KNOW THIS FEELING????

   That's right....STRESS!!!!....We all know it and we all experience it!

Well.....Now you know what your poor trees are going through not to mention your other "expensive" plants. Combine the drought conditions together with the extreme heat over the last 2 months and your trees ( and shrubs ) feel just about like the above cartoon.
 

During normal dry conditions it would only be necessary to worry about newly planted and young trees. However, when drought and heat conditions such as we have been experiencing of late become the norm than it is time to "get concerned" about "established" trees ( and shrubs ).

This is a photo of a tree that has been "scorched" from the drought and extreme heat. You can tell from the size of the trunk diameter that it has been in it's present location for many years.

Trees and other plants need moisture to cool their leaves just like we all need a cold drink, a cool shower, a jump in the pool or a swift dash for the AC. Trees are no different! They need to take in water in order to send it to their leaves to keep them from drying out. The leaves not only look pretty on a tree but they also perform a very important function. They take in sunlight which helps the tree to go through a process called Photosynthesis whereby a tree makes food for itself. The fewer leaves available to take in sunlight the less photosynthesis there is taking place. If the leaves are severly scorched or falling to the ground then the tree cannot make much food. If the tree does not get enough moisture to keep its leaves moist and growing then the leaves will scorch and / or die. When the leaves die.....the tree dies.

Curling leaves above are a sure sign that this tree is in desperate need of water. On evergreens the leaders will start to droop. If your trees become severely stressed they may begin to lose leaves ( deciduous  ) and needles on evergreens. And....stressed trees ( and shrubs ) are more susceptible to insect attack and diseases.

So....in short...WATER your trees!!! ...and your shrubs. 

Get out the hose and SLOW SOAK  'em!!! The bigger the tree the longer you need to soak them. I realize it may not be practical or even in the budget to slow soak a 24" diameter tree but go for the smaller ones. The old, old ones should have a deep enough root system to endure, provided we do get some good fall rains. Again, Slow soaking, as I have mentioned before, promotes deep root systems. When the roots are deeper there is more moisture available to sustain them in times of drought plus they are better anchored against possible storm damage.

One final thought. The cost to water your trees may be alot less then the cost to replace them.

Pictured above is the very invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle. Although the Chinese have been grabbing all the Gold in the Olympics for diving they get a "did not finish" for this little critter that they sent over here in some packing crates back in 1996.

The adult beetle is 3/4" - 1 1/2" long and is shinny black with irregular white spotting on the wing covers. The antennae are overly long, black and white striped and can be up to twice the body length on males.




  

It's favorite place to lay it's eggs is in Maple trees but it has also been found infesting Poplar, Willow, Black Locust, Elms and Mulberries.

It has already been found as close as Clermont County, Ohio. 

Once it lays its eggs in the trunk or large limbs the larvae ( cream colored, grub like, 1-2" long ) develop and eat their way around inside the tree thus destroying it as they mature.