Wendy's Wanderings

Wendy Wilber

September 7, 2017

September is the Height of Hurricane Season

Gardeners are a people of seasons: spring planting season, winter garden season, summer bug season, and hurricane season. As Florida gardeners we are always preparing for hurricanes in the back of our minds, but when the “cone of uncertainty” is drawn around our whole state, we wonder if we have done enough in our landscapes.

For those of us who have lived in Florida long enough to have been through storms before, the preparations are more like a well-practiced drill. For newcomers, there is great information to help you. The University of Florida IFAS Extension provides excellent material on preparing for, evacuating from, surviving, and recovering from a hurricane. The IFAS document Hurricane Preparation: Evacuating Your Home is useful and can serve as a checklist for all of us. It's important to use the best information you have and make a plan.

From there we do the best we can. Any major tree pruning or trimming should have already been done. UF/IFAS Extension Broward County horticultural agent Mike Orfanedes told the Orlando Sun Sentinel, "We are strongly discouraging folks from trimming trees and palms unless they have ways of disposing of the debris before the storm arrives.”

Fill your rain barrel for non-potable water usage. Remove possible flying debris like your container plants, hanging baskets, and bird feeders. Secure any outdoor furniture or garden art. Make sure your gutters are clear. Take “before” pictures.

After the storm, use caution as you evaluate and begin work in the landscape. Tree branches will be broken and will need to be removed before more tearing damage is done. If trees are uprooted or leaning they can be righted, but if most of the root ball is exposed the tree may need to be removed. If damaged trees are really large it's probably better to wait for a professional tree service with a certified arborist to do the pruning or removal work. Price gouging is outlawed; if you feel like an unfair price has been quoted to you, call the Florida Attorney General’s office at 866-966-7226.

Your lawn and shrubs' roots maybe flooded or in saturated soils. Expect to see increased fungal problems and root-rot issues in the landscape. Try to drain the excess water away as soon as it's safely possible.

As we prepare, endure, and recover from this and any hurricane, we do the best we can until we know better. Hopefully we learn from our experiences and are better prepared for the next one.

Stay safe and help each other.

-- Wendy Wilber

Return to the September 2017 Neighborhood Gardener