Water Your Trees

by Susan Francis, Soil Conservation Technician
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Lakin, Kansas

Kansas has received some well deserved rains recently, but it isn't enough to provide adequate moisture for the winter months. Trees in your windbreaks have had a stressful summer.

In some places across the state, this will be the second winter that trees go into cold weather following a dry summer. A dry, very cold winter could be devastating. Some trees have been lost this summer, even established ones. Some are loosing their leaves even before it freezes. These trees will be particularly vulnerable to the cold this winter. You can help ensure the life of your trees by watering them now before the ground freezes.

Any plant that is in a drought situation for a prolonged period of time will loose the small hair like roots first. These are the roots that gather in the nutrients required by the plant. These little roots are at the very farthest point from the trunk. Actually, the roots reach out as far as the branches on the tree. This is called the drip line. The best place to water a tree is at the drip line, rather than right at the trunk. This gets the water right to the stressed hair roots.

Seedlings planted this spring will be especially stressed this winter. If they are still alive after this summer, you have done a good job of caring for them. Don't quit now. They will withstand the winter weather much better if their roots are wet when it freezes.

Trees are a valuable asset to any property in Kansas. They require a lot of dedication to get them started. They are both a financial and physical responsibility. The benefits far out weigh the time, labor, and cost of caring for the trees. Your comfort, as well as that of domestic animals and wild animals, is greatly increased in the winter months if you have a healthy windbreak.

For more information about trees, please contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

This article is also available in Microsoft Word format.

Water Your Trees (DOC; 23 KB)

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Last Modified: 09/08/2008