How to Take Care of Trees During a Drought

Trees play a crucial role in our landscape and environment as they provide shade, improve air quality, and support local wildlife. They offer beauty and hold sentimental value for many homeowners because they take years to grow. However, climate change is bringing more frequent and prolonged droughts, which can leave severe impacts on trees. People believe that rain will give adequate water for their home's trees, but trees will suffer during periods of no rain or hot weather. The last thing you want is to lose your beloved tree to drought stress when it could have been prevented. Therefore, it's crucial to learn how to care for your trees during these challenging times.

In this blog, we will review some effective strategies to ensure your trees not only survive but also thrive during periods of drought.

Signs of Drought-Stressed Trees

The early identification of drought signs can help in taking necessary actions in a timely manner. Trees that were already stressed by other issues, such as poor soil or pest infestations, are more likely to decline after a drought. On the other hand, healthy trees that were in good shape before the drought will be stressed and become more susceptible to disease problems or other pests.

The common symptoms of drought stress include:

• Wilting Leaves: Leaves may curl or become droopy, or appear visibly limp, showing that the tree is struggling to retain moisture and is under stress.
• Leaf Color Changes: The leaves may turn yellow or brown, signaling that the plant is under stress.
• Early Leaf Drop: Trees may experience premature leaf drop as a survival mechanism.
• Cracked Bark: The bark may show signs of cracking or splitting due to insufficient moisture.
• Stunted Growth: The new shoots and leaves may appear to be small.

Tips to Take Care of Trees During a Drought

Here are the things you should do to help your trees endure dry conditions and remain strong and beautiful.

Check Soil Moisture Regularly

Before watering, use a moisture meter or dig 4-6 inches into the soil using a small tool. This is to ensure the water penetrates deep into the soil and check if the soil is still dry or wet. If the soil feels dry, water the trees again.

Water Deeply and Properly

A long and slow soaking of the drip line is better than several short doses of water. Water the trees until the soil is moist but not saturated. Aim to water your trees with a slow-release irrigation system at ground level.

The goal is to water the roots and avoid getting the foliage wet, as it can promote diseases. The most efficient and recommended method for watering trees is with a drip irrigation system. This system slowly delivers water to the tree's root zone without wasting water in evaporation or runoff.

For Young Trees: Water each tree once or twice a week with around 15 to 20 gallons of water. Watering twice a week is enough to keep young trees healthy and alive in drought. Ensure you're watering gently enough to allow the water to seep into the roots rather than running off across your dry landscape. This can only be achieved with an orchard drip system.

For Mature Trees: Water mature trees 1 to 2 times a month with enough water to soak down the top 18 inches of soil. The amount of water required depends on the size of your tree and the type of soil. Water all the soil beneath the tree's canopy with emitter tubing or dripline. If you can't water the entire area, it is best to completely soak a smaller area rather than just barely wetting a large one.

Mulch

Mulch around the trees with 3-4 inches of tree bark, wood chips, clippings, or other organic mulch. Keep mulch at least 3-6" away from the trunk of the tree. Add fresh mulch when this one decomposes to maintain its effectiveness. You can also use weed barrier fabric as an alternative to non-organic mulch. It also blocks weeds.

Prune and Maintain

Pruning relieves the stress from the tree. Remove dead, diseased, or weakened branches to reduce the tree's energy consumption and enable it to allocate resources to the healthiest parts. Focus on cutting dead wood to prevent further stress and damage. Always use clean and sharp pruners such as Felco Pruning Shears to make clean cuts in the right spots.

Tips to Keep Trees Alive During California Droughts!

Choose the Right Trees

The right tree species increases the survival chances of the trees during dry spells and contributes to a more sustainable landscape.

Native Species

Native trees and shrubs are typically better adapted to local conditions and require less water. Additionally, native plants provide habitat and resources for local wildlife, making them a sustainable choice.

Drought-Tolerant Varieties

Some tree species are particularly known for their ability to withstand dry conditions. When planning your planting, you might want to consider including the following drought-resistant species:

• Oaks: Many oak species can withstand droughts and offer excellent shade.
• Maples: Certain tree varieties, such as the Sugar Maple, can withstand drought once established.
• Pines: Certain pine species, like the Ponderosa, are well-suited for dry environments.

Adopt Water Conservation Practices

Trees beautify our homes and communities, so it's our responsibility to promote water conservation practices that benefit trees and our environment. Adopt water-saving practices, such as using a drip irrigation system for targeted watering and rainwater harvesting, to supplement water during dry seasons. Additionally, consider incorporating drought-resistant native plants into your landscape to reduce overall water consumption.

Read More: DripWorks Water Conservation Guide for Homeowners

Drought Don'ts

During droughts, you should avoid doing these few things with your trees, whether they are recently planted or mature.

• Do not fertilize trees. Feeding trees during dry periods removes water from the roots and pushes the tree to spend energy processing the fertilizer, which stresses the plant.
• Don't prune healthy branches. Pruning removes some of the tree's live tissue, requiring the tree to invest energy in healing the pruning wounds, which adds additional stress to an already drought-stressed tree.
• Avoid digging under your tree's canopy. This can damage the roots and diminish the tree's capacity to absorb water.
• Keep a close eye on mulch. Although mulch is beneficial for retaining soil moisture during a drought, this protective material can harm your tree by intercepting irrigation and rainfall and diverting it away from the tree's roots.

Keep Your Trees Healthy and Robust with DripWorks

At DripWorks, we love trees and fully understand their value, so we can help you get everything you need to save your trees. We offer high-quality irrigation systems for trees, including an orchard drip irrigation kits in three sizes. Our orchard kits are specifically designed to efficiently water trees during dry and hot seasons, such as drought.

The kit includes long-lasting 1/2" pressure-compensating emitter tubing that delivers water evenly to the entire root zone of each tree.

The Bottom Line

Trees are one of the most valuable components of our landscapes and are beneficial to the environment. Weather extremes and the risk of global warming require us to understand the special care that trees need during droughts or dry, hot periods. Drought-stressed trees can appear sickly, cause problems, and potentially become hazards. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the health of your trees during the dry season to protect your landscape investment. You can protect your trees during droughts and support their health by adopting effective strategies, such as proper targeted watering, careful pruning, mulching, and soil management.