Storm Damage Recovery

Severe storms have moved through parts of the country in recent weeks and many homeowners are dealing with storm damage and debris as a result. Keeping your lawn and landscape maintained can be a challenge as summer storms intensify, but it is important to do so to preserve the health of your natural grass. Here are some common lawn challenges and solutions when storms come in:

• In heavy downpours or flash flooding situations, standing water can cause issues with your lawn. Once the water recedes, if you still have grass in that space, you may want to level the ground to address drainage. If not, you may try aerating and fertilizing the area to encourage regrowth.
• Removing debris quickly after the storm subsides will allow the ground to dry and sunlight to promote growth and recovery of plants. Fallen limbs, wayward outdoor furniture and trash blown around by high winds can be the culprits of a great deal of turfgrass loss.
• Utility repair (and other mechanical lawn damage). If heavy equipment is used during or immediately after a storm while the ground is still wet, there could be damage to your landscape that isn’t so easy to repair. If heavy lawn furniture or an unsecured trampoline (aka Nature’s Frisbee) make a hard landing in your lawn, they can likewise cause serious damage. In these situations, often those areas will need to be leveled and re-sodded or seeded. Assess the damage soon after the storm event and make plans to repair… and also maybe secure that trampoline before the next storm!