Summer is a particularly good time of year; it is a time to enjoy the summer sun and take a deserved break from the freezing cold that characterizes many months of the year in Alberta. However, climate change has turned summers into one of the worst seasons of the year - especially for trees. While humans, on the one hand, are better prepared to deal with heat or any changes in climate or weather, plants, on the other hand, lack these human survival skills. Whether you live in Edmonton or in any other city across the globe, it is imperative that you take care of your trees and plants during the searing summer heat.
Why Take Care Of Trees In The Dry Summer Heat?
For trees planted within and around any property, the aesthetic value they add to the land is immeasurable: healthy trees increase the value of properties by rendering them more desirable to prospective buyers. The searing heat associated with climate change is increasingly putting many plant species at risk of extinction, which translates into a significant loss of carbon sink crucial for tackling global warming. Moreover, the resulting differential adaptation of plants can lead to changes in their genetic composition and associations within a given habitat. Climate change also increases the vulnerability of various habitats to hostile, invasive fauna such as tent caterpillars, beetles and termites.
How To Take Care Of Trees in the Dry Summer Heat
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Watering: This involves artificially supplying trees with water in a variety of ways, the most common of which is automatic sprinklers. Ideally, watering should be done during early morning and late evening hours to avoid water evaporation. Water should be applied slowly and directly at the roots and not on the trunk or foliage, to avoid wastage or intensifying the effect of the sun on the foliage through the water droplets. While the below services should be left to certified professionals, reading about tree care tips and news on the web and educating yourself on how to help your trees stay healthy is imperative as well.
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Pruning: This is the removal of unwanted branches and stems, and especially of dead, under or overgrown tree branches and stems - pruning is crucial in water conservation as the plant will lose less water.
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Tree removal: This involves cutting down a tree that might be overgrown, underdeveloped, diseased or dead. Since watering a dead tree is superfluous, having it removed is for the best. It will also help you maintain friendly relationships with your neighbours.
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Stump grinding: This is the removal of a tree stump using a stump grinder. Stumps can consume significant amount of water from the soil while also posing serious injury risks to people and animals, plus, they are also eyesores.
While taking care of trees during the dry summer heat has numerous benefits, it is important to hire trained professionals to do the work. Professionals certified by various relevant bodies in Edmonton and globally such as International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) are well trained and knowledgeable on how to properly take care of trees safely and efficiently. Doing the work alone can lead to serious injuries, some which may be fatal since it may involve dangerous tools and machines such as stump grinders. Moreover, you run the risk of causing further distress and damage to the plants without proper knowledge, skills, machines and equipment.
