North Herts Council is inviting residents to help trees in their area thrive by reusing their waste water.

While the council has its own watering programme, it is now supporting a national campaign which encourages people to help keep trees hydrated in high temperatures. Around 100 trees died during last year's heatwave.

You can use waste water - such as dish water, bath water and rainwater - to help the trees out during the summer.

The council are particularly keen for people to water young trees, especially those with wooden stakes and tree guards.

They recommend that you should try to avoid watering when the soil is in direct sunlight, and, where a tree has a watering pipe, you should pour half the water down the pipe and half on the ground surface around the tree.

Cllr Steve Jarvis, executive member for environment & leisure, said: “New and young trees around the district will really appreciate any additional water they can get to become established and thrive.

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“Unfortunately we lost around 100 trees due to last year’s heatwave. In February we replanted them and they have a programme of maintenance including irrigation, but any additional watering will increase their chances of survival.

“Of course we’re not asking residents to take over our watering schedule, but every little helps, especially in this incredibly hot and dry weather we’re experiencing at the moment.

"Trees are so important, they obviously give us the oxygen we need to breathe but they have many benefits including storing carbon and reducing air pollution, providing shade and vital habitat for wildlife.”