Some KC trees going dormant early

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two straight years of drought have been devastating for corn and soybean crops, and now the impact of the hot, dry conditions is showing up in the leaves of trees.

Chuck Conner, a forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said leaves are already turning yellow and brown because trees are fighting for their lives.

"It's their mechanism for staving off the drought conditions," said Dennis Patton, a horticulture specialist with Kansas State University Extension. "Native trees are good at that."

By going dormant in the summer instead of fall, trees are reducing their need for water. Right now, tree roots are trying to draw moisture from bone-dry soil as leaves flap in breezes with triple-digit temperatures.

Some of the trees -- especially those that have recently been transplanted or are younger than 5 years old -- probably won't make it, Conner said.

He said the difference between trees that live and those that die will be how much stress they've endured over the past couple of years. Trees with a lot of stress are more susceptible to insects or disease.

"Most trees changing colors will probably live," Conner said. "But if they've been stressed before, some of those trees are not going to make it."

Watering is the best way to help trees that are in bad shape, he said. Established trees with good soil should make it with minimal watering, but younger trees will have a tougher time.

"If you didn't water trees last year or the year before, there's a good chance this summer will be the straw that broke the camel's back," Conner said. "Some people plant a tree and water it the first year and then forget about it."

For best health, trees should be watered weekly during a drought, he said.

Conner said there's only one option for people who do not want higher water bills or who live in a community with water restrictions.

"Pray for rain," he said.