Last year, the Atlantic coast had 30 named storms. While South Florida was lucky enough to avoid all the big storms, South Floridians know it’s always best to be prepared. One thing you can do to protect your property is to hurricane-proof your landscaping. Here are a few storm-wise tips to keep it hurricane-ready.
Choose the right trees.
Choosing trees that are well-suited for hurricane season will minimize damage. For example, trees that are shallow-rooted in soft soil tend to topple over in high winds. But wind-resistant trees like sabal, live oak, and sea grape have high hurricane survival rates.
Choose salt-tolerant plants.
For plants to survive in a hurricane-prone environment, they must be well-adapted to salt spray. During hurricanes, tiny droplets of salty waterfall on everything, including plants. Salt spray can damage or kill leaf tissue in plants that aren’t salt-tolerant.
Regular Maintenance.
Frequent pruning doesn’t just make your landscaping look nice. Thorough pruning minimizes property damage. Assess trees, paying close attention to dead, dying, and diseased branches that can easily blow away and become projectile. Prune and reshape trees to make them resistant to wind damage.
You can’t control a hurricane, but you can prepare. SFM Landscape is committed to providing detailed information and services before and after a storm.