THE TREE WATER RELATIONSHIP

Trees provide us with a lot; shade to cool, beauty and oxygen. For this reason we should care for the trees even with low supply of water.

 Ways in which you can keep your trees healthy and reduce water usage

• Water trees separately from surrounding plants. Trees prefer deeper watering though not frequent.

• Water your trees to a depth of two to three feet to help promote a deep root system.

• Keep turf grass and other plants at least one foot from tree trunks. This promotes faster tree growth and reduces competition for water.

• Apply mulch around trees, keeping it a few inches away from tree trunks. Mulch reduces water evaporation from soil, buffers soil temperatures, and reduces weeds.

• Control weeds around trees. They compete for water and nutrients and can harbor insects and diseases.

• Prune trees only when necessary. Remove dead and diseased wood, dangerous branches, and suckers growing from the base of the tree. Pruning stimulates shoot growth and that increases the need for water.