It’s hard to imagine Colorado Springs as a treeless shortgrass prairie, but that’s exactly what it was before General Palmer founded the City in 1871. Over the next 150 years, residents planted thousands of trees to provide shade, beauty and environmental benefits. Because our forerunners planted trees, we now have beautiful homes, thriving businesses and world-class public spaces.
Now it’s our generation’s turn to take care of our community’s trees. Although they seem to sustain themselves, in our semi-arid climate they need our continued support to live long, healthy lives. Here are five things you can do to ensure your trees thrive for many years to come.
- Plant a water-wise species. Colorado Springs’ weather constantly changes. That can be tough on trees from milder climates. By choosing a water-wise tree with proven success in our area, your new tree will last for decades. See our top recommendations.
- Water regularly. Landscape trees need to be watered consistently. If they’re planted close to an irrigated lawn, their roots can take up water when the lawn is watered. If not, plan to water at least once per month. Smaller trees need less water more often, while large trees need more water once a month. Check out our Tree and Shrub Watering Guide to learn how to water your trees. And yes, just like shade trees, evergreens and native trees need extra water during hot, dry periods. Watering consistently is the most important thing you can do to help your trees thrive.
- Water in the right location. Don’t give a tree water close to the trunk. Instead, water the soil at the dripline, or the area directly under the tips of the branches to five feet outward where the water-absorbing roots are located. Apply water to the soil surface rather than using deep-watering needles. Most the roots live in the top two feet of soil, whereas watering needles can place the water deeper than the root zone.
- Fertilize wisely. Although it may seem like a good thing to fertilize trees, they only need extra nutrients during certain life stages. Old, mature trees don’t need much fertilizer since they don’t grow much. Likewise, newly planted trees don’t need fertilizer until after they grow a new root system over the next few years. Once you see its growth taking off and the branches growing significantly longer than they have in the past, it’s mature enough to be fertilized occasionally.
Taking care of our trees is investing in the most valuable plants in our landscapes. By selecting, watering and fertilizing wisely, our trees will help create a healthy urban forest for Colorado Springs residents of the next 150 years. Let’s each do our part.
Learn more about tree planting, including water-wise tree species, smart planting steps and watering guidelines.