Extreme Heat Watering Advisory
With the recent extreme temperatures, proper watering can help protect your trees and lawn. At the same time, over watering or improper timing can leave them susceptible to disease and fungus due to the excess moisture.
To make the most out of watering, remember the following:
- Signs of water-related tree stress may be evident with wilting leaves, leaf drops, or browning leaves. If you notice these conditions it’s clearly time to act, but ideally, you’re able to provide them with the water they need before these symptoms present themselves.
- Water deeply 2-3 times per week vs daily. This will help your trees and lawn develop deeper and stronger root systems. This also limits susceptibility to disease and fungus.
- Roots need to breathe too! Plants need water, but they also need air. Over watering that leads to frequent periods of saturated roots can lead to root rot and tree decline. Plant root cells use aerobic respiration just like our cells.
- Early morning is the best time to water. This reduces water wasted to evaporation and allows more water to sink into the ground where it can be taken up by root systems. Watering in the morning instead of the evening also limits the amount of time your foliage is wet which reduces the risk of disease.
- Newly planted trees typically require more water and attention given that they have shallower and less developed root systems.
- Established trees can also be impacted by heat and drought. Mature trees can transpire over 50 gallons of water daily in these conditions. Check the soil around your trees at a depth of 6 inches. If dry or crumbly it’s time for a slow soak, ideally with a soaker hose or deep root irrigator when possible.
- Use caution around Oaks, which are a sensitive species and do not like getting their bark wet.
As always, our team is here to help! Feel free to text or email us with photos of any trees or areas of your lawn that are of particular concern.
If you’d like to go deeper, below are two great resources from the University of Illinois:
