Drought Stress in Trees During the Summer Months

As Colorado heads into the hottest, driest part of the summer, lack of rainfall becomes a concern. Although many people assume that because they have sprinkler systems they don’t have to worry about watering their trees, this is really not the case. With an irrigation system, only the top inch of the soil is getting wet, and if you have your zones timed for less than 20 minutes, there is probably not adequate water to reach the roots of the trees. In addition, you might not even be hitting the trees with the way your sprinkler system is set up. 

The bottom line is that it’s essential to take care of your trees during the dry summer months to ensure that they are getting the water they need to stay healthy.

Give Your Trees Some TLC During the Summer

Here are some tips for giving your trees a bit of extra love this summer:

• Make sure your irrigation system is watering your established trees. Many systems are set up with lawns in mind only, with no regard for trees on the property. Set up your timer so zones are getting at least 20 minutes, if not more.

• Make sure all of your soaker heads are working properly. Many people set up their sprinkler systems, then give them very little thought after that. Sometimes the heads aren’t working and the homeowner doesn’t realize it until they notice areas of their lawns are drying up or trees look wilted.

• Overwatering can also be an issue. Sometimes the symptoms of overwatering can mimic the signs of underwatering. With the exception of trees that thrive in swamps—an unlikely scenario in our landlocked state with its semi-arid climate—most trees that sit in a puddle of water will start rotting from the bottom up. When the roots are starting to rot, people will notice a wilted appearance to the leaves that very much looks like the tree isn’t getting enough water. Most of the time, people make the problem worse by increasing watering the tree even more under a false belief of what the problem is. You may have to partially excavate the soils to figure out how much moisture is under the tree. If your tree is located in a lower zone or a zone with poor drainage, you’ll want to check the soil before assuming the tree isn’t getting enough water.

Contact a Denver Tree Service Company

If you notice your trees look distressed, but you are unsure about why they are struggling, it might be time to call in the tree service professionals. At Root Tree Service, our experienced team members can help ensure your trees stay healthy year-round. We are pleased to offer a variety of tree care services to keep your trees happy and your entire landscape looking beautiful. If you have any questions about our services or questions about how we can help you, don't hesitate to give us a call. We are committed to keeping Front Range trees in good shape. Contact us today!