Hotter Temps for Summer 2024, Predicts National Weather Service
Well, the National Weather Service forecast is in: The entire U.S. will likely experience a hotter-than-normal summer this year.
What Will Those Hotter Temps Do to Your Landscape?
With the warmer weather, your property becomes an oasis to relax, play, and entertain. But that summer heat can also take its toll.
“Because high temperatures will hasten evaporation from your trees, shrubs, lawn, and soil” explains Patrick Parker, Plant Health Care Director for SavATree, “the delicate roots responsible for the uptake of soil moisture and nutrients can die.” And, Parker cautions, “Heat stress can allow more serious secondary conditions, such as insects or diseases, to proliferate, which can hasten the decline of plants under stress.”
SavATree Can Help Fortify Your Landscape Against Summer Heat Stress
SavATree’s exclusive treatment formulas will give your lawn, trees, and shrubs the protective boost they need to survive and thrive in hot summer weather.
Our trained and certified arborists will: assess your trees, shrubs, and grass, and the soil they grow in, through laboratory soil tests and a visual inspection of your property | identify the soil enhancements that will help your plants thrive during challenging summer conditions | apply treatments to remedy deficiencies and discourage the disease and insect problems that heat stress can promote.
- Organic Soil Enhancer: This treatment incorporates carbon-rich liquid organic matter designed to rebuild the organic profile of your soil. Resulting benefits include better water-holding capacity, improved nutrient retention and availability, increased beneficial microbial activity, and better soil structure.
- ArborKelp®: the Biostimulant is SavATree’s exclusive seaweed-based biostimulant that encourages nutrient uptake from the soil, promotes fine root growth, and heightens stress tolerance in trees and shrubs.
Learn more about our lawn and tree/shrub treatment programs.
Things You Can Do to Help Your Landscape Survive a Hot Summer
- Don’t water during the middle of the day.When you water in the heat of the day, some of that moisture evaporates before it can reach the root systems. Instead, water early in the morning.
- Better to water deeply, not daily. How often you should water your lawn and plants will depend on the weather conditions, the size of your plants, and your soil conditions. That said, here are general recommendations for good watering practices:
- Lawns Most lawns need ¾ to 1 inch of water three to four days per week (for 15 – 30 minutes.)
- Trees and shrubs: Mature trees require approximately 10 gallons of water for each inch of a tree’s diameter when the soil is dry, and newly-planted trees require much more water than established ones. In the summer, saturate the soil around the plant out to the “dripline” (an imaginary circle on the ground under the tips of the branches) about once a week. Drip irrigation is the preferred method as it prevents valuable water from being lost to evaporation and allows the plant to absorb the water at its own pace.
- Don’t cut your grass too short. To lessen the possibility of burn damage to the root system, mow to a finished height of 3 to 3.5 inches throughout the summer. The longer grass blades will shade roots from the sun while reducing moisture evaporation.
- Mulch! Mulching is an inexpensive DIY solution that prevents the soil from drying out too quickly during the summer heat and helps to moderate soil temperatures.
- Lawn: There’s plenty of good water and nutrients in your grass clippings. Put that goodness back into the ground by mulching the clippings and leaving them on your lawn where they will sift down to the soil and decompose. It is recommended to leave a carpet of just one inch or less of mulched clippings to prevent smothering the grass.
- Trees and shrubs: To mitigate heat-related stress, place generous amounts of organic mulch — such as woodchips, shredded hardwood, or bark — around the base of the plants, starting two – six inches from the trunk and extending out to the dripline, to help the soil retain moisture. A thick layer (about two-four inches deep) is ideal.
