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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- How are the trees looking around your house?

Take a look at the leaves.

Have many of them turned brown, or are on the ground.

If so, you can blame the warm temperatures we've had the past few weeks for that.

Trees aren't getting enough water through its leaves, so during the drought trees can't replenish water it loses during the day.

And, because of that some of your trees may be shutting down or going dormant.

But, most of your trees can handle this because even with the mild winter, and the current hot and dry conditions your trees have retained enough water from previous years.

"If you look at the last three years, we've had exceptionally wet years, said Yvette Amerman, Resource Forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation. "Those trees can store that water and hold onto that, so having one year of drought is probably insignificant in the life of a tree that can live 100 years."

The Missouri Department of Conservation has provided some additional information to care for your trees.

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6881 

http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/homeowners/backyard-tree-care/drought-stress-trees 

http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/homeowners/backyard-tree-care/watering-shade-trees 

http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/water-shade-trees-avoid-drought-stress