Another winter watering reminder: Please remember to water your tree!

 

Park High Green Initiative members watering a tree during Livingston Loves Trees planting week May 2025. 

March is in full swing and our weather whiplash continues. Trees need water when air temperatures are above 40°F and there is no snow cover. Temperatures are forecasted to reach above 70°F by the end of the week!

Please make sure to water your trees during these hot spells to keep them healthy and hydrated.

Watering tips:

  • Give your tree a big drink of water: about 20 - 40 gallons (young trees need 10 gallons per 1 inch of truck diameter).

  • Try to water your tree in the morning or at night. If freezing temps are forecasted, water midday to allow time for the water to soak in. 

  • Continue to water your tree in winter during extended warm, dry periods without snow cover: about once or twice a month. 

  • The next best time to water your tree is when you have the time! Some water is better than waiting for the perfect moment.

 

We greatly appreciate your dedication to adopting your tree! Reach out to us if you have any questions on how to best take care of it.

PS - we are gearing up for planting season May 20-22nd, sing up to plant or conduct health checks on trees this summer!

Volunteer with the tree team

A note on pruning

With this warm winter weather, prune cautiously. Delay heading cuts and use thinning cuts only when conditions are favorable. If you’re unsure, it’s okay not to prune. Pruning isn’t mandatory unless it’s needed for structure, safety, or production. To learn more about pruning best practices consult our Livingston Loves Trees: Volunteer Pruning Handbook.

What to DELAY (Heading Cuts): It’s strongly advised to wait a few more weeks (into late March or April) for heading cuts. A heading cut is when you "top" or shorten a branch by cutting it in the middle of a stem.

  • The Risk: Cutting the tip of a branch sends a chemical signal to the buds lower down to "wake up." If you do this in February and a cold snap hits (which it will), those newly awakened buds will likely freeze and die.

  • Species to watch: If you have Honeysuckle, Forsythia, Maples, Aspens, or Currants showing "bud swell" (fat, fuzzy, or greening buds), avoid heading cuts right now.

Image from UC Marin Master Gardeners

Additional Resources: 

You can sign up for MSU Extension Alerts, read about evergreens specifically, Master Gardener Spotlight: Watering Evergreens for Winter and learn more from Colorado State Extension

Fall and Winter Watering of Plants and Trees. 

Winter Watering Trees and Shrubs - MSU Extension Alert

Visit our Livingston Loves Trees Resource Library for more guides and tips on tree maintenance.

If you want someone to come look at your tree, please send me an email and we can send a tree nurse to speak with you, or call the numbers above.

In addition, if you have any physical samples of insect or disease, they can be brought to the MSU Extension office in Park county - they offer free diagnostics through our partner lab on campus - thank you Jackie!

There are many more MT specific resources here at MUCFA's site, and especially interesting is the trees in the Wildland Urban Interface WUI. 

 

Help Grow the Livingston's Urban Forest

Donate to the Tree Fund "Plant it Forward"

Help us fund the next 50 trees!

  • Tree Partner – $50-$100: Help grow our tree fund and increase education and outreach. 

  • Tree Supporter – $250: Purchases a large diameter 1.5-2" tree ($250-$350).

  • Tree Sponsor – $500: Purchase a large ball-and-burlap tree, City tree permit application and planting costs.

  • Plant It Forward – $750: All of the above including volunteer and program coordination.

  • Legacy Tree Steward – $1,000: All of the above including long-term health monitoring, reporting, inventory data collection and adaptive care for five years.

Since 2021, Livingston Loves Trees has been working to improve the equity and resiliency of our local canopy. Our goal is ambitious, to plant 1,000 trees and have planted 381 so far. Currently, nearly half of Livingston’s 4,000 public trees are ash. With the emerald ash borer threatening ash trees across the country, it is vital that we diversify our forest now with hardy maples, oaks, elms, and more.

 
Melynda Harrison