Eisenhower Tree Care Services Will Help Your Trees Endure Hot Weather and Humidity
When it’s scorching hot outside, the typical response is to find shade, crank up the air conditioning, or take a dip in the pool. You may even use a hot day as an excuse to visit the local water park. As humans, we’ve invented numerous ways to beat the heat. Our trees, on the other hand, don’t have the same luxuries we do.
Extreme summer heat poses significant challenges to trees, potentially impacting their growth, aesthetics, and long-term health. By understanding the specific risk factors and the tree services to address them, you can help your trees thrive in challenging circumstances.
After covering the signs of heat-related stress, we’ll explain how to arrange summer tree service in Kansas City with Eisenhower Tree Care.
What Are the Signs of Heat Stress In Trees?
Trees that are exposed to extremely hot weather for prolonged periods are at risk of heat stress. The high temperatures result in trees losing water faster than they can replace it, not unlike how humans sweat more on hot days.
Contact a professional tree care service if you notice any of these heat stress signs:
- Wilting leaves
- Browning or yellowing leaves
- Brown spots on leaves (edema)
- Scorched leaf edges
- Premature leaf drop
- Drooping stems and branches
- Bark damage, cracks, and cankers
- Unusual insect activity and infestation
- Blossom and fruit drop
- Slow or stunted growth
Heat stress essentially puts your trees in survival mode. Moisture is routed to the most essential parts of the tree that will keep it alive, which is why symptoms in the leaves, blossoms, and fruit are among the first to manifest. Heat stress also puts trees in a weakened state, making them an ideal target for insects and invasive pests.
Rehabbing a tree back to full health becomes difficult once the worst of heat stress sets in. Kansas City-area homeowners who want to support their trees can take the proactive approach with preventative tree services from Eisenhower Tree Care.
Professional Tree Services That Reduce the Risk of Heat Stress
If you’re reading this around the time of its original publication, the good news is that you have several weeks before the summer heat fully ramps up. You can use that time to your advantage by employing a few best practices that will increase your trees’ resilience to heat stress.
Properly water your trees: Watering deeply using a drip irrigation system ensures moisture is delivered all throughout the tree’s root system. As a best practice, water the entire area under the tree’s canopy to the edge of the tree line. This is especially important for young trees without large, established root systems.
Strategically prune the dead weight: Water and nutrients are a finite resource that should not be spent on dead limbs. Before the weather heats up, contact Eisenhower for pruning and trimming tree services. We will remove any dead or diseased branches, improving circulation in the tree’s canopy and giving it a more aesthetically pleasing shape.
Add a protective layer of mulch: A layer of mulch at the base of the tree will help retain essential moisture, reduce weed growth, and protect your tree’s soil from drying out as the days get progressively hotter. Mulching is especially important if you have young trees on your property, as it can help accelerate their growth. Be careful to avoid “volcano mulching,” which can cause your tree’s trunk to rot.
Refrain from synthetic fertilizers: According to Kansas State University’s Extension Office, late fall and early spring are the best time to fertilize trees. Avoid summer fertilizations because it will stimulate flush growth that’s susceptible to fall freezing. Using synthetic fertilizers during the summer is especially dangerous because the hot and dry conditions make it easy to accidentally scorch your lawn.
If you’re concerned about the nourishment of your trees or soil conditions, contact Eisenhower Tree Care to learn more about rehabilitative tree services.
Hire the Experts at Eisenhower Tree Care for Summer Tree Service in Kansas City
Recognizing the signs of heat stress in trees and taking prompt action will significantly improve their chances of survival and recovery. As local temperatures continue to climb in the coming weeks, understanding and responding to heat stress becomes increasingly important for the health and longevity of your most prized landscaping features.
Take the proactive approach to tree care service this summer by contacting Eisenhower Tree Care. After one of our arborists performs a thorough inspection of your trees to assess their health, our team of tree care experts will get to work, ensuring your trees are ready to endure the rigors of a Midwestern summer.
Schedule tree service today by calling (816) 237-0705 or by sending us an email using our contact form. Require immediate service for a storm-damaged or structurally compromised tree? Visit our emergency tree services page to learn how we can help.
