Tree planting specifications compared: what Toronto, New York City, Vancouver (Washington) and Greencastle require

This page reports what four public documents say. It does not give planting advice, and it is not a standard of its own. Each document is published by the city or borough named. The guide on planting depth and root flare covers what extension services and standards say about depth, and the guide on staking and watering covers support and water.

The four documents

Publisher	Document and date	Stock standard named
Toronto	TS 5.30 Construction Specification for Planting, September 2021	Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock
NYC Parks	Tree Planting Specifications Check List, no date printed	Not named; the checklist says it does not replace the Tree Planting Standards
Vancouver, Washington	Urban Forestry post-planting inspection sheet, no date printed (file name carries 2025)	ANSI Z60
Greencastle	Tree and Planting Specifications, June 2018	ANSI Z60.1

Trunk flare

Publisher	What it says
Toronto	Flare must be exposed above the root ball before arrival or the tree is rejected; planted with flare above finished grade; a tree whose first proper root lies over 2.5 cm below planting level is rejected
NYC Parks	Root flare visible and level with the surrounding grade
Vancouver, Washington	Top of the root collar level with or up to 1 inch higher than existing finish grade
Greencastle	Trunk flare level with the sidewalk grade after settlement

Wrapping, basket and stock size

Publisher	What it says
Toronto	Top one half of the jute wrapping and wire basket cut away; balled and burlapped, minimum caliper 70 mm unless the drawings say otherwise
NYC Parks	Top 50% of burlap and wire basket cut and removed from the pit; root ball minimum 28 inches for a 2.5 to 3 inch caliper tree
Vancouver, Washington	Root ball and trunk free from twine and burlap; stock size not published on the sheet
Greencastle	Burlap and twine removed or tucked down, synthetic burlap fully removed, top one third of the wire basket rings removed; 1.75 caliper, trunk free of branches to 5 feet unless the variety needs an exception

Stakes and water

Publisher	Stakes	Water at planting
Toronto	Not published in TS 5.30; a tree guard is required instead	Water thoroughly; backfill in 150 mm lifts, with the pit filled with water at two thirds depth
NYC Parks	Installed vertically, parallel to the curb, outside the root ball, even in height	At least 20 gallons
Vancouver, Washington	Two wooden stakes, at least 2 by 2 inches preferred	Not published on the sheet
Greencastle	Two stakes outside the root ball, driven 30 inches, set parallel to curbs	At least twenty gallons; soil firmed at 6 to 8 inch intervals

Mulch and warranty

Publisher	Mulch	Warranty
Toronto	Maintenance clause: 25 to 50 mm layer	Two years from written acceptance
NYC Parks	2 to 3 inches of bark mulch over the entire excavated area	Not published on the checklist
Vancouver, Washington	3 inches deep in a 3 foot radius, kept 3 inches from the trunk	Not published on the sheet
Greencastle	3 inches, with a gap the spec puts at "approximately 2 inches" from the trunk	One year, with removal and replacement by the supplier

What stands out in each

Toronto

The City of Toronto specification is the only one of the four written as a contract document, with submittals, a payment clause and an acceptance procedure. It refers to the Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock, sets plant material grown in Hardiness Zone 5, and says container grown trees are not permitted unless the Contract Administrator approves them before purchase. It says the contractor is to tell nurseries that flare must be exposed before arrival. It also requires a tree guard on each newly planted tree and says tree pruning is done by a certified arborist whose name and credentials go to the Contract Administrator.

New York City

NYC Parks publishes a quick-reference checklist for crews. It says planting sites are marked with a "P" in white spray paint on the curb, that trees are lifted by the root ball and not the trunk, and that only dead, broken or crossing branches are pruned. It also covers granite pavers around the pit, with joints mortared and the whole pit never paved.

Vancouver, Washington

The Urban Forestry sheet is used for inspection after planting. It tells inspectors to refuse stock that is not the correct species or does not meet ANSI Z60 grades. Its second half lists planting-site distances, for example 25 feet from the curb line of an intersection, 20 feet from stop signs and street lights, 10 feet from stormwater drains, and a mature height not above 25 feet under powerlines.

Greencastle

The borough specification points planting to the International Society of Arboriculture's tree planting best management practices. It lists defects it rejects in stock, including roots buried too deep in a root ball, and it says all trees are guaranteed for one year.

Where they disagree

Basket removal: Toronto and NYC Parks both say the top half; Greencastle says the top one third of the rings.
Mulch depth: NYC Parks gives 2 to 3 inches, Vancouver and Greencastle give 3 inches, and Toronto's maintenance clause gives 25 to 50 mm.
Flare against grade: level with grade (NYC Parks, Greencastle), up to 1 inch above (Vancouver), above finished grade (Toronto).
Warranty: two years in Toronto, one year in Greencastle, and none stated on the NYC and Vancouver sheets.

Another city's own specification, found through its forestry or public works office, is the source for that place.