Residential greening campaign | tree planting

HORIZONTAL - BLANC

Ensemble on verdit is a campaign by the GRAME whose objective is planting trees on residential lots in participating municipalities.

The online store is now close for the 2023 season! We'll be back for spring 2024!

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Check out our trees

Consult our list of tree species available for planting, carefully selected by our experts. Please note that not all species are available for all territories.

DISCOVER THE TREES AVAILABLE

Order your tree(s)

Do you need to replace your tree or want to beautify your property?
We offer a residential planting service, with a few simple steps.

Choose and order your tree.s

Before you order your tree.s, make sure to read our section before you buy. Once you have seen the tree species available, it’s time to make your choice! You can select the tree that meets your needs and complete your order online.

Receive confirmation of your order

Once you have made your online order, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with your invoice and information on how to prepare for our visit.

Get ready for our visit

A few days before your new tree is to be planted, you will be receiving an email confirming the planting date to allow you to finalize your preparation. Make sure you identify the location where you want your new tree to be planted, that there are no underground structures there, and that it is easily accessible.

Planting your tree.s

On the scheduled planting day, an employee will come and plant your tree in the designated area. More details will be provided to you in the confirmation email of your planting date.

Take care of your tree.s 

Once the planting has been done, you will receive an e-mail that will direct you to tips related to the maintenance of your new tree. These tips are available anytime on our website under Maintenance tips. That’s it! You can now enjoy the benefits of your new tree.

Choose your tree now!

ORDER YOUR TREE

Maintenance tips for your tree

It’s important to water the tree every other day during the first week after planting. For the rest of the first year, regular watering (once a week) is important. This will ensure that much of the soil is soaked with water, allowing the roots to spread further. During a drought, watering is particularly important. Recommended watering method:
  • Fill the planting basin (mulch circle) with water and wait for it to soak the soil. Repeat a second time.
  • Another option is to use a watering hose with a low flow for 15 to 30 consecutive minutes.
In the fall, before the frost, water conifers well, as they usually need reserves for the winter.
It’s important to water the tree every other day during the first week after planting. For the rest of the first year, regular watering (once a week) is important. This will ensure that much of the soil is soaked with water, allowing the roots to spread further. During a drought, watering is particularly important. Recommended watering method:
  • Fill the planting basin (mulch circle) with water and wait for it to soak the soil. Repeat a second time.
  • Another option is to use a watering hose with a low flow for 15 to 30 consecutive minutes.
In the fall, before the frost, water conifers well, as they usually need reserves for the winter.

A stake is not necessary. It is better not to add a stake to encourage the tree to develop a self-supporting trunk without the need for a post. This way, it will develop a stronger trunk. The first years are always the most important in the development of trees.

However, a stake is recommended when the tree is planted in a windy area. Install it on the south side of the tree to counteract the strong winds that usually come from the southwest. The tie should be installed at the end of the stake and should be designed to prevent the trunk from bumping into the stake. Remove the stake one or two years after growth.

Cutting the grass can damage the tree. It is recommended you not cut the grass with a trimmer or mower beyond the watering (mulching) trough. Simply remove by hand any opportunistic plants that may hinder the growth of your tree.s.

The addition of compost and Mycorrhiza during planting will be sufficient to meet the tree’s needs. Over time, the tree will find all the nutrients it needs in the soil with the help of living organisms that help create nutrients for the tree. You can leave fallen leaves at the base of the tree; these will create a natural and regular fertilizer.
In principle, purchased trees have already received an initial training pruning that ensures that they develop a single central trunk and well-arranged branches. For more complex pruning, it is advisable to call on an expert to do the work without harming the tree and to promote its growth. Pruning can cause water to penetrate the injured area and create an infection that could be problematic for the tree. We recommend one pruning 3 to 5 years after planting. If the bark is broken, please call on an expert as soon as possible to receive specific advice and action to ensure the tree has a better chance of survival.

A trunk protector is recommended in the first years after planting, from autumn to spring. It prevents rodents from harming the tree during freeze periods, when food is scarce. A trunk protector will be installed on your tree during planting.

Frequently asked questions

Before purchasing

If your city participates in the program Ensemble on verdit, you can purchase a replacement tree on our online store. We’ll even plant it for you!

Dorval, Kirkland, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Beaconsfield, Côte Saint-Luc, Baie d’Urfé, Senneville and Pincourt residents can use the Ensemble on verdit program in 2023.

Start by consulting the information given by your city through your felling permit and/or on the website, read the terms and conditions of the Ensemble on verdit program, and check out our in-depth FAQ.

  • The tree itself, which will respect your city’s required minimum size at the planting;
  • The planting material (soil, mulch, mycorrhiza);
  • A trunk protector for winter;
  • A planting service by GRAME’s professional plantating team;
  • Customer service to answer all your questions;
  • A one year warranty on the health of your tree;
  • Maintenance tips for your tree.

What is not included:

  • In-depth advice on where to plant your tree on your property. Due to a large amount of orders, we ask the property owner to complete the steps to prepare for the planting and decide where their tree will be planted. More information on how to select a planting spot is available in this FAQ. You can contact us at ensembleonverdit@grame.org if you have specific questions on this subject.
  • A tree stake. The stake is not essential and is only recommended for windy areas. It can be purchased for an additional cost when you purchase your tree.

The trees are subsidized by the participating municipalities, allowing you to get a tree at a lower cost.

Subsidies vary by participating city according to , the tree diameter at the time of planting, and the type of planting (replacement tree or new tree). It is therefore normal that the price paid by the client varies from one city to another.

The purchasing of the trees is exclusively on our online store. Our tree nursery is not open to the public, so it is therefore not possible to see the trees before the planting.

You’ll receive a tree corresponding to the species and size that you ordered online.

