Kyla ...
Thank you for the suggestion.
To me, this is such an unusual experience and one that I don't know if it will continue or we will be getting our usual wet years up here.
With some research about how a watershed works, it makes sense that the water applied to the surface will drop to the deeper levels of the soil mass in the watershed.
I've made some changes in how I water in order to keep the water closer to the surface where most of the plants have the root system to collect water and food long enough for the plants to be hydrated as well as possible.
I had already prepared most of the garden for drought conditions, but I just forgot about the impact on the trees. In what we normally call a dry year up here, we get 25" of rain and that has been sufficient to avoid water stress to any of my trees. It is a learning process.
Right now, the white fir looks fully hydrated with the maple tree close behind. The dogwood is the slowest to recover, but is already in better shape than it was.
I followed Elaine's suggestion to add more mulch under them and that has helped, too.
If we get rain this winter, my garden is in better shape than most of my neighbors'. I am glad I had a place where I could ask questions.
Smiles,
Lyn
