While 2016 precipitation outlooks appear favorable for Boise, Idaho and the surrounding communities, we still have to remember that our summer climate is classified as high-desert. Conditions during the summer months are hot and acutely dry.
Mountain West Arbor Care employs the preventative tree care philosophy in everything we do. This is a philosophy that seeks to prevent issues before they happen. When providing tree care services for our clients we always strive to stress the importance of this philosophy. As always, when issues arise with your trees, most specifically when serious disease or infestation is discovered, it is often too late.
Keeping your trees healthy and fortified includes keeping them watered. The summer months in Boise and the surrounding areas is particularly hard on your trees. Keeping your trees properly watered will also help to keep them healthy and resilient to pests and disease.
Your Deciduous Trees Will Tell You When They’re Under Drought Stress
Just like any other plant, shrub, or bush, your trees will provide you with visual ques when suffering from drought stress.
Common visual drought stress ques:
- Wilting and browning of leaves
- Unnatural leaf yellowing
- Smaller leaf size and growth
- Early leaf fall
If you see signs of drought stress, do not panic. Mild symptoms of drought stress does not necessarily signal the end of your trees. Consider it a warning and reminder to remain vigilant when it comes to watering your trees during the warmer months.
Tree Care Steps you Can Take to Protect Your Trees from Drought Stress
One the most obvious, and simplest measures you can take to protect your trees from drought stress is to put your trees on a regular watering schedule.
When it comes to watering your trees, it’s relatively simply. We suggest our customers follow a general rule of thumb: water your trees whenever the soil moisture is low.
Pretty simple, right? We provide some extra guidelines below.
- 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter. A basic formula to guide you: 5 min X Tree Diameter = Watering duration.
- Smaller Trees (1 to 7” in diameter): Water at least three times a month, April through September
- Medium Trees (8-15” in diameter): Water at least three times a month, April through September
- Large Trees (16” and up in diameter): Water at least three times a month, April through September
- Implement a mulch bed around your trees to reduce moisture loss. Ensure the mulch remains about 6” back from the trunk.
- Properly prune to remove dead and weakened branches. As mentioned above, drought stress can make your trees more susceptible to disease and insect infestation. It’s best to remove dead branches to minimize risk.
- Refrain from fertilizing your trees during drought stress. If your trees have not been properly watered and maintained, the salts contained in fertilizers can burn your trees root system.
The Take Away
While 2016 precipitation outlooks appear favorable for Boise, Idaho and the surrounding communities, we still have to remember that our summer climate is classified as high-desert. Conditions during the summer months are hot and acutely dry.
2016 precipitation outlooks look favorable for Boise, Idaho and the surrounding areas, though the coming summer months will bring the hot and dry weather typical to our climate. Preventative tree care measures, such as regular watering can help to minimize the stress effects of drought conditions on your trees.
Your trees are an investment. Following our watering and drought stress guidelines can help to ensure the health, stability, and vitality of your trees for years to come.
Contact us today to learn more about protecting your trees during drought stress, or to learn more about the services that Mountain West Arbor Care provides our customers.
