Whew – it’s hot! I know you are all too aware of this. But it is not only very hot – it is very dry. And that spells trouble for trees.
Here at Casey Trees, we believe it is important to not only plant trees but also to care for them. And watering during very hot, dry spells is one of the most important things we can do for trees.
In order to keep you informed, we have created a Tree Watering Guide. Each week on Monday, we issue a watering recommendation. The recommendation is based on a number of sources, primarily from the National Weather Service and the U.S Geological Survey.
These sources tell us that we are in our sixth straight month of below average precipitation and that we are presently 17.5 inches below average since the end of November. For the period of the past seven days, the entire DC metro area is greater than 75 percent below average precipitation.
Beginning next Monday, our High School Summer Crew will go to work watering trees planted by Casey Trees and our volunteers. Our Water By-Cycle Team, along with two additional Summer Crew teams, will visit these trees with supplemental watering over the summer. But DC is a big city and there are many, many trees. We need your help!
As we enter the 90 and (it seems inevitable) 100 degree days of summer, trees will show signs of water stress. And just as we cannot go without water for extended periods and then drink a lot of gallons at once to catch up, neither can trees go long without adequate soil moisture.
Please help us keep DC’s trees alive by:
- Following the Tree Watering Guide weekly. It is posted on our home page, Facebook account and on Twitter Feed
- Practice 25 to Stay Alive - give your trees the recommended 25 gallons of water per week during dry times
- Pledge to water your trees and get a Casey Trees rain gauge to help you monitor rainfall at your home
- Contact Casey Trees to get a free 25-gallon Ooze Tube drip irrigation bag to provide slow-release watering to your tree.
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