For:
By: Daniel E. Mullins
Extension Horticulture Agent
Storm Related Gardening Topics
Okay, I said that there would probably be no more hurricane related gardening topics in this space, but situations keep coming up. Following are the most recent questions and some comments.
Q. With all of the clean up activity in my yard the soil surface has been laid bare. It is vehicle rutted and the grass is gone. How can I protect these areas until something permanent can be done?
A. You need time to regroup and make plans for stabilizing and reestablishing these areas. Protect the soil by applying a two to three inch layer of coarse mulch such as leaves, clean straw or bark. Another option is the planting of a cool season or winter grass. Though not permanent, it would give you time to make plans for future restoration and rejuvenation projects.
Annual ryegrass, if seeded during October or early November would also do the job, but its immense root system is difficult to deal with when establishing the permanent lawn in the spring. A good substitute is rye, as in the grain. It is planted at the same time as ryegrass, grows during the winter and is much easier to manage when you want to be rid of it next spring.
Q. Heavy equipment was used to clear my yard of debris. As a result the soil in several areas is packed? Will this result in problems when growing plants in the future? If so, what can I do?
A. Soil that is compacted can result in poor root development. All areas that received vehicular traffic should be loosened to a depth of several inches, or below the compacted zone prior to replanting. This is a challenge for homeowners because it is labor intensive if hand tools are used. A core aerifier, which is a specialized lawn maintenance machine, is useful in some cases. It removes thin cores of soil to a depth of several inches allowing for the penetration of air and water.
A sub-soiler or chisel plow is used by farmers to loosen compacted soil, but this method is feasible only in open, unobstructed areas of land. In more restricted residential landscapes there is danger of damaging underground utilities and surviving tree roots with such heavy equipment.
Q. Most of the leaves were blown from my trees during the storm. New leaves are now growing back. Is there anything that I should do to help them?
A. A new flush of leaf growth this late in the growing season is not desirable, but it is nonetheless occurring all over the area. A portion of the trees’ stored energy for the flush next spring is being expended. These new leaves are also tender and more susceptible to fall frosts and freezes.
Do not fertilize or otherwise encourage growth. We are approaching the dormant season and the application of high nitrogen containing fertilizers could further complicate matters. In the absence of sufficient rainfall, a thorough irrigation of the area once or twice per week might help.
We will have to wait to
see what the long term effects on surviving trees will be. It is easy to see the degree of damage above
ground, but more difficult to determine the amount of root damage that has
occurred. I expect signs and symptoms of
root trauma to begin showing up next summer and continue on large trees for the
next two or three years.