Alarm in Potsdam: Trees suffer from extreme drought!

Alarm in Potsdam: Trees suffer from extreme drought!

Brandenburg an der Havel, Deutschland - in 2025, the continuing drought makes plants and in particular trees in urban areas. According to Cityreport , the plants suffer from a significant lack of water after the climate reference station of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has reported record stalls in the first half of the last half. The result? A pronounced drought stress, which is still exacerbated by the radiation heat from streets and buildings. If you look at the situation in Germany during the spring, it turns out that this is one of the three driest since the beginning of the measurements, as ZDF today reports.

The floors are too dry, and even experimental data from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research are drawing a worrying picture. Dürrewarns stages are determined by measuring the soil moisture to a depth of 1.8 meters, supplemented by historical values. The current situation could be described as a "mortgage for summer", as Katrin drastically put it from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Technology. In addition, March 2025 has been the driest since the beginning of the records. In some regions, people have to fight for their garden and their trees, because the lack of water already has serious effects on forests and agriculture, as the experts warn.

irrigation tips for the city dwellers

The city administration of Potsdam calls up the citizens to actively support their plants. But how can you do this best? Is it recommended to be economical, which is best done late in the evening or early in the morning when the sun does not seem so strongly. The experts at the root area to water in order to optimize water absorption. Also the storage of rainwater and the use of domestic water is smart options in Times of drought.

• irrigation at the root area, not from above.
Save and use
• rainwater.
• use use water.
• pour vigorously once or twice a week (40-50 liters per tree).
Cover the floor with mulch material to minimize evaporation.

Especially younger trees and shrubs need good hands in care, because their roots are not yet deep enough to efficiently absorb large amounts of water. In this context, it is becoming increasingly important to support local ecosystems, because the drought has already noticeable consequences for nature in several regions of Germany.

drought as a challenge of the future

drought not only affects our drinking water or agriculture, but is also an expression of the progressive climate change. The world organization for meteorology (WMO) defines drought as a state in which too little precipitation falls over a long period of time. There are also challenges such as increased evaporation losses and reduced soil moisture, which are due to climate change, such as Environmental Federal Office of the Environment .

With the forecasts, which predict increasing drought in many regions, it becomes clear that society has to face increasingly new challenges. This not only affects our plants and forests, but also has profound effects for all agriculture and water supply. The need for regional predictions and drought management plans will be essential for the future of our cities.