Your yard and garden have different needs throughout the year, and your trees are no exception. Which tasks and types of maintenance make the biggest impact in the summer? We’ve got five summer tree to-dos to keep your trees happy and healthy all summer long.
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It’s All About the Water
Summer is a season of extremes: heat plus either drought conditions or the heavy rains that come with summer storms. One of the best ways to keep trees happy through summer heat and dry spells is slower, regular, deeper, but less frequent watering. Your trees’ roots go deep into the soil of your yard, so a spritz with the hose isn’t going to be enough — but on the other hand, a few hot, dry days without rain probably won’t have a negative effect on your trees, either. Keep in mind that it’s also easy to accidentally over-water! Set some time aside early in the morning each day (unless you’re getting rain pretty regularly, or your climate is more temperate) to really allow the water to soak down into the area under your trees. You don’t want it to be a swamp afterwards (which could be an area for mosquitoes to breed) so let the water run slowly so it can gradually soak into the soil. Pay the most attention to young trees whose roots don’t yet go as deep — older, more established trees will probably be ok except in significant drought conditions.
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Watch Out for Heat/Drought Stress
Depending on where you live, a drought might be inconceivable, or it might be your reality every year. Technically, a drought is “a period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged for the lack of water to cause serious hydrologic imbalance in the affected area”, so for the purposes of your trees, it’s any time period that’s significantly drier than usual for your area. Older trees will be completely fine through short, dry periods, but keep an eye out for signs of drought/heat stress in your trees during longer dry spells, including:
- yellow or lighter green leaves
- wilted leaves
- unseasonably dropped leaves
- brown leaf edges
… and take action by establishing a daily root watering routine, sooner rather than later.
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Summer Mulching
Usually, when you think of mulching, you probably think of autumn. But mulching in the summer can help to retain water around your trees’ roots, help the roots maintain a more consistent temperature, and prevent some root-area moisture loss to evaporation. Before mulching, make sure your tree’s roots have been well watered, and keep the mulch back from the trunk of the tree (you want a layer about 2” deep over the tree’s root area). Be sure to use a high-quality organic mulch to give your trees the greatest benefit.
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Keep an Eye Out for Pests
We all love the warm temperatures of summer out in our yards and gardens … but so do the pests! Of course, it’s entirely normal to see bugs in your trees during the summer, but how can you tell if the insects are happily residing in your trees, or if they’ve taken over? Look out for chewed leaves, leaves falling in the summer without other explanation, mold on the leaves, large silky-looking webs, or any sign of dead or dying branches, especially if the affected area seems to be spreading.
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Look for Summer Storm Damage
Storms in the summertime can get strong in many areas, and they sometimes come with lightning, heavy winds, and hail, which can all damage your trees. Take a look around after a severe storm, and check for broken or damaged branches, or any signs of lightning strikes, such as scorch marks or burn damage.
As a general rule, if you see anything that looks amiss, contact your local tree company and ask them to send someone out to take a look. The consultation and estimate should always be free, and the best tree service professionals will help you to sort out a big problem from a simple, do-it-yourself situation, and they can help you solve it before it gets even worse.
