Earlier this month, the Boston Globe had an eye-opening story about the impact drought conditions in Western MA are having on community trees. Trees need a significant amount of water to stay alive, and as we all know, the rain hasn’t been falling.
As your Boston lawn service, we can definitely say that we’ve seen this phenomenon happening. If you have trees or shrubs on your property you want to monitor them for signs of drought stress. Drought injury symptoms on tree leaves include wilting, curling at the edges, and yellowing. Bare branches, where leaves have already been lost, are clearly bad news. Look for scorched leaves, which will be brown outside along the edges or exhibit browning between veins. Evergreen needles may turn yellow, red or purple.
Grass responds to environmental conditions fairly quickly. When we have a dry summer, it shows right away. Trees move at a slower pace. Some of the damage we’re seeing now has its roots in the harsh 2015 winter, issues with Gypsy Moths throughout Western MA, and then the subsequent lack of rain. If you see that your trees are suffering, the number one resolution method is watering. The community trees in Waltham and Newton are hanging in there due in part to regular weekly waterings of 20 gallons per tree. Obviously not all communities in our region have been able to do this. If it’s an option available to you in your yard, you will want to take advantage of it to keep your trees as healthy as possible. The best time to water trees is in the morning; if your trees are newly planted, you’ll want to water them every three days or so.
While trees are struggling to deal with drought conditions, they’re especially vulnerable to insects and disease. Monitor your trees and if you see signs of trouble have your Boston lawn service address the issue promptly: many times, speedy treatment can keep a tree on the edge from succumbing to these threats.
