A persistent drought has forced Burlington's forestry department to regularly water newly planted trees, ranging from maple to oak trees, according to city forester Kirt Ormesher.

The trees are in Crapo, Dankwardt, Mosquito and Riverside parks, as well as along the riverfront, he said.

"The problem we're facing now is we've had almost three years of drought stress, and last year we lost trees that had been in the ground several years that simply couldn't get enough water to survive," Ormesher said. "If we could get that one–inch of rain per week, we're happy, but we haven't had that. That's why we're out watering."

The department sends out a water tank to the parks each week as needed. A seasonal employee is given a list of trees the department wants watered.

Ormesher said the city is "trying to protect its investment" by keeping the trees watered.

"A good, long, steady rain would be perfect, but it just doesn't seem to be coming to Burlington," he said. "We need a good soaking rain."

Because the drought conditions have gone on so long, the forestry department has been watering some of the trees it planted two and three years ago to keep them alive, Ormesher said.

The forestry department has been watering specific trees twice a week, he said, in an effort to mimic one inch of rain per week.

"If the tree root actually dries out, it will die," Ormesher said. "Some of the reactions to this (drought) stress is that some trees will drop their leaves early. We're seeing a lot of that this year. We're seeing a lot of silver maples losing a lot of the leaves at the end of their branches."

Ormesher said watering a mature tree properly is accomplished by watering them just past the branches of a tree — not around its trunk.

Most of the water–absorbing roots of a tree are out just past the reach of the branches, he said.

"The tree is smart enough to realize that if it puts a lot of its water–absorbing roots directly underneath itself, it's not going to get a lot of that (rain water)," Ormesher said. "The only way to get it is to reach out beyond its leaf canopy. That's where most roots are that pull up the water."

Ormesher said that putting a water hose next to the trunk of a tree is not going to accomplish anything good. A sprinkler system that provides a steady flow of water around the perimeter beyond the stretch of the branches is the best solution, he said.

"And you don't want to water it every day," he said. "Ideally, your watering practice should mimic what happens naturally."

Watering a tree twice a week, giving it a half–inch of water each time, is the best way to water a tree, Ormesher said.