The Effects of Extreme Summer Soils

A few thoughts from Jeff for today:

Today, as I was looking for copy on a specific topic of Urban Forestry, I came across this outline written 2 years ago:

Negative impacts on trees in winter: waterlogged soils.

• Water logged soils inhibit the soil ice, which is natural and needed, in “normal soil” for tillage.
• Water logged soils inhibit root respiration in low oxygenated/anaerobic soils.
• Water logged soils increase nutrient dilution and can kill micro-flora and fauna.

It is rather humorous to find this on a day when it is 106°F and we haven’t seen rain in 7+ weeks!  While weather extremes are normal (cold, hot; dry, wet), the urban forest creates even higher levels of stress than in natural sites like forests and riparian locations (given the same weather).

Considering the weather we’ve had this summer, there are a couple facts we would like to present:

1. Soil temperatures over 90°F will kill roots! Dead roots kill trees.
2. Desiccated (extremely dry) soils will kill roots.  Again, dead roots kill trees.

TreeMasters, Inc. is in the business of making a better future for your trees, and so in that spirit, we give this reminder:  Please remember to water your trees!  Particularly if they are new in your yard.  Trees need, on average, about an INCH of water per week.  And we don’t mean watering by dragging your hose to the base of your trees and putting it on a slow trickle.  Use your garden sprinkler and plan to wet the entire root system of your trees.  Place a cup on the ground in the watering zone.  When you see an inch of water in the cup, you know you’ve got enough water.
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If you have any questions about your trees, please call us and we’ll come take a look!