Drought
Tips
"What
can I do to save my trees?"
10
Tips for Assisting Trees During
Water-Restricted Drought Conditions
1.
Make certain that all plants are well mulched. Mulching helps reduce water
loss from the soil and suppresses water-stealing weeds. Three to five inches (no
more) of a fine-textured mulch such as pinestraw or shredded hardwood will do
a better job than coarse-textured mulches. Keep the mulch five inches away from
the stem or trunk of the plant.
2.
Add newspaper to mulched areas. Use a leaf rake to gently pull back existing
mulch (being careful to not disturb surface roots of plants). Place two to three
sheets of newspaper on soil surface, moisten it, and rake mulch back over newspaper.
Newspaper will serve as an added barrier to moisture loss.
3.
Don't fertilize. Actively growing plants use more water.
4.
Keep weeds pulled. Eliminate the competition.
5.
Don't use herbicides. A dose of herbicide may put a nearby, already stressed
plant over the edge.
6.
Recently-planted plants are more in need of watering than more established
plants. Try to save woody plants first, as they have the most time invested
in growth. Azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and dogwoods are shallow rooters
and will die if ignored. Due to continuous drought conditions from previous years,
established trees should be watered if at all possible. Even one good soaking
with gray water could prevent the death of a tree.
7.
Help keep plants alive by recycling "gray water." Apply gray
water to the soil around the plants and not to the foliage. According to Iredell
County Cooperative Extension Agent Don Breedlove, it's okay to use gray water
to water outdoor plants from the following sources:
- Air Conditioner/Dehumidifier
drain line
- Gutter
- place a barrel underneath downspout opening to catch rainwater
- Swimming
Pool - water should be left standing in an open container for at least 24
hours to allow excess chlorine to dissipate into the air
- Cooking
- water from cooking vegetables, pasta or fruit
- Coffee/Tea
- dilute with other gray water
- Bath/Shower
- place a bucket under faucet to catch "warm up" flow and shower runoff
- Dishwater
- place a dishpan in sink to catch runoff from rinsed hands, vegetables, etc.
- Laundry
- combine rinse water with wash water to dilute detergents (see Swimming Pool
section for water containing bleaching agents)
Important
Notes: A.
Be certain to cover any open containers of water with mosquito netting or a tight-fitting
lid!
B. Use any water from bath/shower, dishwater, or laundry right away.
An odor or health problem my result from bacteria in the water if not used immediately.
C.
Water conditioned by a softening agent is not recommended due to salt buildup
in the soil.
8. Utilize plastic milk
containers to use as slow-release irrigation tools. Place a few pin holes
in the bottom of jugs and place over the root system of plants. Do not bury jugs
in the ground, as digging will damage an already stressed root system. Place jugs
as follows for the most effective watering:
-
Don't
wait until plants wilt to water. Get a rain gauge and begin watering if week
has had less than 1 inch of rain.
-
Water
trees from about 2 feet away from the trunk to just under the drip line. Most
of a tree's feeder roots that absorb moisture and nutrients are located in the
upper 12-14 inches of the soil. When a clay soil dries out, the impact on the
tree can be great since the tree is not accustomed to sending its roots deep into
the soil for moisture and nutrients.
-
Water
trees at night, after 10 p.m. and before 8 a.m., when trees really drink water.
Don't water on hot, windy afternoons. You'll lose more than half of the water
to evaporation.
-
Trees
need about 2 gallons of water per day for every inch of trunk diameter (measured
at 4.5 feet above the ground). Apply survival-level water every three days when
it hasn't rained.
9.
Utilize Gator Bags. The large, donut-shaped, green vinyl bags are wrapped
around the base of young trees to dispense 10-20 gallons of water slowly. Check
with nurseries for availability.
10.
Reduce foliar demand for water when a plant wilts. Severe wilting and leaf
scorching are signs of drought stress. When a plant wilts to the point where you
doubt its survival, cut the top back by one-third to one-half to eliminate the
demand for water on the root system. With less of a top to support, the root system
may be able to survive the dry conditions. If the root system survives, the top
should prosper later. (Be sure to remove any stubs when the plant recovers.)
Drought-stressed
trees may exhibit signs of dieback or decline. This may be the tree's way
of coping with a stressful situation. If the roots are unable to supply enough
moisture and nutrients to the crown of the tree, the crown will usually begin
to die back to bring the tree's crown and root system into a more favorable balance.
It is often difficult to determine if a tree has died from drought stress or has
simply become dormant and appears to be dead.
Two simple tests can be done to help determine the status of the tree.
1.
Collect a few small twigs about 1/8 inch in diameter and try to break them. If
they snap and break like dead dry twigs, it could mean the tree has died. On the
other hand, if the twigs bend and don't break with a snap, the tree may still
be alive.
2.
Use your fingernail to scrape bark from a small twig or branch. If the tissue
under the bark is green and moist, the tree may still be alive.
To
be absolutely sure the tree is not dead, wait until next spring to see if it sprouts
a new crop of leaves.
For
further information on drought damage to trees, please click the following link
to read or download a great article by Dr. Kim D. Coder, Daniel B. Warnell School
of Forest Resources, University of Georgia.
Drought
Damage To Trees
