Trees generally love the summer months, but there’s no hiding away from the fact that overly hot and dry weather can really take its toll on your garden. Here’s what you need to do to keep your garden trees looking and feeling their very best during the warmer season.
Give Your Trees Enough Water
Less rainfall combined with hot weather means that some garden trees may need to be manually watered during the summer months. Some trees, such as the Dragon Tree, are naturally drought-resistant, whereas others, especially fruit trees, need a consistent supply of water.
When watering your garden trees in the summer, give them a deep soak. This allows all of those deeper roots to access the water too, which will prevent them from moving up towards the surface of the soil.
A Layer of Mulch
Even if you water your garden trees once the sun has gone down for the day, the heat in the air during the summer months means that evaporation occurs at a much faster rate. Rather than sinking into the ground, all of that dampness on the surface of the soil will end up in the air, leaving your trees lacking.
A mulch prevents this, making this a must for keeping trees healthy over the summer. Go with an organic mulch rather than an inorganic material. This provides the added benefit of feeding your soil as it breaks down, while also improving its structure.
Regular Inspections
Pests and diseases are rife over the summer months. The only way to spot these in time, before they’ve caused irreparable damage to your trees, is with regular health checks.
Take a good look at the leaves, branches, and trunk, as well as any flowers and fruits. If you notice anything that doesn’t look quite right, find out more – it could save your tree’s life.
You should also be on the lookout for signs of heat stress over the summer. The easiest way to spot this condition is by inspecting the leaves. If they’re drooping, wilting, or yellowing, then you’ll need to be more proactive when it comes to protecting your trees from the summer heat.
Some Good Food
The spring and summer months are when your garden trees will be at their most active. They’ll be producing lots of new growth, and using lots of energy in order to do so. As a result, they’ll benefit from some replenishment, which you can give to them in the form of homemade fertiliser.
Keep in mind that different trees require different nutrients, and therefore different fertilisers. For example, olive trees benefit from a light application of potassium in the summer, whereas a Tahitian lime tree would need potash, nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Summary
The summer brings with it long, lazy days spent lounging around in the garden, so you really want your trees to be looking their best throughout the season. Follow the tips above and you’ll have no problems keeping them healthy, which also means that they’ll hold up much better once winter rolls around again.