FAQ
Benefits of Trees
Send the “Benefits of Trees” PDF to your neighbor, landlord, HOA board, family member, or friend if they’re on the fence about ordering Root Nashville trees.
Tree Species Catalog
Root Nashville offers tree new species each year to increase canopy diversity. Learn more about the available tree species being offered this season.
811 Info Sheet
All tree recipients must call 811 to locate any underground utilities before digging holes in their yards. Read this info sheet to learn more.
Ordering Trees
Tree ordering is typically open from June 1 – August 31. Visit the Get Free Trees page to order yours!
Even if you’ve missed the order window, you may still be able to get trees delivered if you live in Davidson County; reach out to hello@rootnashville.org.
You can request free Root Nashville trees if:
- You live in Davidson County
- Your desired planting location is on private property* (property owned by an individual or company instead of the government)
- You can call 811 to identify underground utilities and dig the holes (or get someone to help you dig them) for your new trees prior to delivery
- You can take long-term responsibility for watering and maintaining the trees.
*Root Nashville trees cannot be planted in the public right-of-way (ROW), or the ~10’ strip of land next to the street where Metro Nashville often maintains sidewalks and utilities.
Yes, but you need written permission from your HOA committee (if planting in a shared common space) or landlord. If you have questions about your specific situation or need help communicating with your HOA committee/landlord about Root Nashville, email hello@rootnashville.org.
No problem, this happens often! Start by searching your email inbox (and spam folder) for a receipt from Root Nashville. This receipt should have been automatically sent to you right after you submitted your order, and it includes your tree selections and neighborhood name.
Still can’t find it? Reach out to us at hello@rootnashville.org.
Root Nashville’s Community Reforestation program allows churches, schools, farms, and other large private properties to receive 10+ trees.
Receiving more trees requires a greater level of commitment, so Community Reforestation sites are required to develop a planting and maintenance plan with our staff certified arborists. Apply for Community Reforestation here.
Tree Delivery
You’ll receive several reminders before your trees arrive. Here’s what to expect:
- Delivery Announcement Email
In mid-September, you’ll receive an email with your neighborhood’s expected delivery week. (Check your spam folder if you don’t see it.) - Countdown Emails
Starting three weeks before your trees arrive, you’ll receive weekly emails that include:- Your order confirmation link — your order is not finalized until you confirm!
- Planting instructions and tips
- A reminder to call 811 for underground utility marking
- Text Message
24-48 hours before your trees arrive, you’ll receive a text with your delivery day and estimated delivery time. Delivery times may shift by one or two hours.
No, you do not need to be home– as long as the holes for your new trees are dug, labeled, and accessible for the delivery crew. Please unlock any gates, make all residents aware that delivery personnel will be on your property, and ensure that any pets are safely put away or kept indoors during the delivery window. If we cannot access the planting location or if animals are loose, we may not be able to deliver the trees.
If you ordered more than one type of tree, please label your planting holes; the field crew will place each tree next to the appropriate hole when they arrive.
Because Root Nashville delivers thousands of trees across many neighborhoods in a short timeframe, delivery routes must be planned in advance, and we’re not able to honor requests for custom delivery times.
But the good news is: You do not need to be home to receive your trees. As long as your planting holes are dug and clearly labeled, our team can deliver your trees safely and place them in your desired locations.
Preparation and Planting
- Choose where to plant at least one month before your trees arrive. Here are some resources:
- Where to Put Down Roots: Choosing a Planting Site from the Root Nashville campaign blog
- Nashville Electric Service planting guidelines (scroll to middle of page)
- Tree Planting: How to Choose the Right Planting Site from the Arbor Day Foundation blog
- Inform your household that trees are on the way!
- Call 811 at least one week before you want to dig a hole to find out if there are any underground utilities in your planting location. Once you call, utility companies will mark any lines in your yard within 3 business days. Learn more about the 811 process here.
