Looking After Your Garden in the Stormy Season

Our gardens can take a hit following extreme weather, like storms. We can face so much damage to our beloved plants that we work so hard to look after. When we are looking for the damage it’s easy to confuse the look of damage with pest or disease. Following a storm, look for the following symptoms in your plants:

1. Dieback: Shoots begin to wilt, and the plant becomes brown, lacking in nutrients and moisture. Whilst this can be a result of disease and pests, it can be a sign of waterlogged soil following a big storm.
2. The more obvious signs include physical plant and tree damage. You can allow these to recover by cutting back dead leaves and broken twigs to allow fresh new shoots to appear.
3. Brown Leaves: Leaves that are browning following a big storm is usually a result of heavy rainfall. This is caused by waterlogged soil causing rot.

The Gardening Experts at Two Wests have provided the following advice:

The cold and stormy season is very much upon us, battening down the hatches in our gardens is important to see our gardens continue to thrive when we come out of the other end. Let’s protect what we have worked so hard to maintain and grow.

1. Get the most out of your compost, use the stormy weather to introduce moisture to your nutrient-rich compost by turning it after a good downpour.
2. To protect your pots against harsh winds and cold weather, place them close to the walls of your house as a source of protection, whilst grouped together in a huddle. This way you are giving your potted plants the best chance to remain standing against harsh winds. If you are unable to relocate your tubs and pots to somewhere frost-free, place compost and mulch on the top for additional warmth.
3. Unblock any drainage so water doesn’t pool on your grass or in your plant pots, or better still, provide a drainage system if you don’t already have one. Pooling water is critical and will damage your plants and grass. Be sure to navigate the water away from the garden.

What to do following the storm:

1. Tidy Up
2. Inspect Trees and Shrubs
3. Check out your Fir Trees
4. Stay Off Grass
5. Trim Large Plants and Bushes