Plymouth City Forester Says Drought Not Only Problem for Trees
It won’t be long before the fall colors start to pop across Minnesota. Experts say that while the drought-like conditions aren’t ideal, the leaves should be just fine.
“If we just stay in this pattern of warm days and cool nights, the colors are going to pop,” said Plymouth City Forester Paul Buck. “So we’re going to get color regardless of the drought.”
Yet beautiful fall colors aren’t necessarily a sign of a healthy tree.
Experts say beautiful fall colors aren’t necessarily the sign of a healthy tree.
Plymouth City Forester Paul Buck says the drought has taken its toll on a lot of trees around the metro. He says the lack of moisture makes them more susceptible to diseases, as well as attacks from insects.
Buck’s advice is to water your tree by letting your sprinkler run for an hour or so. Or, you could also put a hose down at the base of your tree and let it run on a slow trickle for an hour or two. Homeowners should do that periodically until all the leaves fall.
“Some of your neighbors might kind of think you’re a little crazy, but you look at what [the cost] would be if you lost that tree, it’s worth the couple pennies to add some extra water,” Buck said.
Buck says the fall colors should reach their peak in the metro by the end of the month and go through mid-October.
Related: Plymouth Forester: Shrubs Damaged by Rabbits, Deer Especially Bad This Year
