Roseville’s forestry technician Anita Twaroski knows the value of trees. Trees add beauty and value to your home, and they can help you save money. In the summer trees can cool your home from the harsh sun, and in the winter they can act as a windbreak against the cold winds.

Twaroski reminds you that even though we’ve had plentiful rain so far this summer, two or more weeks of no rain can cause stress to trees, especially trees planted within the past five years. Consistent moisture is essential to the health of a tree. Twaroski offers the following advice to help protect your trees.

• Avoid light watering – this promotes shallow root systems that are more susceptible to heat stress, winter injury or wind damage. Watering your lawn does not supply enough moisture for a tree. Grass competes for moisture.
• It is best to water deeply rather than frequently. A good rule of thumb is 1 to 1 ½ inches once a week. To make sure you are watering enough, set an empty container out where the water is sprinkling and keep watering until at collects 1 to 1 ½ inches.
• Watering in the early morning or after 5:00 p.m. is best to prevent evaporation and to promote deep soaking into the soil.
• Soaker hoses or trickle hoses work best. Tree roots reach beyond a tree’s foliage so it’s a good idea to water away from the trunk out to the shade of the tree.
• Use mulch to reduce evaporation and keep soil temperatures more stable. Cover the root zone with up to four inches of mulch, but do not mulch next to the tree trunk. Apply mulch after the root zone is watered.

Visit the University of Minnesota Extension Service website or call 651-704-2071 for additional information about protecting your trees.