Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a number of questions we are commonly asked. If you do not find the answer you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us.

1. How high will my tree grow?
2. What kind of soil does my tree like?
3. How can I find out about tree planting and aftercare?
4. How to select trees for my new native woodland
5. Do you have any useful publications?
6. When is the Tree Nursery open?
7. How do I get to the Tree Nursery?

How high will my tree grow?

We have produced a simple guide to the MAXIMUM height that our native trees will reach. They will only ever reach this height in perfect conditions and will often remain smaller. Find out how high your tree will grow.

What kind of soil does my tree like?

Many trees tolerate a wide range of soil types, whilst others are more choosy. This guide will help you decide if you have the right conditions for a particular tree. Click here to view our soil tolerance chart.

How can I find out about tree planting and aftercare?

We have some advice in our Tree Nursery section about aftercare of young trees. BTCV publishes an excellent series of handbooks covering many aspects of practical conservation skills. These are available for sale.

How to select trees for my new native woodland

Selecting your trees can be a little daunting if you don't have much experiance. We have written a short article to try and help you. Read the Tree Selection article here.

Do you have any useful publications?

If you are interested in growing trees from seed, our Seed Harvest Handbook might be what you are looking for. This and many more tree-growing resources are available on our other website, Grow a Tree with BTCV.

Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland also has two books available*. Our Trees is a guide to growing Northern Ireland's native trees from seed. Our Remarkable Trees is a photo album with descriptive details about Northern Ireland's tallest, broadest, and most historically significant trees.

Our Trees is available to view online here. Or you can download a PDF version of Our Trees (it's 16.9MB, but that's for 74 pages!). The online version of Our Remarkable Trees is available here, while the PDF version of Our Remarkable Trees is here (again, it's over 18MB).

* Books produced in co-operation with the Belfast City Council, The Dufferin Foundation, Environment and Heritage Service (now Northern Ireland Environment Agency), Forest Service, The Forest of Belfast, The National Trust, Ulster Native Trees, Ulster Wildlife Trust and The Woodland Trust.

When is the Tree Nursery open?

The Tree Nursery is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. Bare-root trees are available throughout the tree planting season from mid-November to mid-March. Please contact us for more details.

How do I get to the Tree Nursery?

Here's a handy map.

From Belfast, take the A2 toward Bangor. Approximately two miles from Bangor, you will see the Clandeboye Estate gates on the right. Go through the gates, up the avenue of trees. Turn left, following the sign to the Tree Nursery, located in the old walled garden. There is a small carpark. From there you go through the big blue doors.