Purdue University - Extension - Forestry and Natural Resources
Got Nature? Blog
Water is the most limiting ecological resource for a tree, and without adequate moisture, decline and death are imminent. Drought can have a major impact on tree health and survival. It reduces carbohydrate production, significantly lowering energy reserves and production of defense chemicals in the tree.
Trees in a weakened state from drought are more susceptible to pests, which can further weaken the tree, and even kill part or all of it. Although there is nothing we can do to prevent drought, it is important to know what can be done to reduce long-term effects of prolonged dry conditions.
Urban Forestry Specialist Lindsey Purcell describes how homeowners can deal with drought-stressed trees in the short-term and long-term in his publication “Drought? Don’t Forget the Trees!” Purcell also provides insight on the state of Indiana’s drought-stressed trees and how to protect them in the video “Trees in Times of Drought.”
Resources:
Trees in Times of Drought, Video, Purdue Agriculture
Drought Information, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Drought? Don’t forget the trees!, The Education Store
Corn Belt Farmers’ Concerns About Drought and Heat-related Threats to Their Farm Operations, Sustainable Corn
Safety Harvesting Quality Forage in a Drought, The Education Store
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Defect Identification, The Education Store
Tree Wound and Healing, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Surface Root Syndrome, The Education Store
Planning the Tree Planting Operation, The Education Store
Tree Risk Management, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
Subscribe – Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel
Lindsey Purcell, Chapter Executive Director
Indiana Arborist Association
Indiana has experienced extreme weather over the last couple of years. Extreme heat, draught, cold, winds, you name it, we’ve dealt with it. Most recently, through June and July, Indiana has experienced record-breaking rainfall and flooding. These weather conditions can make it difficult for our surroundings, but it can also cause a lot of stress on our trees.
Photo credit: Keith Robinson
Urban trees are more susceptible to weather-related injury because of their oftentimes compromised root systems. In forested areas, trees spread their roots out two to three times the length of the tree. This is important because roots are the tree’s way to receive oxygen from the soil. This provides for a healthy defense system, giving the tree advantages like the ability to draw in moisture during dry spells and secrete fungi- and insect-repelling chemicals. In urban areas, roads and construction oftentimes sever roots or restrict where they can go, leaving the trees in a vulnerable state.
Our vulnerable urban trees are especially likely to be harmed by weather-induced stress. Symptoms like browning of leaves, dying branches and early coloration in the fall are all signs that a tree’s health is declining.
Keep an eye on your trees, and if you are concerned, use the Purdue Tree Doctor app or submit a sample to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab as you seek best practices to care and protect your trees.
Resources
Purdue Experts: Tree Deaths Across Indiana May be Related to Weather Stress, Purdue Agriculture News
Drought? Don’t forget the trees! The Education Store, Purdue Resource Center
Plan Today For Tomorrow’s Flood, The Education Store
Community & Urban Forestry, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
The Root of the Problem, Northern Woodlands
Purdue University Agriculture News
Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Department of Natural Resources, Purdue University
B. Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulture Architecture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University
Although fresh chips from tree pruning and removals look great for mulch and compost, there are some hidden issues. First, fresh wood chips can be very acidic (sometimes down around a pH of 4) which can be detrimental to plant growth. Also fresh chips have a high C:N (carbon to nitrogen ratio), and it must borrow nitrogen from the soil to help the decomposing process. So mixing the chips with the soil can actually reduce fertility for a while. Both of those can be problems for plants trying to grow in a bed mulched or mixed with fresh chips. Ideally, the newly ground chips should compost properly for a full year. If nitrogen fertilizer is added to the soil/mulch mix, it can speed up the process.
The effects of wood chips as mulch involve mainly the surface of the soil, which means it’s mainly shallow-rooted plants like perennial and annual flowers that would run into fresh wood chip trouble. This includes serious chlorosis and other health issues involving establishment and development. Deeper-rooted trees and shrubs are less likely to be affected as much; however, they are subject to the effects of the poor C:N ratio. I would suggest removing as much of the chips as possible, piling them for composting and replacing with proper soil for perennial growth unless you can wait for a full year to allow the decomposition cycle to be completed. This may help eliminate issues with new plants going into that location.
Resources
Mulching Conserves Soil Moisture, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Growing Perennial Flowers, The Education Store (Search keywords to find the resources you need)
Collecting Soil Samples for Testing, The Education Store
Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
Certified Soil Testing Laboratories, Purdue Department of Agronomy/Extension
Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
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