As people in Vancouver go around calling people grassholes and fighting the social justice fight a lot of miss-information has been spread around clouding the water we have left. As you cut back on water use for your garden, ensure you don’t kill of your trees accidentally as they provide a range of health, environmental and economic benefits including:
Generally municipalities have recognized the issues and you may have noticed tree watering bags along the boulevard. If your city provides the service and you don’t have one yet, call them up and get them to deliver what you need. Remember to fill the bag once in place! The city may not have the time to get to your neighborhood.
These bags keep the tree alive, but not much more than that. Young trees need a lot of water to grow and any extra water you can provide will go a long way towards establishing the tree.
Don’t forget your mature trees! While they can handle drought much easier they do still require water. 1-2 times a month with a simple hose or drip system water the Edge of the tree canopy not the base of the tree! The key is to water slowly so that you do not create run-off and instead the water seeps downwards to the tree roots. Adding mulch helps to retain moisture and whatever you do don’t over-prune the tree as it is already stressed from lack of water.
