Most well-established trees can tolerate some drought, although much depends on the drought resistance of certain species and whether they are growing on an appropriate site. These drought sensitive tree species are exceptions. Dogwoods, Japanese maples, flowering cherries, and birches need extra water in times of drought.

Trees planted this season should be your main concern. You need to remember that trees can suffer from drought in winter as well as summer. Recently planted trees need extra attention since they are still trying to replace roots lost in the transplanting process. If you have wildland seedlings that were planted correctly you should be OK. In the worst case, where you lose all wildland plants, there could be a federal disaster program to help if a drought emergency was declared.

The National Arboretum suggests that "In areas where water is available, you can most effectively water trees by turning the hose on to a trickled and placing it a few feet away from the trunk. Let it trickle for several hours to moisten the soil in the vicinity of the tree thoroughly. One to four hours time may need to pass to accomplish this as well as loosening any hardened mulch that resists water.

Plunge a trowel or spade into the earth to check to see if the soil has been moistened to a depth of at least six inches. If you run into dry earth, more water will be needed. Once watered, you may not need to return to water the tree for two or three weeks."

If you are limited to hand watering, build a small circular "berm" of soil a few inches in height a few feet away from the trunk. Fill the basin you have created with water; it will then seep into the soil slowly. If your soil is heavy, you may need to fill the basin several times over a period of several hours to get the soil moistened to a depth of more than six inches.

Again, be sure to use a rake to rough up the mulch so the water can penetrate through it. Excessively dry mulch is repellent to water. Oaks, red maples, tulip poplars, sycamores, crabapples, hawthorns, elms, gingkos, and hackberries are noted for their drought resistance so should be preferred in drought-prone areas.

Lack of moisture may not directly kill your tree but still ultimately cause death. The tree might survive the loss of water only to be ravaged by wildfire or other form of pestilence. Major pine beetle outbreaks can occur during the lowering of resistance of a stressed stand of trees .

Shrubs can be watered with a soaker hose or sprinkler. Again, the sprinkler must run on the same spot for one to four hours to saturate the soil to the proper depth. If you are restricted to hand watering, you can construct a small basin around each shrub, fill it with water, and allow the water to seep into the soil.

If the soil is properly saturated, you will not need to return to water the same area for two or three weeks. Crape myrtles, lilacs, smoke trees, junipers, boxwood, and yews are some of the most drought tolerant shrubs. Azaleas, rhododendrons, witch hazels, Japanese holly, and hybrid tea roses need extra water when weather is dry.