Is Your Yard Ready for Hurricane Season?

Living in South Florida it is hard not to get anxious about the summer storms. Hurricane season runs from the beginning of June thru November.
When everyone is busy preparing their homes and getting much needed supplies, we often forget about our landscapes.
It is just as important to prepare our yards as it is the rest of our home. Take a walk around your landscape and make a list of things that need to be done now before the start of the hurricane season.

Here are some quick tips to get you started well before a named storm threatens the area:

Prune off loose or dead tree limbs, especially those close to or touching your home. These could cause damage to your home or roof: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_tree_pruning
Secure or remove potential projectiles, including plant pots, garden art and furniture
Stake young/vulnerable trees, you don’t want these to be uprooted during the storm:https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/staking.shtml
Direct downspouts into landscape beds or turf grass, this will prevent gushing water on non-porous surfaces like driveways and side walks. All this water will go into the storm drains carrying excess nutrients and debris with it
Clear gutters and storm drains of debris; this will allow water to flow freely

For more information on preparing your landscape for Hurricane Season, check out this link: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_hurricane_preparation
or contact St. Lucie County Master Gardener Volunteers at the Extension Office 772-462-1660 or sl-mg@ifas.ufl.edu

0