When It Rains, It Pours

So we had rain. How does this affect us? Given that we had lots of it, this changes things for the fall and what to be aware of. We were very dry and could easily have absorbed 2” to 2 ½”comfortably if it came slow. So first of all you won’t need to water for about a week to 10 days guaranteed. Maybe even 2 weeks.

There’s a couple of potential things to watch out for with trees and shrubs with this amount of water:

First thing to check is if you have plants that are intolerant to soggy soil that are submerged for too long they may drown. I’m thinking about spruce, pine, amur maple, amur cherries, pears, plums, mountain ash and oaks to name a few. The most tolerant of the soggy soil would be the willows, then poplar, american elm and ash. But willows would be head and shoulders above the rest. If the water drains away quickly and we get sunny and windy weather, the soil should dry out. The largest of my concerns is standing water for more than 4 or 5 days. Not sure what anyone can do about it unless you can drain your site. Otherwise, it’s always better to plant these less tolerable trees a little higher. The rule of thumb is “you can always add water but you can’t take it out. “

My second concern is for the well-being of trees that are slightly out of the hardiness zone here. Trees like the Autumn Blaze maple, the number one tree being planted in North America. Other trees would include honey locust, sugar maples, walnuts, and catalpa. Again, this is not an exclusive list. The issue with these trees is that they are having warm weather and moisture, which are both conducive to growth. But what we actually hope for with trees like this is a medium warm but dry fall. The water can trigger more growth causing them to not shut down in time for winter. If they’re growing on higher ground that drains there’s more hope for them than flat ground or low ground. They may not show fall color soon enough and they may not stop growing soon enough. This will only be evident in the late spring If they have no leaves or have serious die back. Planting in the right location is imperative. But, you also can’t stop 5 to 7 inches of rain. 

Lastly, of cosmetic concern, I wonder if our fall color is going to come in soon enough to be enjoyed. We will need a warm and dryer fall in order to see the color. Even hardier or native trees that color up properly will hold the green longer this year with the irregular heat and moisture. Most of the native varieties should be relatively hardy though, unless they stay soggy for the rest of the season. The worst case scenario for us would be to have a very warm wet fall and then a sudden death cold spell. These trees need a transition and the soil needs to dry out. 

All the best with your trees. I hope you find this information helpful. And of course if you have any concerns with your trees now or in the future don’t hesitate to give us a call!