- Dig holes for each tree before your trees arrive. We recommend making a plan– and a backup plan– to dig holes the weekend before your delivery. If your holes are not dug at the time of delivery, we will not drop off your tree.
- Label your holes if you ordered more than one type of tree; the delivery crew will place each tree next to the appropriate hole when they arrive.
*If you’re receiving planting assistance from the Cumberland River Compact Field Team, they will call 811 and dig your holes for you.
Each planting hole should be roughly 3-4 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep, dug in a saucer shape (wide at the top and slightly shallower in the center). This shape helps tree roots spread outward and establish more quickly. Two people can dig a hole for a Root Nashville tree in about 20-30 minutes, depending on the conditions.
Our crew won’t measure the exact size; as long as it’s clear where your tree will go and the hole is started in the right location, we’ll drop off your tree.
It’s pretty likely that you might hit some rock; we recommend digging out the rock when you can. If the rock is too big to remove, slightly adjust your planting location.
As long as the hole isn’t completely boxed in by rocks 100% on all sides, it’s okay! Nashville’s soil is naturally rocky, and the tree roots will grow around them. However, the more rock you can remove, the better.
Here’s a short how-to video from the Cumberland River Compact:
Here’s a PDF with step-by-step instructions.
We recommend getting help from a friend or family member to plant your trees. After the holes are dug, the planting process should only take another 30 minutes or so.
- Planting the tree too deep: A tree’s root flare (where the trunk begins to widen at its base) should be 1-2 inches above ground level. This area needs to be exposed so the tree’s root system can “breathe”; planting too deep can suffocate the roots and lead to poor growth or even tree failure.
- Not loosening roots: Root Nashville trees come in grow bags, which are less constricting than plastic containers– but months of enclosed growth can still lead to root circling or matting. When you remove your tree from its bag, massage the root ball to untangle the roots. This encourages them to spread outward into the soil as the tree grows, accessing more nutrients.
The Root Nashville team will do its best to accommodate you! Please email hello@rootnashville.org.
POST-PLANTING AND LONG-TERM CARE
- Recommended: water your trees thoroughly right after planting, no matter the season– about 10 gallons of water (or putting a hose on low for 5-10 minutes at the base of your tree) is enough. This will help your trees settle. After this initial watering, your trees won’t require water again until May because they are dormant in the wintertime.
- Optional: add a layer of mulch around the base of your trees to help with water absorption. Mulch should NOT touch a tree’s trunk: the ring should start about 4-6 inches away from the base to avoid suffocating the root flare. Add your mulch in a “donut” shape, not a “volcano” shape.
- Optional: protect your tree from deer and lawn mowers with wire fencing or plastic tubing. Check out this page to learn more.
Root Nashville trees are structurally trained at the nursery, so they arrive set up for success. We don’t recommend any pruning within the first 3 years; after 3 years, you may consider light pruning to eliminate dead or problem branches. It’s best to prune in winter when trees are dormant.
Make sure to read up on pruning before you start or consult a certified arborist for significant adjustments. Incorrect pruning cuts can severely damage a tree or lead to tree failure.
Browse certified arborists near you using the directory tool on the ISA’s website.
We recommend watering once right after planting, but after that, you don’t need to water again until May. Starting in May, each tree needs 10 gallons of water every week that rainfall doesn’t reach at least 1 inch.
Root Nashville tree recipients are automatically signed up for weekly watering reminder emails, which tell you whether or not watering is recommended (you can opt out at any time). If you need to resubscribe to watering reminder emails or if you’re not a Root Nashville tree recipient, but just want to sign up, click here.
You can also check rainfall on the NOAA’s National Weather Service website.
Unless one of your trees starts to lean, we do not recommend staking. Trees need to sway a bit in the wind to grow strong! If you do choose to stake your tree, use a flat material against the trunk (i.e, not a wire that could cut into the trunk). Learn more about best practices for tree staking here.
We do not recommend using fertilizer on new Root Nashville trees; receiving a big influx of nutrients all at once can shock a young tree’s system. More mature trees may benefit from fertilizer as they grow big, but we recommend checking with a certified arborist first.
