THE LEAFLET
Closing Out the 2024 Watering Alerts
Along with the end of October, so comes the end of our 2024 Watering Alerts! Every Monday from April to October, we took the guessing game out of knowing when to water your trees by posting a weekly tree watering recommendation — water, do not water, or watering optional.
We do this because it is important for newly planted trees — those in the ground for less than three years — to receive 25 gallons of water, roughly 1.5 inches of rainfall per week, to survive.
We use rainfall data to determine our alert each week. Although weather is pretty unpredictable, we typically assume that the warm summer months will result in more watering recommendations than not. And this year was no exception; 2024 featured DC’s third hottest summer, and the first triple-digit heat since 2016. It was also a particularly dry summer, with only a few heavy thunderstorms that reached our area late in the season.
Rain may not be as consistent as we’d like (is it ever?), and while trees still need to be watered, they are not quite in dire straits. Needless to say, we’ve spent some quality time with the hose this summer (and spring, and fall). But what do the stats tell us? We had a very dry summer. Let’s break it down further:
Of the thirty weeks that we sent out watering alerts – nineteen called for must water, eight for optional, and there were only three weeks we determined that our trees didn’t need water. It’s fair to say that our trees have been feeling the impact of hotter and hotter summers, year after year. Without help from individuals (like you) and organizations (like us) who care for trees during the most vulnerable periods of their development, the survival rate of these young trees would drastically decline.
Although our alerts may be coming to an end, it’s still important to continue watering your trees weekly until the soil freezes in winter. As long as the weather stays temperate (consistently above 40 degrees), you should continue to water, especially for newly planted trees, and especially when conditions are dry. When temps dip below 40 and into the 30s for several days, cease watering – this allows trees to enter dormancy. For more information on how and when to water, visit our Young Tree Care page for video and photo resources to keep your trees happy and healthy.
Water your trees today, and they will thank you with a shady sanctuary tomorrow!