Vyškov Steps Up Tree Watering and Hires More Workers as Drought Continues

The Czech town of Vyškov has expanded its watering programme for municipal trees and green spaces as the ongoing drought drags on, bringing in an extra work crew from the start of July to help keep up with the demand.

Since April, a single dedicated worker had been responsible for watering the town's greenery. "This year, because of the prolonged drought, watering is taking place not just on weekdays but on weekends too. Even that hasn't been enough, though, so from the beginning of July we've had to bring in an additional crew. As a result, both water consumption and the daily mileage clocked up by our vehicles — now tens of kilometres a day — have risen sharply," said Vyškov deputy mayor Josef Kahlík (STAN).

Birches and spruces are suffering the most from the drought in the town. A lack of moisture weakens the trees, leaving them far more vulnerable to bark beetle infestation. "Unfortunately, bark beetles have already attacked several spruces. It only takes a few days for a tree that looks perfectly healthy to become irreversibly damaged. Birches, meanwhile, are turning yellow prematurely and shedding their leaves," said Jiří Kutálek, head of the town's environmental protection department.

According to town officials, the effects of the drought are now visible even in plant species that were considered drought-resistant just a few years ago, such as spirea.

During periods of extreme drought, municipal workers have also stopped mowing the grass. "When you're dealing with a long dry spell with no rain, the height of the grass alone can't save the situation. Taller grass genuinely does help retain moisture in the soil, but if there's no rainfall for long enough, it still goes dormant and dries out," Kutálek added.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz