Protecting Your Garden From Storm Damage

7/28/2020 (Permalink)

This is the time of year when those of us with green thumbs enjoy tending to their gardens. Although our gardens love a nice rain shower, too much rain can be harmful to the plants. After all the hard work you have done to manage your garden, do not let heavy rainstorms ruin it!

Follow these tips to protect your garden during heavy storms:

Before

• Remove damaged limbs and shoots – Removing dead limbs and shoots from your plants will help make them more streamlined and will reduce snapping and tangling.
• Add compost and mulch – Adding a couple of inches of compost to the top 8 to 12 inches of soil will help with drainage.
• Support taller plants – Tie taller plant to wooden or metal support. This will help keep them stable against rain and strong winds.
• Drainage – Make sure the grade slopes away from the garden to create proper runoff during rains. Make sure it there is nothing that will impede the water runoff. Water collecting in your garden can be damaging to your plants, possibly drowning them.

During

• Cover you most delicate plants – Hang a waterproof tarp over your most fragile plants during heavy rainstorms to direct the water away from these plants. Make sure that the covering is not blocking water from draining because it can cause other plants to drown.

After

• Check your vegetable roots – Once the rainstorm has stopped check for soil erosion. This may lead to exposed roots. If there are exposed roots, covered them with soil or compost before they dry out.
• Check your pots and planters – Pots and planters can easily become flooded if the drainage is blocked. Check them before, during and after rainstorms. You can always cover pots and planters if necessary.
• Pull weeds up by hand – The moist soil after rain means you are much more likely to retrieve the whole root without it snapping or breaking.

We hope these tips will help your garden to flourish!

Storm damage not only wreaks havoc on our gardens but it can be devastating to our homes too. When storm damage stikes call SERVPRO Norwood/West Roxbury at (781) 769-9125. We will make it "Like it never even happened."