Tree Care Summer

This is what Friends of Trees gets up to between planting seasons

Our planting season is from October to April, but folks at Friends of Trees keep plenty busy in the summer. We’re planning for the season ahead of course, but we’re also checking in on the trees and native plants in the ground.

You might see our Green Space team out in natural areas making sure the native plants are properly mulched and not getting overcrowded with weeds. You might see some of our neighborhood field technicians out in the community watering trees. Or you might see some of our staff at community events connecting with folks who want to plant trees at their homes!

For volunteers, now is the time of year that our summer tree inspectors are visiting young trees to see how they’re faring. Summer Inspectors learn how to assess the health of newly-planted street and yard trees and give homeowners watering and mulching tips. Being a Summer Inspector gives you a chance to meet your neighbors and to help them take care of their trees during the critical first summer after planting.

One of the most important things inspectors check for is if a tree is getting enough water. Young trees require regular, deep watering (15 gallons, once per week). Young trees have a limited root system and can’t reach deeper into the soil to find water.

“Water is one of the three components of photosynthesis, along with sunlight and carbon dioxide, and it’s the only one we can control,” says Community Tree Care Coordinator Litzy Venturi. “Trees can’t make food without it. At minimum, a young tree won’t grow. More likely, especially in their first couple years, they’ll die without summer watering.”

Because watering is so important and we want to make sure trees survive and thrive, the BRANCH Coalition plantings have an opt-in watering service. We also work to send watering reminders to all tree recipients and helpful feedback after their trees get inspected. Think of this Treemail as yet another watering reminder! Have you been watering your tree? Check out our tree care guide for tips like the bucket method!

For trees beyond their first few years of age, summer is one of the times when it makes sense to prune. Young tree pruning is the most cost effective thing you can do for an urban forest and it’s one of the ways we make sure our trees are cared for after they’re planted. We’ve just kicked off our summer youth pruning program. At four pruning events in Portland, youth participants will get to learn the fundamentals of pruning, get hands-on practice, and get to see different parts of the city.