Hurricane Prep for Plants

Hurricanes can be devastating for even the best-laid landscapes, bringing violent winds, torrential rains, storm surges, salt spray, and other impacts to yards even a significant distance from the coast. There are steps you can take as hurricane preparations for plants, however, that can help minimize such damage and protect your landscape from these storms.

When Is Hurricane Season?

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins annually on June 1 and lasts through November 30. Historically, the busiest and strongest part of the season is from mid-August through September, but a powerful hurricane can occur anytime during the season or even outside the typical season dates.

In fact, tropical storms can inflict severe damage even if they aren’t classified as official hurricanes, and in Florida, we are susceptible to strong thunderstorms and other damaging fronts, including potential tornados, throughout the year.

Best Hurricane Prep for Plants

Fortunately, there are easy ways to practice hurricane prep for plants long before storms form and extra safeguards that can be taken as a storm approaches. After the storm, proper care can help plants recover quickly so within just days or weeks, the landscape will be lush and thriving again.

Before the Storm

The best way to prepare plants for hurricane impacts is to start preparation months or even years in advance. In particularly sensitive areas, such as immediate beach properties or regions that may see multiple storm impacts in just a few years, choosing wind-resistant and salt-tolerant plants can go a long way to ensure landscaping isn’t fazed by most hurricanes. Choosing native plants adapted to Florida’s unique climate, soil, and storm conditions will also help ensure a healthy landscape that can adapt to the occasional hurricane.

Keeping plants as healthy as possible will help them resist any storm’s impact. This includes ensuring proper nutrition through good-quality soil, appropriate fertilization, and watering as needed, as well as pruning away any dead wood or damaged sections. Take care that trees and shrubs are not damaged by lawn care, and ensure there is proper drainage around all plants so they are not sitting in sogginess after rains.

Each spring, well before hurricane season begins, inspect plants for any damage or infirmity, and prune or remove the plants as necessary. Similarly, check support structures such as stakes, trellises, arbors, or fences and repair or replace them to be sure they are stable and secure. Check that you have ample ropes or other gear on hand if a storm threatens, such as covers or additional stakes for extra security if needed.

When a Storm Approaches

Once a hurricane has formed, there will generally be several days of advance warning before it makes landfall. During that time, finish all emergency preparations and take any extra steps to prepare plants. This may include cleaning up and discarding yard debris, or weighting down piles of debris if they cannot be picked up before the storm arrives so loose branches do not become projectiles in high winds. Extra stakes or support can be added to more vulnerable plants, and the most tender new plants could be covered with buckets – held down with bricks – to protect them from high winds.

In the days before the storm, ensure plants are thoroughly watered but do not oversaturate the soil, as Mother Nature will likely bring a good deal of her own water with the storm. This is a good time to turn off any irrigation system or timer. Pick any ripe fruit and enjoy it before it becomes windfall during the storm. In the last hours before a storm hits or you must evacuate, bring containers into sheltered locations – in a shed, garage, screen porch, entryway, or at least in the corner of a fence to protect them from the full force of the winds.

During a Hurricane

When a storm hits, staying safe is the ultimate priority and it is no time to worry about landscaping. Seek shelter or evacuate as needed, and wait until the storm is well passed to venture outdoors to assess any damage.

After the Storm

Once winds have died down and waters have receded, first ensure the area is safe from downed wires or any hidden hazards before checking landscaping. Take care of any immediate threats first, such as branches or trees that may have caused structural damage, and notify authorities if any overhead electrical lines or underwater pipes might be affected by either downed or uprooted trees.

If plants are severely damaged, they may need to be pruned or replaced, but native, storm-resistant varieties can be surprisingly hardy and may recuperate naturally within a few weeks. Other debris will need to be cleared, and broken branches trimmed.

Some plant damage is likely inevitable from any hurricane, but with proper preparation in the months, weeks, and days before the storm that damage can be minimized. Sooner than you realize, your landscape will look just as lush and beautiful as it did before any storm warnings were issued.