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Make sure evergreens get enough water during fall, winterNebraska The region's extended drought has left many spruce and pine trees in western Nebraska looking sickly. One of the best ways to ensure your trees look healthy, according to UNL Extension Educator Jim Schild, is to make sure they receive adequate moisture during the fall and winter. Homeowners typically turn off the water supply to their sprinkler systems after the last watering of the season in early to mid-October, Schild said, and then they tend not to think of watering trees until the following spring. But that interval is when most damage is done to trees, because turf grass is still using water, and it's in direct competition with trees. Grass roots and tree roots occupy the same environment and depth. The most active tree roots are in the upper 1 foot of soil, and grass roots are in the upper 6 inches. Schild pointed out that grass is more competitive than trees in extracting moisture, putting trees at stress if there is no moisture during the fall. For trees, the problem gets worse when the ground freezes and moisture cannot infiltrate past the surface. The vast majority of problems with evergreens seen recently in western Nebraska are drought-related, Schild said. Diseases that commonly affect pine and spruce trees are more closely associated with wet conditions rather than dry conditions. When an evergreen is stressed by drought, the needles turn purple or brownish, starting at the tip and working their way toward the base of the needle. UNL Extension recommends the following steps to ensure that evergreens receive enough moisture: --Underneath pines and spruces, allow the fallen needles to accumulate, because they form a natural mulch, which helps keep the ground from freezing. --Don't limb up pines and spruces, because the bottom branches collect blowing snow, which will melt and provide moisture. Limbing up also allows the sun to penetrate the soil beneath the tree, warming it and depleting moisture during the year. --If there is no appreciable precipitation between October and March, try to water the trees at least once a month during that time. One of the best ways to get water to a tree is, on a nice day when the temperature is above freezing, lay out the garden hose within the drip line of the tree, let the hose trickle a few hours, and then move it on to the next tree. "By following these simple steps, the tree will look healthy and green come next spring," Schild said. 10/13/08 Date: 10/3/08 Advertisement
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