Do your trees have leaf scorch?

     I'm seeing it just about everywhere I look:  leaf scorch... where the outer margins of a tree's leaves turn brittle and crumble when touched.  I'm seeing it at the big box stores.  I'm seeing it at the gym.  I'm seeing it in lots of parks and median strips.  And most of it could have been prevented if the trees had been better cared for.



A textbook example of leaf scorch

    Leaf scorch is common when a tree's roots have been damaged and can't deliver enough water once the heat of summer sets in.  The roots' ability to supply the needed moisture is limited because many of the roots dried up and died over the winter. Come summer, the roots system can't take in enough water.  The end of the "supply line" is the  outer-most edges of the leaves, and they pay the price.



Winter watering

     The leaf scorch damage we're seeing now could easily have been caused last winter.  "Winter watering" is one of my favorite soapbox topics.  A lot of gardeners and homeowners just don't fully appreciate how important winter watering can be for keeping our plants healthy.  Back in my Master Gardener days, "winter drought" was easily one of the most common problems that would prompt homeowners to call the Master Gardener helpline in July and August, when the temperatures climb into the 90's and above. Most of the time, the callers had no idea that the damage began months earlier.



Good care now could save this tree


     Our trees and shrubs are dormant during the winter, but they're not completely shut down.  If we don't have a good, wet soaking snow at least once a month in the winter, it's up to us to keep the roots of our trees and shrubs (and even our lawns) healthy. We need to drag out the hoses or the buckets on a warm morning and put down an inch or so of water to make up for what Mother Nature isn't delivering.

     Winter drought  is one of the most common causes of root damage, but other things can kill the roots, too.  Watering too much or too little, especially on younger trees, can destroy roots and eventually show up as leaf scorch.  Again, the roots are damaged and can't perform their job.  Construction like trenching, use of heavy equipment over the roots and paving can create problems, too.


So what's the answer?


Too late for any T.L.C.

     If you're seeing leaf scorch on your trees, there's no way to repair the leaves that have already been damaged.  But regardless of what caused the damage, the "answer" is pretty basic:  give the tree or shrub the best and most appropriate care you can now.  Don't try to over-compensate with excessive watering or fertilization.  That's not the answer, and could actually make matters worse.

     The staff at Tagawa's can offer lots of advice on what "best and most appropriate care" means, given your particular plants and growing conditions.  We encourage you to take a few pictures of the tree or shrub and bring them into our nursery experts for detailed advice.

     Leaf scorch doesn't have to happen.  Even when we start out the gardening season with watering restrictions as we did this year, good basic care is still possible.  The folks at Tagawa's will be happy to show you how.








 


    

Snow can be pretty without being especially helpful

  
      Even people who don't like winter will usually admit that a fresh covering of snow can be pretty.  Now, here comes the "but.....".

     Please remember that the moisture from our storm this week does not count as "winter watering!"  In general, the amount of snow that fell along Colorado's Front Range wasn't deep enough or wet enough to offer a decent "drink" for plants' roots.  Our lawns might benefit a little.  Something is better than nothing, right?? 

     But roots of perennials are down several inches.  Roots of mature trees can and should be down more eighteen inches or more.  The modest moisture contained in this storm won't even begin to soak in that far.

     So I will continue to urge you to drag out a hose on a warm winter morning and give the trees, shrubs and perennials in your yard a good, deep drink....  something that will percolate down to the base of the root system.  The friendly folks at Tagawa's are always ready to help explain how much water the plants throughout your landscape are likely to need during cold, often windy and dry winter months.

     I know it sounds like a chore, but trust me on this:  when we haven't had a good  
soaking snow for four to six weeks, winter watering can make all the difference on whether the plants in your landscape survive and thrive. 
    

Tired of snow? Your landscape isn't...

Okay, so I've never been to Minnesota. I'm sure it's lovely. But I'm just not in the mood for what feels like a Minnesota winter.... where you can't see the grass from fall to spring 'cause there's always snow on the ground, and it just won't melt!

I'm spoiled. Colorado winters frequently give us blue-skies and sunshine breaks between storms, so the snow actually has a chance to disappear.

But I'll stop whining now, and look on the bright side, and there definitely is one! Moisture!! And lots of it out of this last storm. Officially, snowfall is measured near DIA, which reported 15 inches of snow from last weekend's storm. The National Weather folks say there was .8" of moisture in those 15 inches of snow.

So those of us who were shoveling out 22 inches and more must have recieved over an inch of moisture, right? Just knowing that makes me feel better about my three hours of shoveling and snowblowing. (And truth be told, I'm still not done.)

Winter water is a big deal?

You bet! (spoken with an adorable Minnesota accent.) Water in winter is a very big deal if you're a landscape plant in a semi-arid place like Colorado.

A lot of people seem to think that when plants go dormant in the fall, they basically take a full "time out!" Not so. The visible portions of the tree or shrub may seem to be frozen in time. But the parts of the plant you can't see, the roots, are still on duty, collecting whatever moisture they can find
and "delivering" it up into the plant on warm days.

So when we get a nice, soaking snow like this past storm gave us, I should be doing more cartwheels than complaining. Then again, you haven't seen my cartwheels

Those tricky trees

I'm convinced that trees have a vindictive streak. If a tree doesn't get enough water during winter, some (or all) of the roots will die. This is especially true of younger trees, those planted during the past few seasons. But the damage to the roots may not show up right away.

Spring rolls around and the tree leafs out and looks vigorous and healthy, using food and energy stored up last season. But it's a trick! When the heat of summer moves in, and the tree is calling for more water, the root system can't deliver. Too much of it dried out and died last winter. The tree's leaves may suddenly discolor or start to dry up and fall off. "Winter dessication" is the technical name for it. I'm cutting to the chase, and just saying the roots dried up and died.

Roots don't have to die!

The general rule of thumb for winter watering is this: If your landscape hasn't received about an inch of moisture in the past four weeks, get ready to drag around some hoses on a warm winter day when the ground isn't frozen. (Don't use the sprinkler system unless you want to blow it out again.)

For young trees and shrubs, set the sprinkler or hose over the outer edges of the root system. The root ball will still be fairly small. Don't water right at the very base of the tree or shrub. That's not where the roots are.

For older trees and shrubs, put the water down in a zig-zag pattern just inside the outermost point of the branches, what's called the "dripline."

Make sure you finish that day's watering in time for the moisture to soak in before freezing termperatures return. We're not trying to make a skating rink.

If trees or shrubs do show winter damage once summer's heat sets in, begin to water them appropriately for their type of tree or shurb, its age, size, and location. Over-watering at that point will only make things worse. The Garden Experts and Tagawa's can help you if you have specific questions.

Don't cheat the lawn!

Lawns routinely show winter damage once spring rolls around. Turf on south and southwest exposures, and turf grown on a slope, can be especially challenging. Again, a hose.... a sprinkler...a warm morning... You get the idea.

If you do this one thing....

If you can push yourself (or your kids) to winter water during dry spells, it can be one of the best things you can do for your landscape. Really!
If it helps, think of it in terms of dollars: trees and shrubs that go into spring strong and healthy, thanks to winter watering, are trees and shrubs you won't have to pay to replace.