Raleigh Summer Tree Care Tips to Beat the Heat

Summer in Raleigh brings scorching heat, high humidity, and occasional drought, all of which can take a toll on your trees. These harsh conditions can lead to drought stress, pest infestations, and weakened trees that may fall or drop large branches, potentially causing costly damage or injury.

Understanding how to care for your trees during the summer is crucial for maintaining their health and vitality. Our summer tree care guide will help you identify simple steps to maximize your trees’ success and keep your property beautiful, shaded, and safe.

What You’ll Learn in This Article:

• Deep watering is essential for tree health during Raleigh’s hot summers, ensuring moisture reaches the root zone and promotes strong root development.
• Applying a 2–4-inch layer of organic mulch around trees helps retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weed growth.
• Light pruning in early summer can improve tree health by removing dead or diseased branches and enhancing air circulation, but heavy pruning should be saved for fall or spring.
• Regular inspection for pests and diseases is crucial, as Raleigh’s warm and humid climate can create ideal conditions for harmful organisms that may damage trees.
• Maintaining healthy soil through mulching, adding compost, and preventing compaction promotes strong root development and better moisture retention during summer months.

Understanding Raleigh’s Climate and Its Impact on Tree Health

Raleigh, NC, experiences a unique summer climate that can heavily impact tree health. To properly care for your trees this summer, it’s important to understand the exact conditions your trees are about to face.

Typical Summer Weather in Raleigh

• High Temperatures: Summers often see temperatures soaring into the 90s (°F), leading to heat stress in trees.
• High Humidity: Humidity levels fluctuate, affecting tree transpiration rates and overall moisture levels.
• Occasional Droughts: Periods of little to no rainfall in North Carolina cause drought stress, making it challenging for trees to absorb enough water.

The Impact of Summer Weather on Tree Health

• Heat Stress: Prolonged high temperatures can cause wilting, leaf scorch, and reduced growth.
• Moisture Stress: Inconsistent humidity and drought conditions result in moisture stress, causing trees to drop leaves prematurely or become more susceptible to diseases.
• Pest Infestations: Stressed trees are more vulnerable to pests such as aphids, beetles, and borers, which can further damage their health.
• Structural Weakening: The combination of heat, humidity, and high winds during storms can weaken tree branches, making them more prone to breaking.

Understanding our area’s local climate and the effect it has on trees planted in urban and suburban environments will allow you to take proactive steps to minimize stress on your trees and maintain their health throughout the long summer months.

Summer Tree Care Tip 1: Water the Roots

During Raleigh’s hot and dry summer spells, deep watering is crucial for maintaining tree health. Surface watering, often done by homeowners with sprinklers or hoses, only wets the top layer of soil. Deep watering ensures moisture reaches the tree’s root zone, helping trees develop strong, deep roots capable of handling drought conditions.

Best Practices for Watering Trees

• Timing: Water early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation and ensure more water reaches the roots.
• Temperature: Water when temperatures are below 90 degrees. Trees can go into a form of dormancy and not uptake water when temperatures exceed 90 degrees (as a survival tactic). Watering before and after a heat wave is best.
• Infrequent, Deep Waterings: Water less frequently but more deeply to encourage root growth deeper into the soil, making trees more resilient during dry periods.
• Use a Soaker Hose: A soaker hose delivers water directly to the root zone, minimizing water runoff and evaporation, and keeping water off leaves and bark, reducing the risk of fungal infections.
• Avoid Waterlogging: Ensure the soil is well-drained and avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between watering sessions.

Summer Tree Care Tip 2: Mulching

Mulching is a crucial, yet overlooked step when it comes to maintaining tree health during Raleigh’s hot summer months. Mulch helps with:

• Moisture Retention: Mulch reduces evaporation, keeping soil moisture accessible to tree roots longer.
• Temperature Regulation: Mulch acts as an insulating layer, keeping the soil cooler and reducing stress on tree roots.
• Weed Suppression: Prevents weed growth, reducing competition for water and nutrients.

Recommended Types of Mulch

Use organic materials like hardwood chips, pine bark, and shredded leaves. These decompose over time, adding valuable organic matter to the soil, improving its structure, and retaining moisture. Avoid inorganic mulches like gravel, which does not retain moisture and can make the soil hotter and drier. This type of mulch is better suited to pathways and driveways.

How to Mulch Your Trees

• Layer Thickness: Apply a 2–4-inch layer around the tree base.
• Avoid the Trunk: Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent moisture buildup and rot.
• Don’t Build a Mound: Avoid building a mulch volcano, which can encourage roots to grow upward into the mound instead of down into the soil.
• Mulch to the Drip Line: Extending mulch to the drip line of the trees covers most or all of the root zone, helping to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds across a broader area to better support tree health.
• Refresh Annually: Reapply mulch each year as it breaks down into the soil.

Using the right mulch and applying it correctly will significantly improve your trees’ resilience to summer stressors here in Raleigh, ensuring they stay healthy and vibrant.

Summer Tree Care Tip 3: Pruning and Trimming

While summer isn’t the ideal time for heavy pruning, light pruning and trimming help to maintain tree health, safety, and aesthetics. Proper summer pruning removes dead or diseased branches, improves air circulation, and reduces the risk of pest infestations.

Heavy pruning is best done when trees are dormant, as summer pruning can stimulate new growth that may not harden before winter.

