[RP TownTalk] water trees now!

[Sarah Wayland & Alan Thompson]

Forwarded from HOPE.... I've noticed some trees around town that have 
already died from lack of water. Please also remember your street 
trees.

-Sarah

--- In neighborsnwb at yahoogroups.com, Clair Garman <cgar at e...wrote:

From: Catherine S. Tunis <tunis.catherine at e...>
To: tunis.catherine at e...
Subject: Water trees now!
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 13:11:15 -0400

The soil is very dry and there is no rain in the forecast so I 
encourage folks to water their trees now.  Be sure to water deeply, 
leaving a sprinkler in place for several hours, rather than just 
surface watering.  Lawns will recover from drought, but it can be 
fatal for trees.  Even if they recover, it can weaken them so they 
are more susceptible to insects and diseases.

I am seeing signs of severe moisture stress in many trees, mostly 
drooping leaves.  Many trees, most notably oaks, will show no outward 
signs of moisture stress, but they are still suffering.  Our big oaks 
provide enormous benefits in terms of lowering ambient summer 
temperatures and shading buildings, which greatly reduces the need 
for air conditioning and all the pollution the electricity production 
causes.  They are the foundation for our urban forest ecosystem. They 
need a little help now by watering.

Impervious surfaces, like roads, sidewalks, patios, and sheds, 
contribute to the need for taking active steps to provide moisture 
for trees.  Without these impervious surfaces, much more rain would 
soak into the soil and be available for the trees to use between 
rains. But when all the rain runs off these surfaces quickly, the 
trees are left with greatly lowered reserves of soil moisture.

Please forward this message to neighbors and community lists.

Catherine Tunis, MF, Chair
Takoma Park Committee on the Environment

-- 

Sarah Wayland & Alan Thompson
twacks at his.com