Caring for Your Trees During Drought

Keep Topanga Safe. Refrain From Using Fireworks to Celebrate July 4
Article posted:  June 29, 2022, 1:00 p.m.

By Rosi Dagit

While our long-lived trees are able to withstand quite a bit, the combination of almost 20 years of below-normal precipitation and more days with extreme heat, they are being pushed to their limit.

If your trees have not usually had irrigation, then the best strategy is to do a long, slow deep soak overnight once a month using a soaker hose set at least three feet away from the trunk and extending out to the edge of the canopy if possible. The goal is to get the soil under the hose wet down to about four to six inches.

Adding a two-to-four-inch layer of tree leaf mulch to protect the soil and roots from the direct impact of the sun will also help. Even better, instead of raking up or removing the leaves in the fall, sweep them into a manageable layer under the dripline of the tree. This allows the leaves to disintegrate and recycle nutrients back into the tree while providing many other benefits. The tension between maintaining a good level of mulch without setting up a potential fire hazard means that you should take care of surrounding areas and not allow build-up within five feet of any structures. There is a lot of really helpful information about how to manage your landscape for fire safety at https://defensiblespace.org

To read the rest of the article, where you'll learn how to avoid root rot, when to prune, and more, visit The Canyon Chronicle.