Another season, another extreme event. It’s not easy being a Tree right now, not here. Just when things were looking up, we start consistently staying above 105 degrees… What can you do to help your trees through it? I have a few suggestions here, to really make a difference.
First – Water your trees with a hose. I know that most people have irrigation systems these days, but I assure you they were not designed for the Trees. Watch your sprinkler heads go back and forth… in the time between actual watering, the grass is taking all the water it can get, and when that sprinkler comes back again, the grass is ready for the next round of water. Next to nothing gets below the grass to the waiting roots of the Tree…
How do you water with a hose? Not against the trunk. Take the hose and just make a big messy puddle in the root zone as close to the “Drip Line” as you can get. The Drip line is the outer edge of the entire canopy. That is where the water will do most good. If you cant do that, because a sidewalk or a house is there, get as close as you can. Do it on 2 sides of the tree if you can. If it’s a grouping, do 3 or 4 “puddles” around the entire group. Don’t get too hung up on the details, because no property is perfectly laid out for the Trees. Just stay away from the trunk if you can…
How much Water? A tree ideally wants 10 gallons per week for every inch of Diameter in its size. So measure the Tree’s diameter 4.5′ from the ground (DBH). If it’s 22″ DBH it would love 220 gallons a week. Thats the perfect number, if you can only do that every other week, thats fine, anything will help.
Last thing I like to tell people is… if you are on City Water, get a chlorine filter! It’s a big deal, City Water has chlorine (or Chloramine) in it to kill microbes of any kind, problem is when you put it in the soil, it can kill a lot of beneficial microbes that the Tree needs to feed itself. They are about 2 for $40 on Amazon and one should last you all season. It will levae you with a healthier soil, and that is a huge asset for a struggling tree.
Enjoy the Heat!