Trees all have different needs in terms of sunlight and space required. These criteria must be respected in order to have the right tree in the right place.

In order to choose the right tree, first determine the space you have available for it, taking into account its size at maturity (the information on tree species is available on our online store). Make sure you know the characteristics of your property.

Finally, all that remains is to choose a tree that you will enjoy for years to come.

Unfortunately, it is possible that none of the trees we offer correspond to what you’re looking for. You can purchase a tree directly from a tree nursery, but make sure to follow your city’s requirements, or contact them for more options.

The GRAME only plants trees purchased through the online store Ensemble on verdit.

In order to determine the right location, you’ll need to know the characteristics of your property and of the trees. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
  • Is my property sunny, shaded or somewhere in between?
    • If the area where you want to plant seems to receive sunlight all day, it’s a sunny area. If the amount of sunlight varies during the day, it is partially shaded. If the area receives minimal sunlight, it is a shaded area.
  • Are there any underground infrastructure lines?
    • Visit the Info-Excavation website and check the “before planting” section of the FAQ. This free service makes it easy to get answers prior to our planting visit.
  • Does the foliage of the tree pose a risk of reaching neighboring properties or gutters?
    • Consider height and width at maturity.
  • Is the tree near a parking area?
    • Please take into account the seeds or fruits of the tree species.
  • What are the boundaries of my property?
    • Refer to your house plan or contact your city directly.
Once you’ve determined the specific characteristics of your property, it will be easier to determine which tree species corresponds to your needs. To pick one or more tree species corresponding to your needs, check the information provided in the online store. ATTENTION: If you had to cut down a tree, we won’t be able to plant the replacement tree exactly where the old tree was. The roots will greatly affect the planting process and can affect the growth of the new tree. A distance of 3 meters (10 feet) is required between the new planting site and the spot where the old tree was.

At the time of the planting, trees are around 2 to 2.5 meters high for deciduous trees, and 1.2 meters for coniferous trees.

The size at maturity depends on the tree species. The height of each tree is available on the online store.

Consult the factsheets for each tree on our online store to find out which ones have an average size appropriate for the space available on your property.

You can purchase the amount of trees required on your felling permit, or as many trees as you want in cities where the purchase of new trees is allowed (not for replacement).

However, there may be specific criterias for your city. If so, the information will be available directly on your city’s online store.

Be mindful of your city’s bylaws and the space on your property if you decide to purchase a large quantity of trees.

Yes, you can. However, if you are not the property owner, you must obtain the necessary permissions before planting the tree.

Before the planting

Fall and spring are the best time of year to plant new trees.

Exchanges are possible up to 10 days after the purchase. Check out the terms and conditions for more details.

As the property owner, you have some responsibilities before the tree is planted.

You need to:

  • Check if there are any underground structures under your property
  • Check your city’s bylaws on tree planting.

You’ll then have the information you need to decide where you would like for your new tree to be planted. Details of the property owner’s responsibilities can be found in the program’s terms and conditions.

  • Read to program’s terms and conditions on our website;
  • Consult your city’s bylaws on tree planting;
  • If you want your tree planted in your frontyard, make sure to confirm where your property ends and the city’s right of way begins, as we cannot plant on the city’s right of way and you will be charged if the city asks us to move a tree planted outside your property line;
  • Check for free if there are any underground structures under your property, as the GRAME is not responsible in case of damage or breakage (A tutorial on how to do so is available here);
  • Indicate clearly where you want the GRAME to plant your tree (using a flag, piece of wood, paper under rock…), especially if you won’t be at home the day of the planting.

Info-Excavation is a free service of locate requests processing. Before doing work on your property, including tree planting, you need to put in a request with info-ex. This way, you’ll be aware of any underground structures on your property and will be able to find a safe planting spot for your tree.

In your request, you can include this information:
– The tree planting hole is 0.5 m deep;
– The planting does not require heavy machinery (a shovel is used).

You can request a refund for a tree or trees up to 10 days after purchase. Once a tree has been planted, it cannot be refunded. If the refund period has passed and the client does not wish to continue receiving the service, the tree becomes the property of GRAME. Refunds are made to the credit card used online for the original purchase.

To learn about the terms and conditions of the Ensemble on verdit campaign, click here.

After the planting

There is a one-year replacement guarantee on planted trees, provided that you have carried out the maintenance necessary for their survival (especially watering and protection) and that the death of the trees was not due to damage caused by human activity (e.g. trimming, snow removal).

If any trees have died, are seriously diseased or unhealthy, and there is clear evidence of neglect or malfeasance on any of them, you will have to pay for a new tree.

To learn about the terms and conditions of the Ensemble on verdit campaign, click here.

If you have a problem with your tree, contact us at ensembleonverdit@grame.org and we’ll do a follow-up to see if any additional steps are necessary.

We ask every resident to take good care of their tree. You will receive a leaflet explaining the correct maintenance techniques. You can also visit our Maintenance tips section.

You must also inform contractors carrying out work on the planting site(s), including lawn maintenance, of the presence of trees, the conditions required for their proper development and the need to protect them when an action poses a risk to their integrity, in particular using an edger to cut grass.

Once the tree is planted, exchanges are no longer possible. If the tree dies from natural causes, consult the conditions of our guarantee activation policy.

  • Auclair et frères
  • Pépinière Dominique Savio
  • Sylvestria

It is important for the GRAME to work with suppliers who share its environmental values, especially concerning the biodiversity of our urban forests. Furthermore, working with different suppliers allows us to offer a larger variety of tree species.

Yes it’s possible! To find out how you can help improve our projects, for example by making a donation, visit the GRAME website for more information.

MORE QUESTIONS? CONTACT US!

E-mail : ensembleonverdit@grame.org        Phone number : 438.505.8378