The sun, the heat and the effect on little trees

This past few days has been as warm as I can remember in this country. I do remember when I was around my late 20's working in London, when the heat reached nearly 32c. I remember the searing feel of it from spending just a few minutes and the sweaty tiring experience of being in an exposed office with no aircon.


Well, temperatures in my office yesterday exceeded 34c and I had a shirt and suit on. With no air-con.Yesterday was a miserable, shattering day of sweaty distraction and I figure it must have been just the same for the trees.


We are told that Japanese White Pine love the extremes, so I wasn't' at all worried about that one, and the Squamata is about as bulletproof as they come. Plus they are both in fairly large pots, which retain enough moisture for one day. They naturally prefer to dry out somewhat between waterings...they'll cope.


However, the thirsty boys of the Japanese Cherry & the White Wisteria  are altogether different beasts.


These trees are VERY demanding water wise. The Wisteria is currently planted in a deep pot with a water tray in which the pot is partially submerged, and it still runs out every day. The Cherry just drinks for England on any given day(or is that Japan?).


My biggest concern though, is the Itoigawa which I worked heavily here, being in a very free draining mix. Again, Junipers much prefer to become almost dry between waterings, but the intense pounding of the sun over the past few days has affected it in other ways... I have noticed that the slimmest section of  live vein which I recently worked(and hasn't yet had time to settle) is beginning to pull away from the heartwood. I think this is a case of the sun being so hot and continuous, it has literally dried the heartwood in the tree, right down to the Xylem.


It has been placed in a very sheltered spot and will be foliage sprayed twice a day to try to give it some help but I don't hold out much hope to be honest....
I love summer, but regret not offering this tree protection for a lot longer against the very harshest elements...




We live and learn I guess....