Peninsula trees face stress following October heat waves

Recent heat waves in the Bay Area and Peninsula, following a hot and dry summer, may have caused significant stress to local trees. Arborist George Reno notes that heat damage often takes time to manifest, making the period between autumn and winter a critical window for assessment and recovery.

Signs of heat stress include brown or crispy leaf edges, curling foliage, premature leaf drop, thinning canopies, and dieback in smaller branches. While some trees naturally shed leaves to conserve water, significant or continuous decline across multiple parts of a canopy warrants investigation.

When addressing drought stress, experts advise checking soil moisture below the surface before watering. If the root zone is dry, trees should be watered slowly and deeply, though the specific approach should account for individual tree species and soil conditions.