La Grande urges residents to keep watering trees as heat nears
La Grande is asking residents to deep-water trees now, saying dry spring weather can lead to dead plantings, less shade and higher replacement costs later.
La Grande Parks and Recreation urged residents to keep watering trees as warmer weather and longer dry stretches begin to stress the city’s urban canopy. The reminder was aimed at trees in yards, landscaped strips and other parts of the neighborhood tree cover, with the city warning that spring moisture alone will not carry them through heat spikes.
The city’s dry-weather guidance says warm weather can take a toll on trees and that drought stress can make them more vulnerable to insect and disease problems. Early warning signs in deciduous trees include dull leaves, followed by yellowing, wilting, curling, scorching, premature fall color and leaf drop. On evergreens, the city says needle discoloration can appear later. If trees are left under-watered, they can lose leaves early or fail to establish, leaving gaps in shade and adding replacement costs for homeowners and the city.
La Grande is steering residents toward deep, slow watering within the tree’s drip line, using a hose, soaker hose or even a slowly leaking bucket. The city says shallow daily watering can do more harm than good by encouraging shallow rooting and future health problems. Oregon State University Extension Service says most Oregon trees absorb water in the upper 12 to 18 inches of soil, which is why watering needs to reach below the surface. The extension also recommends watering early in the morning, when air is cooler and wind is lighter.
The city’s 2025 Community Forest Report describes La Grande’s urban forest as green infrastructure that improves air quality, cools the city and helps manage stormwater. That matters in neighborhoods where tree cover affects shade, street aesthetics, sidewalk conditions and summer comfort. La Grande says spring and fall are the best planting windows, but spring-planted trees need consistent watering through summer to survive. The Oregon Department of Forestry says drought stress is especially hard on trees under five years old, though heat waves and longer dry periods can also hurt older trees.
The reminder also fits into a broader city program that treats tree care as a public asset, not just a private chore. La Grande’s Community Landscape & Forestry Commission helps guide long-term urban forest planning and reviews Tree City USA and community forestry awards. The city’s Urban Forestry division sells right-of-way trees for $40, and the Street Tree Planting program requires property owners to contribute $40 per tree and sign an agreement to care for the new trees. City officials say that kind of maintenance now helps avoid a much bigger public expense later, when dead plantings have to be replaced and neighborhoods lose the shade they were supposed to gain.
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