HOORAY! The snow has melted and Spring has sprung. Now that our yards are finally visible again, LCM PLUS has some insight into winter damage and how to reduce the ill effects & get your landscape looking fantastic faster!
Have you witnessed discoloration, burning, or spotting on your plants? Wind, reflecting sunlight, plus salt & ice melt can all harm plants. Our first piece of advice: Don’t panic! Although some plants may appear to be beyond salvation do not discount them just yet. Often times between May and June, depending on the species, plants will bounce back and begin growing new sprouts.
Common New England problems include wind desiccation and leaf scorch. When there is not enough water in the cellular system of the plant, stems and leaves suffer tissue damage. Cold winds which are dry of any humidity exacerbate this effect. Sunlight reflecting off snow can be intense and cause burns on leaves and needles.
As you may have noticed, many home owners have their bushes and other shrubs wrapped with burlap late in the season. Now heavy snow and ice will not accumulate on the fragile limbs. Wrapping plants or applying anti-transpirants, a waxy protective spray, is a great way to reduce the effects of a damaging Massachusetts winter much like this years. Additionally an anti-desiccant or screen barrier can be used to deflect the reflecting light around the snow-line at the base of the planting.
Keep in mind that a plants growth cycle is always ahead of the season in preparation for the next phase of development. Once the snow melts and the ground has begun to thaw it is a good idea to hose down your plantings and soak the soil. This will rinse off sediment that has accumulated through the winter as well as dilute the salt concentration in the soil from applying ice melt and salt.
A healthy landscape will successfully defend itself against most infestations and diseases. Protect your investment by implementing a balanced healthy schedule. In the early spring a spray of dormant oil will control the developing fungal spores and any over-wintering insect eggs. Fungicidal treatment and direct injection root feeding is available for targeted areas that need a bit more TLC.
Let’s put the drab of winter behind us and usher in a colorful spring season! If you need help identifying or remediating winter damage, give us a call! Our experienced landscape professionals can diagnose the extent of winter damage and help you develop the best strategy to get your landscape flourishing.
Then begins the weeding and pruning!
