2025 Tree Equity Score Analysis.
In 2026 registration opened on March 2 for residents of wards with a Priority Area (Wards 7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 18 and 24) and on March 9 for everyone else. Full-service registration opened April 8 for the first four Priority Areas and May 4 for the rest. Spots go fast, so if you want a tree in 2027, get on the waitlist now. Questions go to EnviroCentre through plantyourplace.ca, or to the City at 3-1-1.
Before you dig: pick the spot
A free tree is only a good deal if it is in the right place. Before pick-up day, walk your yard and check:
- Mature size. Look up the species you chose and how wide its crown gets. A tree that ends up 10 metres across does not belong two metres from the house.
- Wires and buildings. Keep it clear of overhead lines, and leave room between the future canopy and your roof, eavestrough and windows.
- Underground lines. Contact Ontario One Call (1-800-400-2255, ontarioonecall.ca) for free locates before you dig. Gas, hydro and cable lines are often shallower than people expect.
- Property line. Plant well inside your lot. A tree whose trunk grows across the line belongs to both neighbours under Ontario's Forestry Act, which gets complicated later.
- Sun and drainage. Match the spot to the species. A low corner where water sits after rain will drown most trees.
Planting it
These are the standard steps arborists use for a young tree:
- Find the root flare. That is where the trunk widens into the roots. It should sit at or just above the finished soil level. Scrape off any extra soil from the top of the root ball until you see it.
- Dig wide, not deep. Make the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and no deeper than the root ball is tall, so the tree does not sink.
- Free the roots. Take the tree out of its pot. If roots are circling the outside of the ball, tease them loose or make a few shallow vertical cuts so they grow outward.
- Backfill with the soil you dug out. Firm it gently as you go to remove air pockets. Do not pile soil against the trunk.
- Water it in deeply, then spread mulch in a wide ring around the tree, keeping it a hand's width away from the trunk. A mulch volcano against the bark invites rot and rodents.
Keeping it alive: the program's care guide
Plant Your Place! publishes its own tree care guide. The key points:
- Watering. One to two times a week in the first year. Weekly in years two and three, adjusted for rain and soil. If less than 25 mm of rain falls in a week, give the tree about 130 litres that week.
- Staking. Only if the tree is unstable or exposed to strong wind. Use one to three stakes outside the root ball, soft flexible ties in the lower third of the trunk, and allow a little movement. Remove the stakes after one growing season or once the tree stands on its own.
- Pruning. Remove only dead or damaged branches, avoid heavy pruning for the first one to three years, and remove suckers growing from the base or roots.
- Compost. A thin top-dressing of well-rotted compost over the root zone in spring or fall, kept away from the trunk.
- Winter. Most young trees need no special winter care. No watering when the ground is frozen; resume once the soil thaws. Trunk wraps can protect bark from rodents, and come off in spring.
- Leaf trouble. Yellow leaves often mean overwatering or a nutrient problem; droopy leaves usually mean too little water, heat stress or root damage; brown edges point to drought, salt, sun or wind.
When to call an arborist
Most new trees need nothing more than water and patience. Call in a professional when:
- An old tree has to come out first to make room, especially a dead ash. In Ottawa, removing a large tree can need a City permit; see our guide to Ottawa tree removal permits.
- The young tree is growing a weak structure, such as two competing leaders. A light structural prune in the first few years is far cheaper than correcting it once the tree is big. See tree pruning in Ottawa.
- Something looks wrong and the care tips above do not explain it.
Tree King works across Ottawa, including Kanata and Stittsville. Call 613-627-2017.
Sources
- The second season of Plant Your Place! has launched (City of Ottawa, Engage Ottawa)
- Plant Your Place! free trees for Ottawa residents (Councillor Glen Gower)
- Tree Care and Maintenance (Plant Your Place!, EnviroCentre)
- Ontario One Call
Program details checked October 17, 2026. The City sets each season's numbers and dates, so confirm on plantyourplace.ca before you register.