We have certainly had some interesting weather over the last month.
It has affected some small pockets of areas worse than others, with trees and branches down, and fences and structures knocked over.
Over the past week, we have had quite a few customers call in to ask about repairing storm-damaged or overly wet gardens.
Older, established gardens can lose years of nurturing and growth in seconds.
Newer gardens, although not as visibly damaged, can still suffer devastating losses that may not show up for weeks to come.
Newer gardens are often more susceptible to waterlogging caused by poor drainage, unestablished hard surface areas, a lack of outbuildings and structures to help shed some of the rainfall, and the absence of larger trees and shrubs to help with moisture uptake from the ground.
Adding to this, new plants with shallow, underdeveloped root systems are more prone to “wet feet”, which quickly damages their roots.
Often, this damage will not show up for weeks, until a hot, windy day causes them to wilt and not respond to watering.
If you suspect your garden is overly wet and the plants might be suffering, try improving the drainage.
Then, give them a weekly dose of Plant Starter, which contains Indole Acetic Acid and Naphthalene Acetic Acid.
This will help quickly re-establish the feeder roots that were damaged and limit your plant losses.
Young trees should always be staked for the first 12 months to help them develop strong root systems.
Unstaked plants often move in the wind, tearing away the new roots trying to grow into the surrounding soil.
After strong winds, check the ties on staked trees and inspect smaller shrubs to ensure they have not twisted on their stems.
Treat any damage with a wound sealant.
Older, established gardens can often lose canopy cover when large trees drop branches.
Apart from the damage caused to the underplantings by the fallen branches, sudden exposure to increased sunlight can scorch and stress the plants underneath.
Depending on the types of plants, some, like gardenias or many azaleas, will adapt to the increased sunlight after initial scorching due to their strong, established root systems ability to replenish water lost from the foliage.
Initial scorching can be limited by using foliage protectants like envy, which acts like sunscreen while the leaf toughens up.
Other plants, like birds’ nest ferns, will not adapt to their new surroundings and must be relocated to a shadier spot in the garden.
Most understory plants can handle transplanting if you take as much soil and roots with them as possible.
These transplanted plants will also benefit from a weekly dose of Plant Starter over the next month or so to help them re-establish their root systems.
The lost overhead canopy often re-establishes quickly over the next year or two because the root system is large enough to support the missing foliage.
This allows the tree to grow as fast as it can.
When replanting, consider choosing plants adaptable to decreasing light levels or cheaper, short-term plants that act as temporary infills, filling gaps until the canopy regrows.
Trim back damaged shrubs with clean cuts and aim for a balanced shape by cutting back as needed.
Treat larger wounds with a wound sealant like Ster Prune to aid healing and prevent disease and rot while the plant callouses over.
For larger trees, ensure someone skilled handles the clean-up.
Poor workmanship can cause further harm, leaving you with an unbalanced or disfigured tree.
An arborist can advise whether the tree is worth keeping or if it would be better to remove it entirely.
After strong winds and storms, inspect all the trees in your garden to ensure no hanging branches or visible split forks are present.
These issues often take a week or two to become apparent as foliage dries out and dies, so follow up with another inspection in the weeks after.
If your garden is damaged, it’s not the end of the world. Things re-establish and grow back.
Take it as an opportunity to revamp the garden, give it an overhaul, or even change it up entirely.
If you need ideas or advice, bring in some photos, and we’ll see if we can help bring your vision to life.
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