Caring for trees during drought

Southern California is in its fifth year of extreme drought. The prolonged hot and dry conditions have placed considerable stress on trees in Glendale and many of our trees are struggling to survive. Fortunately, we can help our trees make through these tough conditions with a few of simple actions.

Where:

1. Beneath the dripline, i.e. the area on the ground beneath the leafy canopy of the tree.
2. Do not apply water to the trunk of the tree.

When:

1. Water once a week for new trees (1 to 5 years old) and once every 2 weeks for established trees.
2. Water on the approved watering days ( Tuesday, Thursday, and/or Saturday).
3. Water before 9am and after 6pm to minimize water loss due to evaporation.

How:

Trees roots are located about 1 to 3 feet below the surface, so its important water trees in a manner that allows water to reach deep into the soil. This means that watering should be done at a low flow rate for an extended period. There are a couple of easy methods to achieve this:

1. Place your garden hose beneath the trees drip line. Turn the water on at a very low flow, e.g. a quarter to a third of a turn on your spigot. Let the water run for 1 to 2 hours for newly planted trees (1 to 5 years old) and 6-10 hours for established trees. (the bigger the tree, the longer you leave the water running.).
2. You can purchase a 'soaker' hose at any garden center or hardware store. These hoses have small holes or are made of a porous material. Water will weep out the hose along its entire length. Lay out the soaker hose beneath the trees drip line and turn the water on enough that the water only drip out of the holes along the length of hose. Let the water run for 1 to 2 hours for newly planted trees (1 to 5 years old) and 6-10 hours for established trees. (the bigger the tree, the longer you leave the water running.).