By: UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens Staff
Posted on: September 12, 2018
Charlotte is not likely to see the worst of Hurricane Florence this weekend, but as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry. As we work to prepare the Greenhouses and Gardens here on campus for the storm, we’ve compiled a list of ways that you can prepare your own home gardens as well.
#1- Secure Loose Objects– Secure or bring in loose items and materials. This includes but is not limited to: tools, decorations (garden gnomes, I’m looking at you), potted plants, bird feeders, chimes, and hanging baskets. Basically, you want to secure anything in the yard that could become a projectile when hit with heavy wind gusts. For large or heavy items that can’t be brought indoors, like grills, or outdoor furniture, either stake them down or tie them together to a tree to make them more sturdy against the wind. Secure windows and doors of sheds.
#2- Move Delicate Plants– Move delicate plants indoors. Anything that can’t be brought indoors, try to move into a sheltered area, or create a makeshift shelter for them with a tarp and stakes. Trees that are still in pots can be laid on their side. Delicate plants can also be covered with burlap.
#3- Clear Drainage– Make sure that any drains or drainage areas in the garden, yard, and street are clear. If they are already blocked before the storm hits, it will make the heavy rains flood the garden faster. This is also a good time to check to make sure that your roof gutters are clear.
#4- Turn Off Irrigation– If the lines get broken in a storm, they will flood your garden even more, and your water bill will be outrageous.
If you’ve covered these things and there’s still ample time before the storm, there are other things that you can do to help minimize damage. Do not attempt to make any changes to the garden once the storm arrives.
#5- Stake Weak Trees– Stake any poorly rooted trees. Tie trunks to stakes driven close to the roots, but not too tightly, the trunks need to be able to move in the wind.
#6- Prune Branches– Check the perimeter of the house and other outbuildings for nearby trees that have dead or low hanging branches, and prune them.
#7- Bar Water Flow– Create barriers to make water flow less intense in areas that you know are prone to flooding. Get creative. If you have sand bags, or something similar, that’s great but bags of mulch work just as well. Alternatively, garden borders, railroad ties, or even those branches that you pruned in step 6 above can block the flow of water. Just make sure that they are secured so that they don’t become projectiles themselves!
We hope you’ll all be safe and dry during the storm, and that all of your beautiful gardens make it through unscathed! In the meantime, the Greenhouses and Gardens here on campus will be closed Thursday through Sunday, and will hopefully reopen Monday, September 17.