The forests in Saxony are well supplied with water at the beginning of the year. "It's fine for the time of year: not too dry, not too wet," said Rainer Petzold, Head of the Department for Site Investigation and Soil Monitoring at the state-owned company Sachsenforst.
However, the months of February and March are crucial for a good start to spring. "They must not be dry," said Petzold. If there is no rainfall, a drought could quickly develop again.
The winter months serve to replenish the soil water reservoirs in the forests. If this is not successful, as has recently been the case in the drought years since 2018, this means stress for the forest.
