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Trees are truly a green wonder and very fascinating creatures of nature. They form the oxygen that is essential for us, filter dust and particles from the air and cool the earth. The natural wonders also provide food, habitat and protection, stop desertification and regulate precipitation.

Isn't that amazing? In our "Wood-Wide-Web" you can now find out everything you always wanted to know about trees.

How do trees absorb water?

Trees drink by taking in water through their roots. The roots can extend different distances and depths under the ground. In the case of new plantings, the roots have a clear area for the time being. In older trees, the roots can hardly be traced. The water from the soil is then transported from the roots to the leaves.

When it comes to roots, a distinction is made between deep-rooted, heart-rooted and shallow-rooted. The roots of deep-rooted plants are, as the name suggests, very deeply rooted in the soil. A main root then drives towards groundwater and absorbs water predominantly from the deeper regions.

The shallow roots, in turn, form a flatter root system. They mainly take up the surface water that seeps through the soil.

How do trees store water?

Like us humans, trees store water in every cell. Trees store their water reserves in the branches, bark, roots, trunk or in leaves and fruits. When this reservoir is full, they can survive for a longer period of time without additional water supply.

If the tree only has a small amount of water stored, it affects the entire tree. He goes into emergency mode, so to speak, and the leaves dry out until he then throws them off. For the tree this means “Drought stress“ and he just doesn’t feel well anymore.

How much water do trees store?

Unfortunately, it cannot be said precisely how much water trees store. The bigger a tree is and the more leaves or needles it has, the more water it can store. Like us humans, trees consist of a certain amount of water.

How often should you water a tree by watering?

How often you water a tree should, always depends on the weather. The drier it is, the more the tree enjoys water. It is ideal to support trees in dry phases. The weather forecast often indicates an impending dry period.

If it's not too dry, you can water your tree about every two weeks. Once the dry period has arrived, we recommend watering 1-2 times a week with a large amount (75-150 liters). If you have planted your tree relatively recently, it needs to be watered regularly because it has not yet developed large roots to absorb water.

This is how you know that a tree needs to be watered.

You can tell that your tree is thirsty if the leaves are drooping or have been shed. The dry leaves are a sign of drought stress.

In principle, all trees with trunks painted white should be watered more often. The white paint means that a tree has been newly planted. Newly planted trees in particular require a lot of water. In many cities, there are calls that anyone who sees a tree with a white trunk can water a tree. If there is already a tree bag around the trunk, you can simply fill it with water. You too can help a tree at any time so that it stays green and happy for a long time.

Why are young trees painted white?

The white color on young trees is a lime paint. This coating protects the tree from cracks in the bark. Such cracks are often triggered by strong temperature fluctuations. This happens because it is often very hot during the day and the temperature drops sharply at night.

The white lime paint also reflects the sun's rays. In winter, the shady side of the trees is often almost frozen. On sunny days, however, the side of the trunk facing the sun warms up and expands. For the tree trunk, these are enormous stresses from heat and cold and the bark can burst. The white color therefore keeps the sun and warmth away somewhat.

The lime paint also protects against pests, moss and lichen. Thanks to its antibacterial effect, the white color also helps prevent possible (fungal) diseases from spreading so quickly. Painted trees also sprout a little later in spring to reduce late frost that damages the flowers.

Which trees are watering bags suitable for?

The tree bags are suitable for both newly planted and existing trees. Trees with drought stress in particular are particularly happy about the support provided by irrigation bags.

We often hear the following sentence: “My tree is much too big and the trunk is much too thick. Does an irrigation bag help at all? ”We answer this question with a resounding yes. Every single drop of water supports your tree so that it can store water again.

Basically, large trees are naturally designed to survive without additional irrigation. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case today due to climate change and they also need additional irrigation, especially at the beginning of the vegetation phase and in dry periods. 

The 4 biggest misconceptions about trees

Of course, a few fun facts should not be missing. As a tree lover, you've probably heard of the following myths about trees:

"Trees bear a lot of fruit when a hard winter approaches"
We can only tell you that unfortunately no tree can see into the future and predict the weather. Rather, many fruits have the reason that the tree bore many flowers last autumn and escaped the late frost.

"When there is a thunderstorm you should give way to oaks and look for beeches"
In fact, lightning doesn't care at all which tree it hits. If you are surprised by a thunderstorm in nature, avoid being close to any trees.

"Every wood floats in the water"
That is not entirely true, because not all wood floats in water. The Brazilian ironwood tree is an exception. This wood is considered a specialty and is immediately submerged in water.

"Oaks are made from the hardest native wood"
Oak wood is very weather-resistant, but cannot keep up with hornbeam wood in terms of compressive strength.

 

Now some questions that you had about trees are definitely answered. We would be delighted if we were able to give you an overview with this post. Trees are our natural wonder. Let's protect them together and give them exactly the support they need.

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