Now that things are drying out and heating up, keep in mind that you may need to water your trees during extended periods of drought. Trees that were planted in the last 3 years will need to be watered once each week. Older trees would like a drink every two weeks. Water using a sprinkler placed at the drip line of the tree. The drip line is the very tips of the branches, where rainwater would drip down off of the top of the tree. The roots that actively take up water live under the drip line of the tree. Try to give the tree one inch of water. Put a tuna can in the yard near the sprinkler. When it is full of water, you have watered enough. Check out our fast and easy watering tips: treefolks.org/resources/
If you need to prune your oak trees, August is a great time to do so. Our oak trees in Austin are at risk of contracting Oak Wilt, a fungal disease that is carried by the Oak Bark Beetle and is also spread through roots that are shared by multiple trees. The Oak Bark Beetle enters a tree through wounds made by pruning or other injuries, and the fungus can start to grow on the inside of the tree. During August the beetles are dormant because of the heat. Prune the oaks now and the wounds have a chance to heal over before the beetles wake up. Symptoms of Oak Wilt include early leaf drop and leaves turing red or brown earlier than other trees in the late summer and fall. For more info about Oak Wilt, visit: texasoakwilt.org
Tree tips by Colleen Dieter, Red Wheelbarrow Plants
