8 things you should know about trees

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.

A distinction is made between deep-rooted and shallow-rooted roots. The roots of deep roots are, as the name suggests, very deeply rooted in the ground. A main root then drifts in the direction of the groundwater and takes up water mainly 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 has only a small amount of water stored, it affects the entire tree. He goes into an emergency mode, so to speak, and the leaves dry out until he then throws them off. For the tree this means “drought stress” and it just doesn't feel good 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 should water a tree always depends on the weather. The drier it is, the more the tree is happy about water. It is ideal to support trees in dry phases. Often the weather forecast already indicates an impending dry period.

If it's not too dry yet, you can water your tree about every two weeks. Once the dry season has arrived, we recommend watering weekly. If you have planted your tree relatively new, frequent watering will help it develop roots.

This is how you can tell that a tree should be watered

You can tell that your tree is thirsty when the leaves have dried up or have been thrown off. The dry leaves are a sign of drought stress.

In principle, all trees with trunks painted white should be watered more often. The white painting means that a tree has been replanted. Newly planted trees in particular need a lot of water. In many cities, therefore, there are also 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, this can simply be filled with water. So you can always help a tree 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, the plants are naturally created in such a way that they can survive without additional watering. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible nowadays due to climate change. 

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 which tree it hits. If you should be surprised by a thunderstorm in nature, it is better to avoid being near 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.