08/11/2026
Before you grab the pruning shears, read this. 🌳
With the August temperatures rising in Colorado Springs, homeowners are looking at their brown evergreens, scorched maples, and crispy aspens wondering the same thing: is it dead?
The honest answer: maybe not. But what you do in the next 48 hours makes all the difference.
Here's what most people get wrong after a heat event like this one:
❌ They prune the scorched leaves off immediately — those burnt outer leaves are actually shading and protecting the inner branches. Remove them now, and you risk burning the tissue that was previously protected.
❌ They fertilize because the tree "looks sick" — nitrogen forces new growth the tree cannot hydrate in extreme heat. It makes things dramatically worse.
❌ They water at the trunk with a surface sprinkler — baked Colorado clay repels water at the surface. It evaporates before it ever reaches the roots.
Here's what actually does work:
✅ Cycle-and-soak deep irrigation at the drip line, early morning
✅ 3–4 inches of organic mulch over the entire root zone to drop soil temps
✅ Leave scorched foliage alone until temperatures stabilize
✅ Start planning late-August root recovery before winter arrives
At 6,000+ feet, our UV is 25% stronger than at sea level. When air temps hit 100°F, unshaded leaf surfaces can exceed 120°F. This heat event hits Colorado Springs trees hard, and the window to save them is short.
We just published a complete guide with diagnosis tips, step-by-step triage, and a late-season recovery plan.
Read the full guide: https://www.coloradolandscapedesign.com/how-to-save-heat-stressed-trees-and-evergreens-after-extreme-summer-heat/
If you've walked outside this week and found your blue spruce looking more brown than blue, or discovered that the ornamental maples you planted two su ...
