July in Louisiana is just miserable.

You know the exact feeling. You walk outside to grab the mail, and the humidity hits you like a wet, hot blanket. It’s thick, it’s suffocating, and frankly, you just want to get back inside to the A/C as quickly as possible.

But while you’re cooling off inside, the massive oak or pine in your front yard is standing out there in the blazing sun, fighting for its life. We get so caught up in our own summer survival that we totally forget about summer tree care. It honestly breaks my heart when I see a gorgeous, 50-year-old tree just completely dry up and die by September because nobody realized it was thirsty. That’s a huge financial loss for a homeowner, and it’s completely avoidable.

If you aren’t sure what to look for, don’t worry. As a local tree service in Baton Rouge, we see this every single year. Here is exactly how to spot a dehydrated tree and what you can do to keep it alive through the dog days of summer.

4 Clear Tree Heat Stress Signs You Can’t Ignore

Trees can’t cry out for water. But they definitely throw a fit when they are drying out.

You just have to know how to read their body language. Keep a close eye on your yard this July for these really obvious drought-stressed tree symptoms:

1. The Sad, Drooping Canopy: This is the big one. If the leaves look exhausted, limp, and are pointing straight down at the dirt by 2:00 PM, your tree is running on empty.

2. Crispy Edges (Leaf Scorch): Grab a leaf and look at it closely. Is the middle green, but the edges are brown and crumbling in your fingers? That’s severe heat stress.

3. Dropping Leaves in July: It isn’t fall yet! If your yard suddenly looks like Thanksgiving because the tree is shedding leaves everywhere, it’s actively dumping foliage just to conserve water.

4. Baked, Cracked Soil: Look down at the trunk. If the dirt is pulling away from the bark and cracking open like a desert, the root system is totally bone dry.

The Right Way: Deep Root Watering for Trees

I hate to break it to you, but turning your lawn sprinkler on for twenty minutes isn’t doing your big trees any favors.

Sprinklers only wet the very top layer of the dirt. That’s perfectly fine for your grass. But tree roots need deep, soaking moisture. If you only water the surface, the roots will actually grow upward to chase that little bit of water.

And why does that matter?

Because shallow roots make a tree highly unstable. We just talked about this exact problem in last month’s hurricane tree prep guide. The absolute last thing you want during a hurricane is a massive tree with weak, shallow roots because it will tip right over onto your roof.

To prevent this, you need to use deep-root watering for trees. Grab a standard garden hose, turn it on to a very slow trickle, and just leave it near the base of the tree for a couple of hours. Let the water slowly soak down 12 to 18 inches into the soil.

How Much to Water a Mature Tree in Summer?

The golden rule here is 10 gallons of water for every inch of the trunk’s diameter. During a really bad drought, do this once or twice a week.

Can You Trim Trees in the Summer?

People ask us this all the time.

Yes, you can absolutely do some tree trimming Baton Rouge during the summer, but you have to be careful. If a thunderstorm breaks a branch and it’s hanging over your driveway, cut it down immediately. It’s a huge safety hazard.

But please, don’t go crazy with the shears. Never remove more than 20% of the canopy. The tree desperately needs those leaves to make food. If you give it a buzzcut in July, you’ll shock it, sunburn the bark, and possibly kill it.

Oh, and there is one massive exception: Oaks.

Never, ever trim your oak trees in the summer here in Louisiana. Fresh cuts produce sap that attracts beetles carrying Oak Wilt, which is an incredibly contagious and fatal fungal disease. Because the insects are highly active from spring through the summer, trimming during this time dramatically increases the risk of your tree getting infected. Just leave your oaks alone until winter!

We Can Help You Keep Your Yard Alive

Taking care of giant trees in the Louisiana heat is just downright exhausting.

You really don’t have to do it by yourself. If you see signs of disease, or if you’ve got dead branches hanging dangerously low, reach out to us. You can contact Tree Surgery by Ricky Vincent right here. We’ll come out, take a look, and make sure your trees stay healthy and beautiful all season long.

Davey Arborist on Pruning Oak Trees to Prevent Oak Wilt

This video details why the hot summer months are the most dangerous time to trim oak trees due to the risk of attracting disease-carrying insects.