How to Help Water Surrey’s Street Trees This Summer
With the surge in heat this summer, many of Surrey’s 80,000 public street trees need extra water to survive. Staff water trees on a schedule, but we could use your help! Here are some ways you can help water the trees along your street.
Buckets with holes pre-drilled for easy watering are available for residents who wish to help. Please email parks@surrey.ca or call 604-501-5050 to request a bucket. Thank you for your help!
Why Water Street Trees?
Street trees don’t have the same ability to retain water as trees planted in parks or yards. They are boxed in by streets and sidewalks and have less soil volume to retain water. They also are exposed to more heat from the road and sidewalks and don’t benefit from being part of a forest or grove. All of this leads to them needing more care to stay hydrated.
Watering street trees ensures they grow healthy and strong, leading to all sorts of benefits for your neighbourhood including:
- Cooler, cleaner air
- More beautiful streetscapes
- More habitat for animals
- Better physical and mental health for residents
Remember to find out when water restrictions are in effect before watering.
Fill a Watering Bag
Trees want to be watered slowly, and over a long time. We install tree watering bags that release water through small holes in the bag over 4-6 hours. If there is a bag on a street tree near your home, you can fill it up twice per week.
Use a Bucket
We install watering bags on young trees, but older trees need water too, especially in the extraordinary heat we are seeing this year. Drill holes in the bottom of a big bucket, and then you are ready to water:
- Place the bucket near the outer edge of the branches
- Fill with water
- Let it drain slowly through the holes
- Move the bucket 60cm to one side and fill again
- Repeat until you have reached where you have started
- Do this twice per week
Buckets with holes pre-drilled for easy watering are available for residents who wish to help. Please email parks@surrey.ca or call 604-501-5050 to request a bucket. It doesn’t take much to ensure your community trees thrive. Thanks for helping keep our urban forest healthy!