Timing Matters: How GiftTrees Achieve a 90% Survival Rate With Your Support 

GiftTrees achieve a 90 per cent survival rate by training farmers to plant trees at the optimal time of year. This guidance focuses on working with natural conditions rather than against them.

For farmers like Michael Kilango in Nkundai village, planting during the rainy season has been key to success. In the Usambara Mountains, the best time to plant fruit trees is between March and May. Once rainfall has fully hydrated the land for around a week, saplings can be planted into moist soil that supports early root development and long-term survival.

This careful timing ensures young trees have the water they need to establish themselves without stress.

Michael welcomed the GiftTrees team onto his farm to demonstrate how these planting methods work in practice. Through GiftTrees training, he learned to prepare the land, monitor rainfall, and plant saplings only when conditions were right.

He now grows a selection of avocado, papaya, mango, and passion fruit, GiftTrees provided by the local tree nursery. These trees are expected to be ready for harvesting after just two years, creating a reliable source of seasonal income.

Each harvest season, Michael can earn up to 500,000 Tanzanian shillings, providing greater financial stability for his household.