As a company that offers several landscaping products, like recycled mulches and soils, as well as services, like vegetative debris drop-off, land clearing, soil screening and tub grinding in North Carolina, a lot of our clients are always working on landscaping and gardening projects. Now that it’s summertime, one of the most popular questions we’ve been getting asked is, “What’s the best way to protect your yard from hurricane damage?”
Granted, sometimes there is only so much one can do to prepare, but our reply is that we have plenty of tips and tricks that are not only useful for landscaping but can also help you protect your landscaping and gardens from hurricane damage!
1. Plan ahead.
Every spring, check your yard for dead or dying trees, as well as any limbs that may have fallen over the winter. If you have things that need to be removed, reach out to your local landscaping and/or tree companies for help with any necessary removals. The team at American Property Experts can then repurpose that material by grinding it up and creating recycled mulches and biomass fuels!
Additionally, when you first get word that a hurricane or tropical storm is heading toward North Carolina, you should check again for any loose tree branches or limbs and remove them. These things can easily be torn off by high winds, become projectiles, and cause thousands in property damage.
2. Take anything light and moveable inside.
Hardscaping items will most likely be fine, but anything decorative should be brought into your house, if possible. Some of the things to remember to take down/bring inside during a hurricane include:
- Hanging baskets
- Birdfeeders
- Outdoor furniture
- Gardening tools
- Storage containers
- Small potted plants
- Holiday decorations
- Windchimes
- Garden ornaments (gnomes, pinwheels, etc.)
- Garbage/compost bins
3. Secure items that are too heavy to be moved.
Large potted plants should be clustered together either in the lowest point of your yard or against something that can help block the wind, like a wall or hedge. If you cannot group them together, another alternative is to lie them on their side and secure them with ropes and stakes.
4. Take trellises down.
To avoid damaging your trellis and the plants it houses, it needs to be secured. If the trellis is held in place with stakes, simply pull the stakes out of the ground, plants and all, and lay the trellis flat on the ground. If the trellis is attached to a tree or building, secure it with rope or bungee cords.
5. Lay moveable stone items down.
Stone benches, bowls, and statues are all items that become projectiles if the winds are strong enough. Lay them on their sides to avoid disaster. Oh, and don’t forget to take the top of the birdbath off the pedestal and lay it on the ground as well!
6. Harvest what’s ripe.
If you have a garden that produces plants, veggies, or herbs, go ahead and collect everything you can before the storm hits. If you don’t, you’ll likely lose most of your crop.
7. Secure garden beds and boxes.
If you have planters or row covers that can be moved, it’s best to bring them inside. Cold frames may be able to weather the storm, but we recommend removing the panels first. Finally, you can secure your garden boxes and beds with sandbags or cinderblocks to be extra safe.
8. Turn off sprinkler systems and cut the power for outdoor lighting.
Obviously, you won’t need these things during a storm and having them on only increases the risk of something bad happening.
9. Consider wrapping anything left outside.
It sounds weird, but you can wrap your large pots, plants, and decorations in bubble wrap. It’s not a guaranteed solution, but it’s worth a try!
These tips can go a long way toward protecting your garden and landscaping during a hurricane. Unfortunately, the true magnitude of a storm is hard to predict. Even if you take these precautions, you may still sustain some damage.
The good news is that, after the storm clears, American Property Experts can help with the cleanup! We have 2 sites in Wilmington, NC, that are legally permitted to accept vegetative disaster debris. And, if your garden is flooded or washed away, we have plenty of high-quality, recycled mulches and soils to restore it to its former glory. Find out how much mulch and soil you’ll need here or get in touch with us for help with vegetative debris drop-off, land clearing, wood grinding, and soil screening in North Carolina.