City of Oak Park Heights Urges Residents to Water Their Trees

The city of Oak Park Heights is reminding people to water their trees in response to the recent dry weather and high heat across the area.

"Please remember to water your trees," the city's Facebook status read on Friday. "It has been a while since we had a significant rainfall. It is important to water your trees and shrubs, especially those that were planted within the last year. Drought causes stress to trees which can make it easier for insects and diseases to damage or kill the tree."

With about 10 percent of the state entering drought conditions, the city of Minneapolis is urging residents to water their trees every week through the fall, according to this report on WCCO.

Well-hydrated trees cope better with the summer’s scorching heat and parched soil. But how much water do they need? And when is the right time to water them?

Most trees are sufficiently hydrated if the upper 12 inches of soil around the tree roots are soaked at least once per week.

The rule of thumb is generally five gallons of water for every inch of trunk diameter. Be sure to concentrate on the “drip zone,” the area directly beneath the trees’ foliage.