How to help your trees survive this Charlotte summer heat.

If you think you’re suffering in the outdoors in this summer’s heat, just imagine how the trees, shrubs and plants in your yard and neighborhood are being affected. We got an email this week from our Myers Park Homeowner’s Association expressing concern & suggestions to help protect our tree-lined streets from the toll of drought and extreme heat.

Newly planted items will be the most impacted, but even established trees and shrubs need extra attention when the weather gets this aggressive.  And not just the trees in your own backyard.  If you are lucky, your house is fronted on the city’s right of way by a line of oaks, maples, cherries or pear trees that shade and beautify your home.  Even though the City of Charlotte plants these trees, and replaces those that die at some expense, the weekly TLC is on you.  At least if you like living on a pretty street with the kind of mature canopy that raises your home value.

The City of Charlotte provided these guidelines re: tree watering in our MPHA email:

A good rule of thumb to follow is water 1-2 times a week depending on the level of moisture stress in the environment.  One gallon of water for every inch diameter is a commonly used ratio for watering. Research has shown that slow / deep waterings work well.

Quick drenches with a hose will help but may cause un-intended erosion and may waste more water than slower delivery methods such as Gator bags, drip irrigation and perforated buckets. Over-watering is rare, but is possible, and volumes over 10 gallons a week should be avoided.

Jack McNeary is our go-to guy for tree info for the MPHA.  Here’s his take:

“Charlotte spends a great deal of money with their tree planting program, and in some areas this year they are seeing a 38% loss of trees. As a tax payer this concerns me. It also concerns me because we now lose at the minimum a years worth of growth. Many trees weakened from this drought will die next season as a result of non watering this year.  Let the lawns go if need be.  We can get them back in the fall.“

Here are a few of Jack’s tree-watering tips for you.  You can read much more, including how to make a slow-drip watering bucket, on  his website HERE.

Watering should be done at the edge of the root ball and in toward the trunk but probably 8 to 10 inches away from the bark. Too much water at the bark on the trunk can cause decay organisms to invade the tree. We want the ground to be moist out beyond the root ball so new roots can grow into that area which will help with anchoring the tree in the ground for the future.

When in doubt, think what Mother Nature does. She optimally will deliver rain at the rate of one to one and 1/2 inches per week.

If your tree is 3 inches in diameter a foot above the ground then it should get approximately 15 gallons per week.

We are trying out the big bucket at our house – finally something to do with those empty litter pails. Yay.  We’ll keep you posted and we’ll check back in with Jack around cankerworm wrapping season.

[PS, my advice is NEVER plant anything in spring in Charlotte except annuals.  Autumn is the planting season in the south. Period. So plan ahead and save your money — in watering bills AND replacement costs.  I don’t care what your landscape guy says.]