Tree planting techniques
Woodland establishment in urban areas has its own unique combination of problems; vandals, accidental damage, weeds, rabbits, litter and access. In Edinburgh the following methods were developed to ensure the successful establishment and growth of the woodlands.

Vandalism was minimised by enabling community involvement from start; from design through to planting. Where trees were removed they were replaced as soon as possible to show the site was cared for. In most cases the vandals eventually left the site alone.

Weed-free areas were created prior to tree planting by spraying, this helped the volunteers locate where to plant the trees. Following planting, herbicide control was continued to keep weed growth to a minimum and thereby aid tree establishment. To avoid having large areas of dead grass, which could have been susceptible to burning and was considered unattractive by the public, the area between the trees was not sprayed. Here the grass was left uncut. This provided a good habitat for insects, and discouraged the public from going amongst the trees.

The use of fencing and tree shelters varied from site to site. In some localities neither were deemed necessary. Fencing was used where sports were played adjacent to the woodland area, or where accidental damage from dogs or walkers was a possibility. Tree shelters were used on exposed sites or where browsing was likely.

Project funding included three years post planting establishment operations. The work was carried out by local contractors and comprised litter removal, replacement planting and herbicide treatment, plus fence repairs when necessary. While it was originally assumed that a three-year establishment period would be sufficient, it has been found that many sites will require a longer period.
Management plans
To ensure their establishment and development, management plans were written for all the newly created community woodlands.