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RTEC Treecare

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8 Signs Of Heat Stress

Resources: Seasonal Tree Care, Tree Problems

Signs Of Heat Stress

With one heatwave ending and another approaching trees and shrubs are starting to show the effects from the heat. Heat stress can make your plant more susceptible to insects and disease, can cause unsightly damage, and may kill young or newly planted trees & shrubs. 

Unlike humans and animals, the signs of heat stress in trees and shrubs can be hard to spot. Which is why our Arborists worked together to compile a list of signs for homeowners to watch for. As the summer progresses and the heat waves keep coming, make sure to keep an eye out for the signs of heat stress laid out below.

Signs Of Heat Stress

  1. Yellowing of leaves/needles
  2. Leaves/needles dropping from your tree or shrub 
  3. Fruit dropping early from your tree or shrub
  4. Leaves with crisp edges
  5. Browning leaves/needles
  6. Wilting & Curling leaves
  7. Trees with blooms will stop blooming/drop blooms
  8. Rust-colored spots or bumps

Photo Examples Of Heat Stress

  • Photo Credit: Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

How To Help Trees & Shrubs With Heat Stress

Unfortunately, you can’t just move trees and shrubs inside or into the shade to reduce heat stress. However, there are steps you can take to minimize the heat stress put on your plants. Follow our tips below to prevent heat stress and reduce its effects if your tree is already showing signs. 

Water Your Trees Deeply & On A Regular Basis

One of the most important ways to combat heat stress is to provide your tree with enough water. Make sure you’re watering your trees & shrubs properly during these hot summer months with our tips below. 

  • Focus on the critical root zone when watering. Wetting foliage is a waste of water and can promote the spread of diseases.
  • DON’T use a sprinkler. This only wets the top layer of soil and doesn’t properly water the tree.
  • Water in the morning to avoid evaporation and to help trees deal with the heat throughout the day.
  • Water deeply and thoroughly 1 to 2 times a week.
    • Put your normal hose somewhere in the critical root zone.
    • Turn hose on to a dribble
    • Leave for 2-3 hours
    • Move the hose to a different spot in the critical root zone and leave for 2-3 hours. Repeat this step 1-3 times.
  • You want the soil to be moist but not soaking. You should NOT be able to make a mud ball out of the soil.
  • It’s okay for some portions of the soil to be wet and some to be dry.

Learn More About Watering

Mulch Around Your Trees

Mulching around trees can help control the temperature of the soil keeping the tree/shrub’s roots cooler. Mulch also helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients that can help reduce the heat stress on the tree. Follow our mulching tips below for the best results. 

Size: The best mulching goes out as far as the drip line of the tree. However, this isn’t reasonable for most homeowners with large trees. If this isn’t practical, apply mulch in a 2 to 3-foot radius around the tree instead.
Depth: About 2-4 inches

  • Do not pile the mulch against the trunk of the tree. Instead keep it away from the trunk, so that the root flare zone is visible.
  • To refresh the look of mulch, lightly rake the top layers of the mulch, or simply remove the old mulch and replace with new mulch. Don’t pile new layers on top of old ones.
  • Do not use fresh wood chips for mulching around young trees. Fresh wood chips have a higher acidity and can injury a young tree.

Learn More About Mulching

Aerate Your Soil

Soil that is compacted can cause water to run off instead of being absorbed into the soil where it can reach the roots. If you’re watering your trees/shrubs but still seeing signs of heat stress, this may be the issue. You can combat this by having the soil in your tree’s critical root zone aerated. Our Arborists will use high-velocity air tools and techniques to properly aerate the tree’s critical root zone (CRZ) loosening the soil. This creates macro and micropore space, making room for water and nutrients to reach the roots.

Learn More About Soil Aeration

If your tree or shrub is showing signs of heat stress we can help! Give us a call at 703-573-3029 to schedule a consultation with a Certified Arborist or book an appointment using our online booking system. 

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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