PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When it comes to tree health, arborist Jason Parker with Davey Tree, a national landscaping company specializing in tree maintenance, said not to be fooled by the current, beautiful Fall foliage.
The trees are actually off schedule this year amid the region's record drought.
“The way things have been going, trees have been holding there leaves a lot longer into the season, so seeing them drop in October is actually a result of the drought and not necessarily normal leaf drop,” said Parker.
He said even if the rain starts to flow, the damage has already been done to many trees.
“Short-term effects are going to be diminished leaf size and color, you probably see that next Spring starting to show up,” said Parker.
Other short-term effects are the potential for color change over the Summer and even some leaf drops. If the rainless days continue, Parker said the effects will get more severe.
“Longer term is the weaker a tree is the more susceptible it’s going to be to other things, so secondary pests, secondary diseases,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing people can do to remediate some of the effects for trees on their property.
“Trees like a long slow watering so just taking the garden hose, laying at the base of the tree, light trickle, leave it on for like an hour and that’s going to soak in,” said Parker.
Proper mulching is also a big boon for proper tree watering, as it helps better contain any water that might fall in the course of a dry spell.
Parker said if it gets really bad, don’t hesitate to reach out to a local arborist to help.