Tips for Protecting Your Backyard Oasis During Hurricane Season

You know that scene in “The Wizard of Oz” where you see trees, fences, houses and a mean old lady on a bicycle whirling around inside a terrifying tornado?  

You want to avoid that. 

When tropical storm season moves in, it’s time to batten down the hatches. High winds can uproot trees, snap branches, and turn loose objects into dangerous projectiles. 

How to protect your garden during a storm? Trim dead and dying branches so they don’t become dangerous flying debris in high winds. Store or secure outdoor furniture. Bring smaller items like bird feeders and garden decor inside. Clear gutters and downspouts of leaves and debris to prevent water from backing up. 

Let’s learn more about backyard storm preparation tips, including: 

• Trim Dead and Dying Branches of Trees and Palms
• Backyard Storm Preparation Tip: Stake Young Trees
• Remove Any Large Fruit from Trees
• Hurricane-proof Landscaping: Clear Gutters and DownspoutsHave a Plan to Protect Outdoor Furniture
• Check Your Drains
• Bring Loose Items Inside
• Switch to Soft Mulch
• Have a Plan to Protect Outdoor Furniture

1. Trim Dead and Dying Branches of Trees and Palms

Trim trees and palms and remove any dead or weak branches that could break off and go flying like missiles in high winds. 

But only trim palm fronds that are completely brown and lifeless. Fronds with even a hint of green are still crucial for the tree's health.

That spot where the frond attaches to the trunk is where the tree gets its nutrients. As long as there’s some green in the frond, it’s helping to feed your tree. So don’t cut it off. 

Trim shrubs before a windstorm, too, as part of your hurricane season backyard protection. If shrubs are overgrown, they’re more likely to get damaged in high winds. But if they’re pruned and shaped correctly, they shouldn’t suffer as much damage. 

A hibiscus can get ripped right out of the ground if it’s top heavy. We’ve seen it. It’s not pretty. 

Branches can snap in high wind and falling limbs can damage other plants or structures. If you thin the canopy of large trees and shrubs, the wind will pass through the branches more easily and reduce the risk of broken branches and uprooted trees and shrubs. 

Finish your trimming by mid-July to prepare for hurricane season in August through October.

Don’t Ignore That Letter from the HOA

This isn’t just a good idea to protect your garden during a storm — this kind of pre-storm trimming might actually be required by your HOA.

Some South Florida HOAs require that residents get palm trees trimmed before hurricane season to limit dangerous flying debris. It also makes for easier clean up later after the storm. 

Don’t delay. Letters from HOAs typically go out in May, but homeowners often procrastinate. Then they end up scrambling to find a landscaping company to complete the trimming by the July deadline. Plan ahead and get it booked. 

2. Backyard Storm Preparation Tip: Stake Young Trees 

Young fragile trees can stand up to stiff winds better if they’re staked to help keep them upright. 

Young trees have shallow root systems and flexible trunks that make them vulnerable to strong winds. 

The stakes keep the trunk vertical, which reduces the risk of the trunk bending and breaking under the force of the wind. 

But the stakes should be installed loosely to allow for movement. 

Even some mature trees can benefit from staking to protect your garden during a storm, like a bougainvillea “standard” that’s been trained into a tree form. Their branches can be brittle in strong winds.
 
No idea how to do this whole staking business? Here’s a quick lesson: 

• Anchor the stakes securely. Drive them into the ground around the tree, but outside the root ball.
• Attach the ties loosely. Use flexible ties to connect the stakes to the tree and make sure the ties aren’t too tight.
• Remove the stakes after the storm, to allow the tree to develop its own strong root system and trunk. 

3. Remove Any Large Fruit from Trees

Lucky enough to have trees in your backyard tropical paradise heavy with tasty grapefruit, mango or papaya? 

That’s one of the blissful benefits of living in a tropical climate. Yard to table fruit! But the extra weight of that juicy fruit can cause the tree branches to break in a storm. It’s a good idea to pick any fruit as part of your hurricane season backyard protection. 

Fruit salad, anybody? 

4. Hurricane-proof Landscaping: Clear Gutters and Downspouts

This is nobody’s favorite outdoor chore, but it’s important to clear your gutters and downspouts of leaves and debris to prevent water from backing up. Debris can clog storm drains, worsening flooding problems.

And speaking of water backing up…

5. Check Your Drains 

Inspect and clear any drains around your property to prevent flooding. Now is a good time to check your grading, too. Make sure your yard's grading slopes away from the house to guide water away and prevent flooding. Check in with landscaping services in Sarasota if your slope needs adjusting.  

6. Bring Loose Items Inside

 Take a look around your yard and imagine hurricane-force winds hurtling through. What would go flying? 

Protect your garden during a storm by bringing loose items inside or securing them so they don’t get damaged or become weapons in the wind. 

We’re talking patio umbrellas, bird feeders, bird baths, garden ornaments, wind chimes, lanterns, potted plants, and your mother-in-law lounging by the pool. It’s all safer inside.

7. Switch to Soft Mulch

Replace hard mulch like gravel or river rocks with soft mulch — think shredded bark — as part of your hurricane season backyard protection. The softer stuff is less likely to become hurtling projectiles in high wind.

8. Have a Plan to Protect Outdoor Furniture

What’s the plan for your outdoor furniture? You need one. 

There are a few options:

• Add extra weight to it with sandbags to help it stay put.
• Store it in the garage, a storage shed or some other safe indoor area.
• Sink it in the swimming pool. That’s right. Your waterproof outdoor furniture will be safe underwater. 

How to Hurricane-proof Your Landscaping? Talk to Us 

“The Wizard of Oz” is a classic. Everybody should see it. But you don’t want to re-enact that swirling tornado scene at your house when a tropical storm blows through. Keep your precious stuff safe on the ground. 

Tropical Gardens landscaping services in Sarasota includes expert strategies designed to help protect your precious landscaping from destructive storm damage.  

Give us a call or fill out our form today! Our team of Sarasota plant experts can’t wait to care for your landscape plants, keeping them happy, healthy and beautiful year round — even through hurricane season.