Tree Care in the Heat

Temperatures are through the roof this week. With the mercury reaching into the 30s, but feeling more like in the 40s Celsius, London is feeling the heat. Earlier this week I noticed more than myself was feeling a little wilted under the sun’s onslaught. The grass is getting crispy and plants in the garden were desperate for a drink. What you might forget about though, is that the trees need a little watering themselves. When heatwaves force you inside to your precious a/c, the trees are forced to suffer through the punishing rays. There are ways that you can help though.

TREE CARE IN THE HEAT

• Newly planted trees suffer from shock due to being transplanted. In the heat, they require more watering and according to city regulations, can be watered at any time, so keep them happy and give them a drink.

• Well-established trees are a little more hardy, but still need watering, especially when rain is scarce. An established tree should be watered at least once a week, slowly and deeply. Watering too often encourages a shallow root system. Remember that Mother Nature often helps out in watering plants, so installing a rain gauge to monitor how much rain falls will help to let you know if you should be turning on the hose or not. If you aren’t sure, push a soil probe into the ground under your tree to check moisture levels. You should also be able to push a finger into the soil at the base of your tree easily.

• Remember that during Summer months the City of London maintains watering bylaws that restrict the amount of watering done by city residents. If you live in an even-numbered home you can water on even-numbered days. On odd-numbered days, residents of odd-numbered houses can water.

• Apply a layer of mulch around the base of a tree to help retain moisture and keep down weeds. This will also help to keep the lawn mower and weed whacker away from the tender bark at a tree’s base.

Indicators That You Need to Water:

• leaf tips & margins turning brown
• leaf drop
• twigs dying
• branches dying
• dry cracked ground

**drooping leaves at the end of the day are not necessarily an indication of severe stress