Water Your Trees During the Hot Summer Days

Summer heat brings the risk of dehydration and even death to your trees. So, when watering your lawn, garden and flowerbeds, don’t forget your trees on those hot summer days. Here are some tips about when and where to water your trees and how much water the tree needs.

Do Trees Need More Water in Hot Weather?

The answer is yes. Hot weather stresses trees out, especially over prolonged periods with little precipitation. If your trees have yellow, brown and falling leaves in the middle of the summer, it means your trees are stressed. Evergreens may turn greyish green.

How Often Should you Water New trees in the Summer?

You should be watering new trees at least once a week in hot summer weather and every three or four days during prolonged drought periods. For newly planted trees, soak the root ball directly under the tree and about a metre around the root ball to encourage root growth.

Watering trees, lawns and gardens in the early morning is more efficient because there’s less heat evaporation. The water has a better chance of sinking into the plants’ root system, around 20 to 30 centimetres deep. If you can’t water in the morning, then late afternoon and evening are also acceptable.

At ArborCare®, we offer water bags for clients who are getting tree planting with us. This is a good way to keep newly planted trees hydrated and you only have to fill the water bag approximately once a week, thus saving precious time. Make an appointment with one of our arborists today.

How to Water Mature Trees During a Drought

Ensure mature trees receive three to four centimetres of water per week. When watering mature trees, don’t water at the base of the trunk. Instead, soak the soil around the outer third of the tree’s canopy and about a metre past the tree’s drip line — the tree’s root zone.

Overwatering your trees is as dangerous as underwatering. Watering saturated soil encourages root rot and diseases. Check the soil conditions before you water.

Apply Mulch

Applying mulch around your trees will keep the soil cool and trap moisture. Cover the ground under the limbs with about five centimetres of mulch and keep 45 centimetres from the base of the trunk clear.

Fertilize in the Spring and Fall

To give your trees the best chance at summer survival, fertilizing in the spring and fall gives them nutrients and minerals not readily available in the soil. At ArborCare®, we offer a deep-root fertilization program as part of our plant management service.

Tree planting and tree care services in Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna and Winnipeg

At ArborCare®, we’re committed to keeping your trees well maintained, attractive and healthy. We provide tree pruning, removal and planting services for commercial and residential properties. Contact us today to schedule an assessment with one of our certified arborists.