Guidelines for Effective Pruning

• Timing: Light pruning in early summer allows recovery before peak heat sets in. Avoid heavy pruning in summer to prevent stimulating new growth, and to prevent additional stress to trees during the hottest, driest days.
• Remove Dead or Diseased Branches: Cut away dead, diseased, or damaged branches to prevent the spread of disease and pests.
• Thinning the Canopy: Thin dense areas to improve air circulation and sunlight penetration, reducing fungal disease risks.
• Avoid Over-Pruning: Never remove more than 25% of the tree’s foliage at once, as it can stress the tree and hinder photosynthesis.
• Don’t Prune Oaks or Elms: Oaks and elms should not be pruned in summer due to the risk of diseases like oak wilt and Dutch elm disease. Prune these in winter.

When pruning small trees or branches yourself, use sharp, clean tools for pruning to make precise cuts and prevent the spread of disease. Make cuts just outside the branch collar (the swollen area where the branch joins the trunk) to promote proper healing. And use angled cuts to prevent water from pooling on the cut surface, which can lead to decay.

For larger trees and trees you don’t want to risk damaging, don’t try to prune them yourself. Let the expert arborists at Raleigh Tree Care handle your large pruning needs to keep both you and your trees safe.

Summer Tree Care Tip 4: Pest and Disease Management

Keep an eye out for pest and disease problems on your trees. Raleigh’s warm and humid summer climate can create ideal conditions for pests and diseases that can damage or even kill mature trees.

Common Summer Pests and Diseases

• Aphids: These sap-sucking insects cause leaves to curl and distort, producing honeydew that leads to unsightly sooty mold growth.
• Japanese Beetles: These beetles feed on leaves, creating skeletonized foliage and weakening the tree.
• Borers: Insects like the emerald ash borer tunnel into trunks and branches, disrupting nutrient flow and causing dieback, eventually killing trees.
• Fungal Diseases: Powdery mildew, leaf spot, and root rot are common issues exacerbated by high humidity and poor air circulation.

Signs to Look For

• Discolored or Wilting Leaves: Indications of sap-sucking pests or fungal infections.
• Holes in Leaves or Bark: Signs of feeding by beetles or borers.
• Unusual Growths or Mold: Symptoms of fungal infections, often with a musty smell.
• Sticky Residue: Honeydew from aphids, often leading to sooty mold.

Managing Pests and Diseases

The best thing to do is inspect your trees closely on a regular basis. The sooner you find a problem, the sooner you can address it before extensive damage is done.

Aside from that, promoting overall tree health is key to prevention, as healthy trees are less susceptible to pests and diseases. Ensure proper watering, mulching, and pruning practices. Introducing beneficial insects like ladybugs can help control aphid populations.

For severe infestations or infections, consider using organic or chemical treatments, always following label instructions and consulting a plant health care professional if necessary.

Summer Tree Care Tip 5: Soil Care for Healthy Trees

Maintaining healthy soil is crucial for tree health, especially during Raleigh summers. But don’t just reach for that bag of fertilizer! Fertilizers force growth which isn’t ideal while trees are undergoing heat and drought stress.

Instead, focus on improving soil quality. Healthy, nutrient-rich soil enhances tree resilience by promoting strong root development and better moisture retention.

Best Practices for Soil Improvements

• Mulching: Apply organic mulch to improve soil structure and retain moisture.
• Adding Compost: Incorporate compost to increase organic matter and nutrient content, and promote the presence of beneficial critters like earthworms.
• Avoid Compaction: Prevent heavy foot traffic and machinery use around trees to maintain soil aeration.
• Watering: Water deeply to ensure moisture reaches the root zone and reduces surface evaporation.

You should also consider removing turf grass around your trees and planting shrubs and small understory trees instead. Turf grass does little to benefit the soil, while small shrubs and understory trees help maintain soil moisture and add organic matter. Planting “nitrogen fixers” can also improve the soil’s nutrient content. This creates a healthier environment for your trees to thrive in Raleigh’s summer heat.

Islands of layered vegetation, made up of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, as opposed to isolated trees in a sea of turf grass, tend to be more aesthetically pleasing. And as a bonus, you have a little less grass to mow.

Summer Tree Care Tip 6: Protecting Young and Newly Planted Trees

Young and newly planted trees require a little extra care during Raleigh’s summer months to ensure their survival and healthy growth.

• Watering: Water these trees more frequently, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged, until they are established.
• Mulching: Apply a 2–4-inch layer of organic mulch around the base to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
• Shielding: Use tree guards or wraps to protect young trees from sunscald and physical damage.
• Staking: If necessary, stake the trees to provide stability against strong winds, but remove the stakes after the first growing season to allow natural strengthening.

Summer Tree Care Tip 7: Storm Preparation

Summer storms in Raleigh can be intense, with high winds and heavy rainfall. Storms range from your average thunderstorms up to hurricane-force winds. Proper preparation can minimize damage and ensure tree stability, which not only saves your trees, but structures and vehicles as well. To prepare your trees for storms:

• Prune Weak Branches: Regularly inspect and prune dead, diseased, or weak branches to prevent breakage during storms. Call us at 919-889-5783 if you need large branches removed.
• Check for Stability: Ensure trees are well-rooted and stable. Address any signs of leaning or exposed roots, which may indicate instability.
• Remove Debris: Clear loose branches, dead wood, and other debris around the tree and yard that could become projectiles in high winds.
• Support Vulnerable Trees: Use tree supports or cabling for particularly vulnerable trees. Consulting a professional ensures proper installation and the best support.
• Inspect Regularly: Conduct inspections before and after storms to assess damage and make necessary repairs promptly.

Let Raleigh Tree Service Care for Your Trees

Caring for your trees during Raleigh’s hot summer months is crucial for their health and longevity. By investing in overall tree health, from deep root watering to organic mulching and more, you can help your trees thrive even on the hottest, driest days.

If you need help pruning large trees, or if you’d like to have a dying or damaged tree removed from your property before the next storm rolls through, call us at 919-889-5783 or use our online form to request an estimate today.