The City of Surrey has launched a campaign urging residents to keep thirsty old trees on their street well watered this summer.
The city of Surrey has issued a press release noting that with the mercury rising, many of the approximately 80,000 street trees in the city need extra water to survive. With workers focusing on watering newly planted trees, residents are asked to water older trees along their street.
The press release advises watering trees at their drip line— the area on the ground located under the outer edges of the tree’s branches— and watering them slowly so they can absorb water through their roots. One way to water your yard is to lay a soaker hose along the drip line of your lawn or garden, or to use a large bucket with small holes drilled in the bottom.
To protect the health of a tree, experts advise that the bucket method be used. First, fill a bucket with water and place it at the drip line of the tree. Then let the water drain slowly and repeat this process in several places around the tree’s drip line. Experts also advise watering trees twice a week to promote their health.
The City of Surrey offers free tree-watering buckets with pre-drilled holes in the bottom. Residents who wish to water older street trees should call 604-501-5050 to obtain a bucket.