The Corporation of The City of London
August 29, 2012
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tree watering alert in effect

Due to high daytime temperatures over the last 14 days with only 0.2 cm of rain, and little rain in the long term forecast - the City is issuing a tree watering alert. Londoners are being asked to water new and mature trees on private and City property.

All trees, big and small, need at least 2.5 cm of water per week in order to thrive.

“We have only received a trace amount of rain in the last two weeks, and it isn’t enough to maintain the regular biological functions of trees: to build new buds cells; ensure root growth and build up energy reserves to prepare them for the winter and next spring’s growth,” says Ivan Listar, Manager of Urban Forestry. “Trees weakened by lack of water make them less resilient in the long term.”

Drought is the major cause of tree stress and can lead to permanent damage, especially in young trees. Lengthy periods without rain – typically a week or more – can lead to the most common symptoms of stress appearing, including browning and wilting of leaves. Sometimes the symptoms of drought stress are not visible until the next year, when they appear in the form of insect attacks and disease.

When watering trees it is important to soak the soil slowly around the tree continuing out to the outer branches to ensure all the roots get moisture. To make optimal use of water, early morning or evening watering will reduce evaporation loss. The cost to water a tree is less than a quarter per week.

Please remember the City of London Water By-law W-3 is in effect until August 31. If your street address ends with a 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 you can water outdoors on EVEN numbered calendar days only. If your street address ends with a 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 you can water outdoors on ODD numbered calendar days only.

Did you know?
Unlike grass, trees do not go dormant during times of drought – they continue to try to grow. We need to water our trees before watering our lawns to avoid long-term damage.