{"analytics_identifier":null,"base_path":"/countryside-stewardship-grants/planting-fruit-trees-te3","content_id":"65175c8a-8b5f-4048-b15a-011e2fae8006","description":"Find out about eligibility and requirements for the planting fruit trees item.","details":{"body":"<div class=\"example\">\n  <p>This item is part of Capital Grants 2026. You must read the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-grants-2026\">Capital Grants 2026 guidance</a> to understand the rules and how to apply.</p>\n\n  <p>If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (<abbr title=\"Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier\">CSHT</abbr>) application, you must read the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht\"><abbr title=\"Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier\">CSHT</abbr> applicant’s guide</a> to understand the rules and how to apply.</p>\n</div>\n\n<h2 id=\"how-much-youll-be-paid\">How much you’ll be paid  </h2>\n\n<p>£28.07 per tree. </p>\n\n<h2 id=\"how-this-item-benefits-the-environment\">How this item benefits the environment </h2>\n\n<p>Planting fruit trees in traditional orchards or hedgerows helps maintain the local landscape character.  </p>\n\n<h2 id=\"where-you-can-use-this-item\">Where you can use this item  </h2>\n\n<p>You can use this item only on land in one of these actions: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/cbe4-manage-traditional-orchards\">CBE4: Manage traditional orchards</a> </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/cbe5-create-traditional-orchards\">CBE5: Create traditional orchards</a> </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/chrw2-manage-hedgerows\">CHRW2: Manage hedgerows</a>  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/chrw4-manage-hedgerows\">CHRW4: Manage hedgerows</a> </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>You can also use this item on land parcels in these Countryside Stewardship options:   </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/management-of-hedgerows-be3\">BE3 - Management of hedgerows</a> </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/management-of-traditional-orchards-be4\">BE4 - Management of traditional orchards</a> </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/creation-of-traditional-orchards-be5\">BE5 - Creation of traditional orchards</a> (Higher Tier only) </p>\n\n<h2 id=\"what-you-must-do-to-use-this-item\">What you must do to use this item </h2>\n\n<p>If you plant apple, pear and cherry trees, they must: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>be at least 2 years old </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>have a well-branched head supported by 2 metres (m) of clear stem </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If you plant plum or damson trees, they must: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>be at least 2 years old </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>have 1.5m of clear stem </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If you plant maiden fruit trees, they must: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>be 1 year old, grafted trees </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>have a single stem </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If you plant rootstocks, they must be: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>M25 for apples  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>seedling pear for pears  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>Brompton or Myrobalan B for plums  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>F12.1 for cherries </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If you plant bare-rooted fruit trees, you must plant them: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>between November and March </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>while they are not in leaf </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If planting any of these varieties, you must: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>remove all grass and weeds in a 1m diameter circle around each tree station before planting </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>plant the trees in a pit deep and wide enough to contain the full depth and width of the root system with room to spare </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>make sure the tree’s graft union is at least 75 millimetres (mm) above ground level </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>stake and tie each standard tree securely using material appropriate to the size and species of the tree (maiden trees can be established successfully without staking) </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>tie the tree to the stake above the grafting union so that it is held firmly upright, but some movement is allowed </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>use flexible and adjustable tree ties (for example, rubber tree ties) to prevent wind damage </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>maintain stakes and ties until the tree is established – remove them when the tree no longer needs support </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>protect the trees from livestock and wild animal damage </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>replace dead trees in the following planting season – at the end of the agreement, there must be at least one living tree in good condition </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Make sure any tree guards allow access to the tree for: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>carrying out formative pruning  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>applying mulch  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>clearing vegetation around the base </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>You must not:   </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>fasten guards to the tree itself </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>let tree guards damage the growing tree </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<h2 id=\"evidence-you-must-keep\">Evidence you must keep  </h2>\n\n<p>You must keep photographs of the completed work and provide them with your claim.  </p>\n\n<p>You must also keep and provide on request: </p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>any consents or permissions connected with the work  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable  </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>the date, location and method of any weed control carried out </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>the dates of planting </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>details of the age, height and species of each tree planted </p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>photographs of the location where each tree will be planted  </p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agreement-holders-guide-capital-grants-higher-tier-capital-grants-and-protection-and-infrastructure-grants-2026\">Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants</a> for more information.</p>\n\n<p>If you’re applying for this item as part of a <abbr title=\"Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier\">CSHT</abbr> application, read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht\"><abbr title=\"Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier\">CSHT</abbr> agreement holder’s guide</a>.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"other-items-you-can-use-with-this-item\">Other items you can use with this item </h2>\n\n<p>You can use this item with these items: </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/tree-guard-wood-post-and-rail-te7\">TE7: Tree guard (large post and rail)</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/tree-guard-wood-post-and-wire-te8\">TE8: Tree guard (small post and rail and wide weld mesh)</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/capital-grant-finder/te19-tree-guard-narrow-weld-mesh\">TE19: Tree guard (narrow weld mesh)</a></p>\n\n<h2 id=\"advice-to-help-you-use-this-item\">Advice to help you use this item </h2>\n\n<p>The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.    </p>\n\n<h3 id=\"controlling-weeds\">Controlling weeds </h3>\n\n<p>Weed control is essential to successfully planting fruit trees. To reduce competition for water and nutrients, keep a 1m diameter circle around the tree clear of all vegetation for at least 3 years after planting.</p>\n\n","change_history":[{"note":"You can use this item with these items: \r\n\r\n- TE7: Tree guard (large post and rail)\r\n- TE8: Tree guard (small post and rail and wide weld mesh)\r\n- TE19: Tree guard (narrow weld mesh)","public_timestamp":"2026-07-10T07:12:08Z"},{"note":"Updated links to guidance for Capital Grants and Agreement holder's guide from 2025 to 2026.","public_timestamp":"2026-05-28T10:03:33Z"},{"note":"'Air quality' added to Land use.","public_timestamp":"2021-03-30T11:40:36Z"},{"note":"Updated for 2017 applications.","public_timestamp":"2017-03-07T17:43:46Z"},{"note":"Information updated for applications in 2016","public_timestamp":"2016-03-29T11:08:07Z"},{"note":"First published.","public_timestamp":"2015-04-02T10:43:11Z"}],"headers":[{"id":"how-much-youll-be-paid","level":2,"text":"How much you'll be 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