Everyone knows that we are experiencing one of the hottest summers on record. Many of you are wondering what you should do to protect your trees during this drought. You have probably noticed that our soils tend to dry out quite rapidly, in some cases as quickly as 3 days. One thing I have learned in my career is that nothing works without water. I have also learned that new transplants are the biggest challenge and the most challenging times of all are prior to and during the hot, dry, windy and sunny days of a North Texas summer. There are many variables when speaking about proper tree care in these situations but there has to be a starting point, so let’s start with young transplants. It has taken me a long time to formulate a base line through time and experience but it is as easy as this: A tree requires 10-15 gallons per diameter inch (dbh) per watering. Now what does this mean? Well, it means we have a starting point. Now more questions can be answered as to how often and what technique can be used to be successful.