Adopt a Tree Pit in Redbridge: Apply by 3 January 2027

Anyone in Ilford with a street tree outside their door can now apply to look after the patch of soil at its base for 2027. Redbridge Council has opened applications for its Adopt a Tree Pit scheme, and the deadline is 11.59pm on Sunday 3 January 2027.

A tree pit is the soil at the foot of a street tree. Adopters are allowed to sow wildflowers in it and keep it tidy, and the council says that successful applicants will be contacted to confirm their adoption and sent wildflower seeds and tree labels in late January 2027.

Adoptions last 12 months only, so anyone who looked after a tree pit this year has to apply again to keep it.

How many people took part this year

According to the council’s release, more than 700 people took part this year and adopted more than 500 tree pits between them. The scheme page puts it differently, saying residents adopted “over 700 tree pits” last year.

Kaye Larbi, a Redbridge resident, adopted a tree pit for the first time this year and hopes to take on the same one again for 2027. She said:

“We have a tree pit right outside our house and wanted to get involved. It’s a great way to brighten up the neighbourhood. We had some lovely geraniums growing in the tree pit, and I’ve supplemented the soil to help more flowers grow. I really enjoy taking care of it.

“It’s also great way for neighbours to get together and adopt a few tree pits on the same street to add a refreshing burst of colour to their neighbourhood. I’d highly recommend it, and you don’t need gardening skills or experience either, so anyone can get involved.”

The rules for adopters

The council’s terms are short but strict. Adopters may:

• sow wildflower seeds only, and lightly till the surface to do it
• pick litter and keep the pit and the pavement outside their home clear
• cut back flowers that droop over the road or footpath
• trim low growth thinner than a thumb, with secateurs, up to head height (no pruning in a tree’s first three years, and none over a parked car)
• water young trees that still have a support stake, with 2 litres a day in spring and summer helping them establish

They may not dig or disturb the roots, use pesticides, build a border or raise the soil above the pavement, or work from the road side of the pit. Only hand tools are allowed, gloves are advised because of broken glass, and adopters take away their own cuttings.

Whole streets: the Pollinator Pathway

Neighbours who want to go further can apply, at any time of year, for their road to become a Pollinator Pathway. The street adopts all its tree pits and other planted areas, and the council takes it off its chemical weed-spraying schedule, creating what it calls “a corridor of pesticide free plants” that bees and other pollinators can travel along. Residents then pull weeds by hand, with advice from the council’s Neighbourhood Team on how much growth is acceptable.

There are 12 Pollinator Pathway streets in the borough so far, covering 4,368 metres, the council says. Its list shows none yet in central Ilford: nine are in Wanstead, one is in Woodford Green, and the two newest are in Mayfield.

The bar for a street is higher than for a single tree pit. The lead resident has to write to every household on the road, give neighbours at least 10 days to object (with the council’s ourneighbourhood@redbridge.gov.uk address on the letter so they can do it anonymously), and hold a street meeting. Roughly one household in ten has to commit to doing the gardening. Once a street is approved, participants complete a risk assessment before work starts, and the council posts out a welcome pack with seeds and tree labels.

Cllr Jo Blackman, Redbridge’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods, said:

“It’s fantastic to see so many local people getting involved in our Pollinator Pathway and Adopt a Tree Pit schemes each year. These small actions make a real difference, helping to brighten our streets, support local wildlife and create spaces where bees, butterflies and other pollinators can flourish. I’d encourage anyone interested to get involved and submit an application.”

Watering new trees

There is a third, informal way to help. The council plants new street trees between November and March, each with a blue label asking passers-by to water it in the summer months. Details are on the council’s adopt and water a tree page.

How to apply

Both applications are made on the council’s Adopt a Tree Pit and Pollinator Pathways page. Tree pit applications close at 11.59pm on Sunday 3 January 2027; Pollinator Pathway applications stay open all year.