Marlice Bryant had a good letter June 30, “Leaves know when it’s time to water,” about water stress by watching for signs of leaves drooping, falling, etc., from plants and trees. I learned the hard way that conifers, evergreen trees with needles instead of leaves, usually don’t show signs of trouble until the following spring when they gradually begin dying and it’s too late to save them. Noble fir trees are especially vulnerable because they are shallow rooted. It broke my heart when I lost one about 20-feet tall in my front yard. This year, the top 3 feet of a nice 15-foot spruce tree in my yard died, even though I watered it last year. Obviously I had not watered it enough.
Christmas tree growers with these varieties will probably lose some of their trees if they are unable to water. Douglas firs are deeper rooted and are usually OK unless they have been recently planted. Be sure to water the other conifers.
Maybe now is the time to think seriously about pumping some of the water out of the Columbia River to Southern Oregon around Klamath Falls and on to California. The ocean does not need that water. Another good place to take the water from the river would be at Biggs or The Dalles and run the pipeline alongside Highway 97 or the high-voltage line that brings electricity to and from The Dalles to California.
Bob Mattila
Brush Prairie
