You Gotta Save Shade
By Mark Peterson
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| Young trees and shrubs don't have a root system large enough to absorb sufficient water to survive during periods of extreme drought. | |
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During extremely dry weather, it's best to focus your limited watering hours on plants that provide the greatest economic and environmental benefit to your homes – trees and shrubs. These plants provide us with shade, clean air, and increased property values, and they're quite expensive to replace.
In most cases, well-established trees don't need extensive watering. They do well in forests and fields without human intervention. However, young trees and shrubs don't have a root system large enough to absorb sufficient water to survive during periods of extreme drought. Regular additions of water are advised, and necessary.
In very confined spaces, such as between two driveways where soil is often limited, ¾ inch of water applied twice a month is recommended. In larger areas, 1 inch once a month should suffice. In both circumstances, a slow application is necessary to create a large water profile in the soil. Where you target the water is also important. For newly planted trees, apply to the root ball and for mature trees, target the drip line. Finally, recreate a natural environment with frequent additions of compost and mulch. We recommend applying 1 inch of compost in the spring and fall, and 3 inches of mulch in May and September. Cover as much of the root zone as possible to encourage roots to expand and soil to retain moisture.
Mark Peterson is a conservation project coordinator for San Antonio Water System.
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