Getting a new tree from the nursery is one the greatest joys in life for horticulturists all over the world. But when you’ve only just begun in tree care, there are plenty of things that arborists believe you should already know. They believe you know how to correctly fertilize, care, and water your tree and neglect to indicate these things that they feel are apparent. This customarily ignored, yet essential piece of information can stop your tree leaves from turning white when the heat of the summer is in full force.
What Does Sunburn on Tree Leaves Look Like?
Tree leaves turning white is frequently the first and usually the only sign of leaf sunburn. You can think of this issue as tree sunburn damage, and you won’t be far from the truth. In a conservatory, plants are bared to elevated levels of artificial or filtered light, so they produce leaves that are great at taking in those wavelengths.
The issue with bringing a plant right from the conservatory to your landscape is that they aren’t ready for those additional UV rays they’re getting outside. It’s the same as when people turn beet red if they neglect the sunscreen on their first long day outside. Likewise, your plants can experience sun damage to what is basically their skin.
The outer part of leaf tissue takes in so much light exposure creating discoloration on the leaves. In some cases, older trees can suffer from this too, particularly during an extended heatwave. Also, fruits and vegetables experience the same kind of sun damage if something makes your plants unexpectedly defoliate, uncovering fruits to extreme light.
How to Protect Tree Leaves from Sunburn
Tree sunburn is simple to prevent. However, there’s no cure. If the leaves are sunburned, all you can do is care for the tree until it can grow stronger and new leaves. Getting your tree leaves slowly acquainted with the bright sun is crucial in encouraging leaves to be sun resistant and preventing sunburn damage. For leaves already suffering, use a sunshade to curb their exposure to UV rays.
Every day, give them more time with the sunshade removed until the leaves are strengthened. This process can take about 14 days, at which time your tree is ready for the sun. Make sure you accurately feed and water your tree while its recovering. It needs all the TLC it can get.
