Watering city trees | Facts, tips & places to go
Dry and hot phases are becoming more frequent from spring to autumn due to climate change. This not only affects city dwellers but also urban trees and other vegetation. For younger trees in particular, this can lead to so-called drought stress or even dying of thirst, as they do not yet have deep roots. This is why watering city trees regularly during particularly dry and hot periods is very important.
In this article, we show you why trees are so important for our cities, how you can find out which trees need to be watered and what you can look out for when watering so that your efforts are fully effective.
Why do we need trees in the city at all?
Urban trees fulfil several very important tasks. On the one hand, they are an important habitat for a wide variety of animal species such as birds, small animals and insects. And they do this from the roots to the tree trunk to the tree crown. They provide shelter, food and nesting opportunities for them, which are increasingly endangered in cities. Their importance for our urban ecosystem should not be underestimated. Insects in particular are central to the preservation of our urban flora and fauna.
On the other hand, urban trees function like urban air conditioning systems. They filter pollutants from the air (among other things, they bind enormous amounts of CO2), cool the environment with their shade and at the same time protect the soil from further drying out. This makes them an increasingly important form of protection against the backdrop of ongoing climate change.
When do our trees need extra water?
During dry periods that last longer than a week and are also exceptionally hot, it is already worth looking out for thirsty trees. You can recognise dry trees in most cases by drooping and brown leaves or by the fact that they drop their fruit prematurely. But even if the tree does not yet show any signs of drought stress, it is happy about every sip of water. So it is better to water once too often than too little!
How do you know which city trees to water?
The most useful and sustainable approach is to find one (or more) trees in your immediate surrounding and take care of them regularly. Be it in front of your house, on your way to work or during a walk. Young trees in particular are dependent on sufficient water during dry periods, as their roots are not yet deep enough and they do not yet have large reserves.
Special apps for watering trees
Apps such as giessdenkiez (for Berlin) or giessdeinviertel (for Leipzig) now provide comprehensive interactive overviews of all urban trees, including information on their species, age, name and water requirements. Here you can find out which trees need water. And you have the option of registering and “adopting” a tree, whose watering you then take care of.
Tree sponsorships via the city
Many cities and municipalities – such as the city of Cologne – actively call on their citizens to support them by sponsoring trees and distributing so-called watering bags, which can be used to water the city trees sustainably. To find out if your municipality or city offers such a service, do an online search for “watering trees + city”.
Get involved via vostel.de
Through our volunteering platform vostel.de, you can also find projects to water city trees. For example, in the north of Berlin you can take care of the watering and maintenance of young trees suffering from the heat. Volunteers from the organisation aufBuchen e.V. meet every fortnight on Wednesday evenings in Bucher Forst to remove weeds and water the tree seedlings.
What should you be aware of when watering trees?
Young urban trees, especially in their first 5–10 years, need regular watering – ideally around 100 litres (roughly 10 watering cans) twice a month from April to August. Water slowly and directly at the base of the trunk so it can soak deep into the soil.
This encourages deep root growth – if you water too lightly or too often, roots will stay near the surface, making the tree more vulnerable to drought and heat. Also make sure not to wash away the soil with a strong water jet, as this can expose the roots.
Watering bags can also help distribute water evenly. However, they should be checked regularly and removed in autumn to prevent fungal growth and ensure the moisture doesn’t remain too shallow.
Avoid overwatering – permanently soggy soil can deprive roots of oxygen. Trees that have been in place for over 10 years should be able to supply themselves with water. Giving them small amounts achieves little and wastes precious drinking water.
Watering city trees together is even more fun
Watering trees together can also be a nice activity with friends or neighbours. Simply put up a notice in your house and find people who would like to join you in watering trees. Here you can find a template (in German) that you can use, just download it, print it out and hang it up in your house.
Your vostel.de team wishes you lots of fun watering city trees!
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