Browse certified arborists near you using the directory tool on the ISA’s website.
We recommend waiting at least 1 year before taking any drastic measures or determining whether a tree will survive. Trees are resilient and can surprise you! If you’re concerned about your tree, wait until its second growing season (spring/summer) in the ground to see if it might recover. Continue to water your tree as recommended.
You can use the branch-scratch method to determine if parts of your tree are still alive; scratch a branch with a fingernail to see if there is any green underneath.
Anyone can perform tree work, but only ISA certified arborists are qualified to make the healthiest and safest decisions about your trees. You can browse a list of certified arborists near you using the directory tool on the ISA’s website.
In our experience, the most common ways young trees die are:
- Lack of water over the summer
- Damage from lawn mowers or weed whackers
- Deer damage
Click here to read up on preventing deer damage. Mulching or using deer protection can also reduce the risk of accidentally mowing over your tree.
Even in the best conditions and under the best care, sometimes trees don’t make it. It happens! You can order a replacement next year if you have a good plan for keeping the tree alive in the future.
Neighborhood Planting Captains
Neighborhood Planting Captains are community volunteers who spread the word about free Root Nashville trees through flyers, door-to-door conversations, neighborhood groups, social media, or community events. Captains also help their neighbors with the logistics of tree ordering, delivery, and planting. The Neighborhood Planting Captain program is facilitated by the Cumberland River Compact.
If you’d like to check whether your area has a Neighborhood Planting Captain, email your street name and zip code to hello@rootnashville.org.
Yes! During the annual ordering season (June 1 – August 31), any Davidson County resident can request trees directly through Root Nashville’s website. Reach out to hello@rootnashville.org for additional guidance.
As a Root Nashville Neighborhood Planting Captain, you will be active from May-March. You will:
- Attend an in-person leadership training session facilitated by the Cumberland River Compact in May, where you’ll meet other Captains and discuss strategies for spreading the word about free trees.
- Advertise free Root Nashville trees in your neighborhood from June-August by putting up flyers, going door-to-door, using social media, attending community meetings, etc.
- Gain access to (optional) Captains-only volunteer planting events in the fall and winter where you’ll learn how to properly plant a tree from Root Nashville staff, get some practice, and then take your knowledge back to your neighborhood.
- Be a resource for your neighbors from October-March if they have questions about their Root Nashville tree delivery, tree planting, or tree care (with the help of resources and guidance from the Cumberland River Compact team).
You do not need to be a tree expert in order to become a Neighborhood Planting Captain! We just ask for your enthusiasm, organizational skills, time commitment, and willingness to make neighborly connections.
Throughout your time as a captain, Cumberland River Compact staff will be available to assist with any logistical or tree-related questions you may have.
As a Root Nashville Neighborhood Planting Captain, you will:
- Get to know your neighbors, fostering an increased sense of local community.
- Improve public health and environmental conditions across Nashville by contributing to the planting of dozens (or hundreds!) of trees.
- Develop valuable leadership and outreach skills that you can apply at work, in other community groups, or in everyday life.
- Grow your neighborhood’s tree canopy, improving property values and beautifying the place you call home.
Complete this short form about your neighborhood and your interest in the program. After you apply, a Cumberland River Compact team member will schedule a brief introductory phone call to explain the program in more detail and answer any potential questions.
Applications are accepted year-round, but the Root Nashville team evaluates them in April. All Neighborhood Planting Captain applications will receive a response by May 1. In some cases, applicants in priority Impact Areas or neighborhoods without an existing captain may be considered outside of this timeline.
Some neighborhoods with low tree canopy coverage or a sparse history of captain involvement will receive priority acceptance and resources. However, all applicants will be considered, so don’t hesitate to apply today!
Of course! Captains are encouraged to order up to 3 trees for their own yards. Going through the ordering, delivery, and planting process yourself makes you a more valuable resource for neighbors who are doing the same.
