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Drought harming trees as well
The drought is also taking its toll on trees – essential for conservation, windbreaks and providing shade for livestock.
Suzanne Bissonette, Plant Clinic and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinator for the University of Illinois, tells Brownfield Ag News it’s a severe situation for all trees, “You know, nobody likes to be driving along in the country and seeing an entire windbreak that’s dead. This is a situation that’s popping up and we’ve been getting some calls, inquiries and samples about.”
She says the impact from the drought, “If we look back a couple of years, too, we have not had the best weather for trees. It’s been very, very wet in the spring which doesn’t make for good root development and then we’ve had very dry weather later in the summer – really sort of mini droughts.”
Bissonette says that’s bad for root growth and overall tree health. Plus, she says recent wet years caused fungal diseases in spruce and pine trees, and now, this major drought.
She says, “With the lack of water that’s just been going on and on and on, those trees are not able to fight back at all.”
She says it’s not too late to water to try and help trees, “And especially if it’s showing signs of distress – leaves, edges of leaves turning brown or the tops of the needles, the ones that are sticking up on the sun side might be turning brown as well on an evergreen, for instance.” Bissonette recommends using a soaker hose around the drip line – on the ground beneath the outer edges of the trees’ leaves or needles.
AUDIO: Suzanne Bissonette (4:00 mp3)
2012-07-27 14:27:41
Source: http://brownfieldagnews.com/2012/07/27/drought-harming-trees-as-well/
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