Last Year’s Record Heat: Is Your Landscape At Risk

2024 was the "hottest year on record," and your landscape might still be feeling the effects. Here's how to spot hidden damage and how we can help.

As we transition into the warmer months of 2025, last year's record-breaking heat may have left your trees, shrubs and lawn vulnerable. Extreme heat and other environmental conditions can cause delayed stress by depleting energy reserves, damaging root systems and increasing susceptibility to pests or disease. Recognizing signs of distress early this spring and summer is crucial to providing the care your landscape needs.

Our team is ready to address any challenges that may arise. Often, we proactively monitor and alert you to potential outbreaks in your area, but your vigilance is essential too. If you notice anything unusual, don't hesitate to reach out-your natural outdoor assets deserve immediate attention.

Together, we can keep your property healthy, vibrant, and resilient all year long.

1. Reduced Canopy Density and Heat Stress

Impact: Excessive heat can reduce leaf density, affecting the tree's ability to photosynthesize, cool its environment, and support wildlife. Prolonged high temperatures can cause heat stress, with leads to wilting, leaf scorch and even dieback. Trees may shed leaves prematurely and lawns may enter dormancy or die in patches.

How We Can Help: To address canopy density issues, we'll prune dead or damaged branches to encourage new growth. For trees affected by heat stress or canopy concerns, our ArborKelp biostimulant combined with ArborHealth fertilizer provides an effective solution, helping trees recover from prolonged stress. Read more in the sidebar.

• Our ArborKelp ® biostimulant improves soil structure and augments soil microbial activity which is essential for nutrient absorption by the tree's roots. ArborKelp helps plants recover from stress brought on by environmental conditions or by damage inflected to all or part of their root systems.
• Our ArborHealth fertilizer provides your trees and shrubs with accessible nutrients they need to thrive. It's a once or twice a year application that corrects general nutrient deficiencies and promotes healthy growth.. Most off-the-shelf fertilizers contain three main ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) and are often high in Nitrogen, which can promote disease and insect problems. But ArborHealth® contains the critical NPK materials along with a host of additional micronutrients - rooting hormones, kelp, and carbohydrates - that stimulate root growth by feeding the microbes in the soil.

2. Heat Stress

Impact: Prolonged high temperatures can cause heat stress, leading to wilting, leaf scorch, and even dieback. Trees may shed leaves prematurely, and lawns may enter dormancy or die in patches.

How We Can Help: Perform assessments to identify signs of stress and implement proper watering schedules, mulching, and soil amendments to retain moisture and reduce heat stress. Additionally, our ArborBalance treatments can restore the delicate balance of root to shoot growth within your trees.

3. Decline in Lawn Health

Impact: Lawns may experience browning, thinning, and increased susceptibility to weeds due to heat and drought stress. We are expecting many lawns will require additional soil treatments to help them recover from last year's heat. In some areas, the lack of snow helped grubs survive the winter, which means they will resurface in the spring, feed on grassroots and weaken lawns just as they try to green up.

How We Can Help: Our organic soil enhancer application is designed to strengthen heat-stressed root systems and improve drought tolerance. For areas with significant heat damage, we recommend targeted overseeding with grass varieties selected specifically for their heat and drought resistance. This adaptive approach helps ensure your lawn not only recovers from last year's stress but becomes more resilient to future temperature extremes. We also offer grub management programs, as well as seeding, overseeding, or slice seeding to repair damaged areas.

4. Soil Degradation

Impact: Intense heat can lead to soil compaction, nutrient loss, and decreased microbial activity, all of which harm root health and soil fertility.

How We Can Help: Perform soil testing and add nutrients or organic matter as needed through our unique organic soil enhancer and biological soil enhancer. Additionally, annual core aeration can improve soil structure and root access to nutrients.

5. Pest and Disease Outbreaks

Impact: Heat-stressed plants are more vulnerable to pests like borers and diseases such as fungal infections. Hotter conditions may also allow invasive pests to thrive longer.

How We Can Help: Conduct pest and disease monitoring and apply targeted treatments to protect vulnerable plants. We can also recommend preventive care such as pruning for airflow and soil amendments to increase the plant's vigor.

6. Drought Damage

Impact: Hot weather often coincides with drought, which depletes soil moisture. This can weaken root systems, cause stunted growth, and make plants more susceptible to pests and diseases.

How We Can Help: Develop a drought recovery plan that includes deep root watering and aeration for lawns and applying soil wetting agents to improve water retention.

If you noticed signs of heat stress last summer and fall or are seeing any of these conditions on your landscape today, call a certified arborist to help get your trees, shurbs and lawn the care it needs.