Call us today

Are Your Trees Getting Too Much Rain?

It’s been a rainy season for Floridians. As the daily downpours start to pile up, homeowners are looking out into their backyards and starting to worry about their trees. 

Join us, as we break down heavy rain’s impact on your trees and how to stop root rot from ruining your tree growth.

The Rain’s Impact On Your Tree’s Leaves and Roots

So, your tree’s roots have been over-soaked with rainwater. What exactly does that mean, though? Well, for starters, the roots and leaves may end up having a bad reaction. And that threatens the overall health of your tree.

We all know a tree’s roots need water in order for the tree itself to grow healthily. But they can’t just have water – they also need oxygen. For something underground to get any amount of air can be hard to imagine, compacted under soil as it is, but oxygen can and does pass through gaps in the soil and into tree roots. But this airflow is impeded when your soil is overly wet.

When you stop the roots of your tree from absorbing enough oxygen, the tree suffocates amd can begin to rot and develop infections. These are living things, and the worse your tree is for wear, the weaker it will become, over time. Your tree may even shrink. over time, with their roots no longer able to do their job properly anymore.

Look out for withered, yellowed, and fallen leaves, typically out of season. With increased humidity comes fungal diseases, as well, which can be spotted, easily, with powdery mildews and ring rot.

Tree Growth

Even the healthiest athletes in the world can get taken down by the flu or an unexpected infection. Similarly, it doesn’t matter how healthy a plant is – too much water will stress out its immune system and negatively impact the plant’s ability to grow.

Much like an athlete recovering after an infection, many trees will lose their leaves during a rainy period, and start to grow again once their soil has had a chance to dry out in the summer. In these cases, the tree will come back just as strong as before. 

If the infection is bad enough, or the tree is too weak, some plants may not snap back, following a setback. In these cases, you’ll likely need to remove the tree, entirely.

So, How Much Rain Is Too Much?

A few days of heavy rain is to be expected, in many cases. This won’t push a tree over the edge. Above-average rainfall is where the problem is, when the water is sustained over a long period, like weeks or even sparsely over months. 

What To Do During High Rainfall Periods?

Even with all of this information, the truth is that when the rain starts, you can’t stop it. And some trees may just end up dying. When trees aren’t able to recover from water damage, there’s not very much you can usually do about it. 

There are a few things you can do, in order to help out:

  1. Stop watering. Your trees do not need water and will not until the soil dries out again. Even when the rain eventually slows or even stops for a little bit, the soil will likely still be soggy.

    Want to test it? Dig into the ground up to about six inches. If it comes up soggy or clumpy, don’t bother watering it.
  2. Avoid using fertilizer, as well, at least until your soil has drained out, completely. Fertilizer promotes tree growth, but it does it by making the tree use its energy to grow. And your tree needs to conserve as much energy as it can during this period.
  3. If your tree starts to clear up, don’t celebrate too early. Monitor your tree throughout the next growing season to see if any of the symptoms return. 

Looking for expert tree maintenance services to help keep your trees in pristine condition? Visit SB Tree Service, today, and let us help you get more out of your yard.

Get A Free Estimate