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Times of drought can affect trees in negative (and sometimes catastrophic) ways. Knowing when your trees are going through drought stress and how to help them survive can help you save your trees. Follow these tips to help your trees and preserve your property. 

Immediate Signs of Drought Stress

Different types of trees react to drought stress differently. In the first year, leaves on trees might wilt, turn yellow, or curl. Some trees may lose their leaves early. This is the tree's way of attempting to conserve water. Pine trees may show little reaction in the first year. 

Signs of Prolonged Damage

In subsequent years of drought stress, trees will begin to exhibit more alarming signs. Older needles on pine trees will begin to turn yellow and fall off. Pine trees will also become more susceptible to disease and invasion from pests.

For leafy trees, some parts of the tree's crown and roots may begin to die back. There may be fewer leaves on the branches than in previous years. 

Know When to Seek Tree Removal

Sometimes drought stressed trees go into a kind of hibernation when droughts are severe and the situation is desperate. When this happens, some trees may appear dead, with few or no leaves and no growth. Snapping a twig from the tree can help you determine whether or not there's life underneath--dry, brittle twigs can indicate that tree is dead, while green, supple twigs can indicate that the tree is alive. 

To find out for sure if your tree is dead and needs removal, contact a tree removal service for advice, or wait one season to see if the tree exhibits signs of life. If the tree still appears dead in the following year, then it's time to have the tree taken down. Dead trees can fall down easily, so waiting any longer could put your property and members of your household at risk. 

Avoiding Drought Stress

All of this can be avoided with supplemental watering. The best way to protect your trees in unusually dry conditions is to water them every 10 days with approximately 1 to 4 inches of water. The best time to water is in the early morning or evening, because less of the water will be evaporated by the sun. 

Following these tips will help your trees and your property. For more information about tree protection during droughts and tree removal, contact a reputable tree removal service like DJ's Tree Service in your area.