4 Tips for Post-Storm Yard Care

Big storms bring with them wind, rain, and often times damage to your yard. After the storm hits, it’s crucial to act quickly and examine your yard for signs of damage because this can be the difference between life and death for many of the trees and plants that call your yard home. Use these tips to get your yard back into shape after a storm strikes.

Clear Small Twigs, Leaves, and Debris

First things first: clear away what you can from your yard. Storms shake up trees and foliage surrounding your yard, meaning there will be an excess of leaves, twigs, and other debris lying around once the storm has passed. If these items are small enough for you to safely pick up, then do so and put them by the curb on trash day. Just remember, small debris shouldn’t be placed in plastic trash bags because it can be hard for the trash company to see what’s inside the bags, resulting in left behind trash. With small debris this a good strategy, but when dealing with large debris like fallen limbs or even toppled over trees its best to contact a storm debris removal company to avoid safety hazards.

Inspect Trees for Damage

A large storm can leave your trees in weak shape. Safety should be your top priority, so be sure to keep a good distance when inspecting your trees. Look for things like hanging or broken branches, splits in tree branches, pulled or visible root systems, a leaning tree trunk, and broken tree canopies. These in addition to an entirely uprooted tree, can signify major damage to your tree, best handled by a professional arborist.

Take Care of Damaged Shrubs and Plants

Examine the plants and shrubs in your yard for broken stems. For heartier plants like shrubs, there’s likely to be small and broken branches that can easily be pruned yourself. For ornamental plants like perennials, annuals, and other types of decorative flowers there are a few things you can do to aid them after a storm. If roots are exposed, it’s best to replant them and attach a stake to assist the plant while it recovers. Like shrubs, it’s also best to prune damaged stems.

Check for Signs of Flooding

Flooding is another concern to check for post-storm. This is usually easy to identify, as you’ll notice the soil in your yard is muddy and wet. Be sure to avoid stepping directly on these heavily flooded areas, because it can compact the soil making it harder to get rid of the excess water. Checking for this is important, because when there’s too much water in your yard’s soil, plants become deprived of the air they need to survive. Filling low spots with topsoil and creating an irrigation channel for the water to leave can be an easy remedy for this problem.

Taking immediate action after the clouds part and rain clears up is the best way to ensure the health of your yard after a storm. Use these tips to take care of the smaller damages in your yard, but for large items and post-storm tree work; leave it to the professionals. Entrusting a company like Townsend Residential for post-storm debris removal and tree care is the safest way to get the job done.

Take your yard back after the storm, contact the experts at Townsend Residential today.