The city of Bonn is proud of its trees. Especially in green spaces and parks as well as in cemeteries, the population should be kept at a high level. To keep it that way, citizens can get involved and provide financial support by donating trees.

Would you like to directly support the growth of Bonn's city trees? In fact, it can make sense to water trees in persistently warm and dry weather. On this page, you can find out what to consider and what to avoid.

In recent years in particular, some trees have repeatedly come under heat stress. Prolonged drought and high temperatures can lead to trees not receiving enough water. Watering can help to reduce this stress. Bonn residents can make a direct contribution here. The Office for the Environment and Urban Greenery would be pleased to receive your support and asks you to observe the following instructions:

Young trees need water: Especially in their first eight years in the city, young, freshly planted trees can suffer massively from drought. After all, they have not yet had much time to spread their roots in the soil. For this reason, young trees are watered by contracted gardening companies for the first four years and by the city for the following four years. In particularly warm months, however, this may not be enough. Young trees appreciate extra water in warm temperatures!

Better ten watering cans than ten times one: A watering ring is usually installed around the young trees. This ring holds about 100 liters of water. This ring should be filled up approximately every time you water. In other words, it is better to water seven to ten watering cans once a week than one every day. The water can then seep into deeper layers of soil. With low watering rates, there is a risk that a large proportion of the water will evaporate on the surface.

Large and older trees should not be watered: The roots of older trees reach deep into the soil and spread very far. As a guide, you can imagine that the root area roughly corresponds to the crown diameter. The trees absorb their water from deep layers of soil. In such cases, irrigation water barely reaches the area where the tree's roots could absorb it.

Would you like to find out more about watering urban trees? The Garden Managers' Conference has published an informative position paper on this topic:

The importance of the urban tree population for maintaining the quality of life in our cities against the backdrop of climate change requires comprehensive protection of existing trees from damage and loss. Influences that impair the tree population must be excluded or reduced to a minimum

In their position paper from December 2011, the German Conference of Gardening Officers (GALK) and the Association of Swiss City Gardeners and Horticultural Offices (VSSG) called for the protection of urban trees from the harmful effects of salts.

The necessary nationwide expansion of cycling infrastructure and the simultaneous demand for an intensified winter service for cycle paths have prompted the GALK and VSSG to take a stand once again.