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In the NoCo

Dry conditions make life harder for the trees in your yard. Here’s how to keep them healthy this year

Erin O'Toole and John Murgel sit in light brown chairs at microphones on a stage
Holland Andringa
/
KUNC
KUNC's Erin O'Toole interviews John Murgel, a horticulture specialist with CSU Extension, about how to help keep trees healthy after a dry winter. The interview was part of a live In The NoCo episode taping on April 23, 2026.

After this tough winter and dry spring we've been having, the trees around your home may be taking things especially hard.

In fact, some of the strain that your trees feel when there's a lack of moisture runs so deeply that it may not even be visible to you until a few years from now. So, it’s important to protect your trees from drought conditions now to prevent damage and illness later.

To help get ahead of these problems, we spoke with John Murgel, a horticulture expert from CSU Extension who advises the public on how to care for trees.

John shared some of his best tips with Erin O’Toole during a live episode taping a few weeks back in Fort Collins.

If you’re thinking of planting new trees this spring, John mentioned that birches and maples are especially thirsty varieties that he doesn’t recommend for our increasingly dry climate. For more, check out this list of tree recommendations from CSU Extension.

Missed our earlier conversations from the In The NoCo live event? Find them here:

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.
As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.