As lawns go brown from drought-mandated watering restrictions, more people are making sure their trees and shrubs survive. Jan Blake is the Executive Director of the Nevada County Resource Conservation District. She says more of the area’s iconic Ponderosa pines are dead and dying, although such trees are used to the dry summers. But the fourth year of a drought is taking a toll, with bark beetles taking over. However, she says if you have any on your property you can save them through thinning, without using water
But Blake says removal of large dead trees is very expensive, while also posing a safety and wildfire hazard…
Arborists also suggest a mixture of mulch and bark to hold moisture in. Blake says planting new trees and shrubs is not recommended until the drought is over because they require more water during early growth stages. She says the Resource Conservation District will also come out and look at your trees, by appointment, at no cost.
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