Will the Summer 2024 Drought Impact your Trees this Spring?

As I write this blog on February 26, 2025, we are experiencing some above-average temperatures compared to the chilling highs of 13 just 5 days ago. As we all know, the weather in Northern Kentucky changes quickly. I have noticed other rapid changes lately in many evergreen trees and shrubs within the past 2 weeks. I have been called out to several properties to look at declining arborvitaes and have several of my own with sudden severe dieback of entire branches. Without any other obvious signs of abiotic damage, I must place blame on the drought of 2024. Evergreen trees will not appear to suffer from drought stress and then suddenly, especially during the cold winters, the foliage will fade to light green and yellow and then completely lifeless and brown. Unfortunately, these branches will not grow new foliage in the spring.

To read more about drought stress: https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/trees-stressed-due-to-drought/

– posted 2/2/2025