Hot weather can cause up to 30 per cent of young trees to die within the first years of planting, says a recent large-scale UK study.
And with UN scientists claiming that 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded globally, more than 1,000 tree species have been flagged as at risk due to climate change, particularly those in towns and cities including oaks, maples, poplars and chestnuts.
According to the UK’s Arboricultural Association, newly-planted trees should be given 50 litres of water per week during the summer months for the first three years.
They suggest that watering should ideally be carried out in the early morning and evening and, where possible, the water should be sustainably sourced. Harvested rainwater is ideal, but bath water, or water which has been used for the washing up, is also suitable.
They also say that if a tree has a watering pipe, then half of the water should be poured down the pipe and the other half on the surface of the tree. If the tree has a watering bag, then fill that.
