Diary of a Gardener Post Storm and Hurricane Tips
I have lived in Florida for 21 years this Labor Day. In that time, there have been many hurricanes and storms; it is part of living here. Last Sunday and Monday Tropical Storm Debby came up the west coast dumping historic rainfall on our areas. The community of Sarasota was hit extremely hard. Roads flooded, bridges washed out, creeks overflowed, breaking levies, and flooding entire communities. Areas that have never flooded previously did during this storm. People have lost their homes, their belongings, cars, etc. It is devastating.
My home was spared. Aside from some leaning plants and yellowing leaves, most plants were fine. There are homes in communities that did not have their homes flooded but their lawns and landscaping were flooded. If the water receded within 24 hours, the plants will probably be okay (assuming it was not salt water). Surprisingly, plants are resilient and often will bounce back. That depends on the individual plant and the time it was underwater. More than a day or two and the roots may begin to rot.
If you did not have water intrusion your plants may still be suffering from almost twenty inches of rain. Here are a few post hurricane/storm tips for your plants.
Upright any leaning plants with stakes. Add soil and mulch to the bases of plants that may have roots exposed.
Trim broken stems and branches
Expect yellow leaves on many plants, it is okay, that is normal. Remove them or let them fall off naturally.
Cut back plants that are damaged.
Check all potted plants are draining properly.
Resume irrigation and watering 48-72 hours after the storm, assuming there has not been more rainfall.
Apply fungicide and pesticides appropriately on plants that are prone to fungus and pests such as roses. It is best to apply it as the sun goes down.
Do not fertilize damaged and stressed plants.
Give the plants time to recuperate.
As a plant parent it is hard to watch our plants suffer. We want to help the plant get back to their original beauty, but in this case leave them alone once you have secured them with the steps above. Plants are resilient and given time often will bounce back. It will take time, but before removing and starting over just let the plants acclimate again.
If you have plants that you are concerned about and have questions. Schedule a consultation so we can access the damages together. And always remember, plants are replaceable.
