Your Essential Tips
With two heatwaves already, summer has certainly arrived with a bang this year. During spells of warm weather, we all love to spend time outside – and that comes with the pressure of making your garden look as good as possible. When the weather is hot, we tend to focus on things like flowers and lawns, but your trees need some TLC too! From watering tips to knowing when to call your trusted Colchester tree surgeons, here are some top tips on summer tree care.
Water, water, water!
Trees need more water during hot spells, but timing matters. You’ll want to water them early in the morning or later in the evening. This is because the hot midday sun can evaporate water while it is still sitting on the surface of the soil, stopping it from getting to the roots. By letting the weather cool off before you turn the hosepipe on, you can ensure your trees will get all the water they need.
You’ll want to give trees a really deep soak as well – but be careful not to overwater! As a general rule of thumb, you should water more thoroughly but less frequently.
Use mulch
Mulch is your best friend in the summer months. Spreading a layer of organic mulch such as bark chippings or compost around the base of trees helps to keep moisture in the soil and reduce soil temperature. It can also help weeds, which seem to appear from nowhere in the summer, from competing for water. When you apply mulch around the bottom of a tree, try to keep it away from the trunk and stems. This can prevent issues such as rot from developing.
Look out for heat stress
Trees can fall victim to heat stress in the summer, and the earlier you spot the signs the better the outcome will be. A heatwave just a few days in length can cause real damage to a tree, so be sure to look out for the following:
- Drooping branches
- Tips of leaves turning brown
- Small or unusually shaped leaves
- Dieback of branches, especially high in the middle of the crown
Call a tree surgeon if you are worried
Hot weather can exacerbate all kinds of tree issues. So if something doesn’t seem right with your tree, then get in touch with a trusted local tree surgeon right away. They will be able to see what is going on and come up with a plan of action to protect your tree and help it to thrive during the rest of the summer and beyond. There’s also the added bonus of many tree surgery providers offering services such as lawn mowing too, so they can help with your whole garden!
What to do next
Looking after your trees in the summer does take a little bit of extra effort and vigilance on your part, but it’s well worth it! So be sure to get out in your garden and see how yours are getting on today.
