Preparing Your Tree for the Summer Heat: 6 Easy Steps Albertans Can Take to Beat This Year’s Scorcher of a Summer
In case you were unaware, trees are living things. During the upcoming hot summer months—expected to be especially intense this year, according to the Farmer’s Almanac—remember to care for your trees, not just your tan. That intense heat can be very harmful and stressful for your trees. Unlike you or I, they cannot simply go find some shade or visit a mall with air conditioning. No, they’re stuck out in that hot sun. That is why the local Edmonton arborists from Trusty Tree Services have come together to create a handy guide for preparing your trees for the summer heat.
There are some simple steps you can take to help your trees retain moisture and maintain healthy growth during the summer. Our summer tree care guide is packed full of tree care tips, like fertilizer, which is packed with nutrients. Taking proactive action gives your trees the best chance to thrive during the summer months. Alberta often experiences intense heat and dry conditions during the summer months. Read on to learn more about how you can mitigate the impact and stress of high temperatures.
The Temperatures You Need to Worry About
Trees have a specific temperature range at which they thrive. Alberta can experience extremely cold temperatures, but it can also experience bouts of extreme heat and drought. When those hot summer months start to approach, keep an eye on the suspected temperatures. That intense summer sun and hot weather can kill plant fibres and stifle growth. Trees thrive in temperatures ranging from 21°C to 29°C. Outside of this range, your trees may experience metabolic stress.
Anything above 32°C will cause the plant’s photosynthesis process to slow, and signs of heat stress will begin to appear. We’ll go over those signs later. But when you see temperatures around this range, it is best to take steps to get your trees ready for summer.
Once the temperatures reach 40°C, your trees start to reach the critical threshold for cellular damage. It heavily impairs the photosynthesis systems and chloroplasts. At this point, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate, causing oxidative stress and damage to the membranes of the tree.
Finally, if the temperatures reach over 46°C, your tree will experience thermal death–you and me both, right? At this point, your trees will die due to the extreme heat. The temperatures at which this occurs vary by species, age, and hydration level. Regardless, you’ll need to employ a variety of techniques to keep your tree alive. Hiring tree care pros can help prevent your tree from dying during those hot months.
The Steps You Can Take to Prepare Your Trees for Summer
Now that we know the temperatures we need to watch out for, we can start preparing our trees for the summer heat. If you take proactive steps in your tree care, you’ll drastically increase your tree’s chances of survival. And you can even help your trees thrive through summer and beyond. It’s apparent that trees need water and nutrients to survive. Prepping your trees helps them retain water, moisture, and nutrients.
Proper Watering Technique
During droughts and hot weather, you need to water your trees regularly. Start by identifying the edge of your tree’s canopy. This is known as the drip line. Once you know where that is, you can start employing proper watering techniques. It is important to water once per week at the drip line. During hot and dry weather, it is essential to deeply and consistently water trees like Silver Maple, Mountain Ash, and Burr Oak, as well as evergreens such as Colorado Blue Spruce. The water needs to get 6-12 inches into the soil. Using a soaker hose or drip irrigation system can help ensure that your trees receive sufficient water.
It is best to water in the early morning or late evening, as it mitigates water loss through evaporation and helps maintain soil moisture throughout the day. If you have young or newly planted trees, they are more vulnerable to heat stress and need extra care to keep the root ball moist. But you need to avoid waterlogging. Just think, if it’s important for you to stay hydrated during those hot days, it must be important for your trees too.
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
You may have heard the term before when mowing the lawn. Mulch is an ever-vigilant protector of trees. It comes in a variety of materials, ranging from organic to inorganic, but they all serve a similar function. Trees can struggle with the heat, and so can the soil. Mulching is a simple process that helps improve soil conditions and maintain soil temperature. Certain species, like Birch, Ash, Spruce, and Pine trees, thrive when mulch is used. We recommend using a 2-3-inch layer of organic mulch, be it wood chips or bark, around the base of the tree. Keeping it a few inches away from the base of your trees ensures you don’t have to worry about rot.
Mulch reduces water loss through evaporation, fights off weed growth, and insulates roots from temperature swings. That mulch around the base of your trees regulates soil temperature, keeping it cool through those hot months. Protect your trees with mulch to see how happy they’ll be.
Dead and Gone
One of the steps you can take to prepare your trees for the scorching hot summer is to prune your trees and remove the dead, diseased, or weak branches. Pruning is an essential part of tree care, and during the hot months, its importance can’t be overstated. These dead and diseased sections stress the tree, and it is amplified during the summer heat.
You need to prune those dead branches and get them gone before the peak summer months. Once the hot weather hits, you’ll want to avoid pruning because your tree will be focused on growth. For trees like the Mountain and White Ash, regular inspections and timely pruning of the weakened and diseased branches will reduce the risk of breakage and disease spread.
Get Away From The Hot Hot Heat
Trees, unfortunately, cannot wear sunglasses or cover up in a nice set of linen clothing to beat the heat. Instead, you have to take extra care of them. If your trees are planted near your driveway or patio, the sun can reflect off those surfaces and exacerbate the issue. These reflections make them more susceptible to heat, and to combat this, it is recommended to add extra mulch, water more frequently, or use a white tree wrap to reflect sunlight. You can use these wraps and place them around the trunks of young trees. This will help them survive when summer arrives.
Stress Signs
Much like checking on a friend during a tough time, it’s important to check in with your trees. As part of preparing your trees for the summer heat, Edmonton arborists recommend that you inspect your trees regularly. Some signs suggest your trees are stressed from the heat. During heat waves, trees like the Maple, Ash, or Evans Cherry will show signs of wilting, leaf scorch, or premature leaf drop. Scorching looks like brown edges around the leaves of your tree.
Evergreens can also exhibit this brownish discoloration and may prematurely drop their needles. By catching these issues early, you can adjust your watering frequency or temporarily provide shade to address the problem. So, watch out for discoloured leaves to ensure your trees are well-prepared for the hot months ahead.
Planting Tolerant Species
If you are considering planting new trees this year, take some time to consider trees that are well-adapted to thrive in Alberta’s climate. Some trees can survive droughts and hot weather during the summer months. Burr Oak, Scots Pine, Swiss Stone Pine, and the Colorado Blue Spruce are all able to withstand temperature extremes. This means less maintenance for you and a better chance for your trees to grow big and strong. If your trees are healthy, you can enjoy the wonderful shade and cooling benefits of a full tree canopy. Helping your trees thrive in the summer means you can thrive in the summer too.
Looking for Help Preparing Your Trees for a Scorching Hot Summer? Edmonton Homeowners Can Call Trusty Tree Services Today
Healthy trees not only enhance the beauty of your property, but they also provide a place for you to stay cool. Their shade is welcome during those scorching summer days. We hope this handy guide will help you in your goal of preparing your trees for the summer heat ahead. Get an early start with our professional tree care services. Trusty Tree Services is here for all of your tree needs. Whether you are looking at planting a new tree, need help pruning, have a stump you need removed, or need a tree checkup, we have you covered. Our Edmonton arborists are here to help you take care of your trees all year long.
Call us today to schedule the tree services you can trust.