Greetings from your gardening friends at Stadler Nurseries!
Oh boy…as the snow from the recent storms melts, we are starting to see the damage that lies beneath. Let us describe what you can expect and how to help your plants.
What to Expect
- Unfortunately, plants cannot stand up to heavy snow drifts or mountains of
snow piled on top of them. Any type of plant, evergreen or deciduous (loses its
leaves), has the potential to be crushed. We are seeing medium to large sized
shrubs completely flattened to the ground.
- Plants which are planted near streets, driveways and walks may have been
sprayed with salt or ice melting chemicals, which may kill branches or root
systems.
- Many large shrubs and trees have broken branches, have the tops broken or
have cracks and splits. Some of the damage might not become apparent until
later this spring as new growth develops.
- Evergreen plants may have the leaves or needles stripped from the top of the
branches. This was probably caused by animals (not just deer) eating the
leaves to survive while their normal food sources were unavailable.
- Large trees and shrubs are falling over due to the saturated soil.
- Some damage will not show up until spring. The soil is becoming more and more saturated as the snow melts. The excessive wetness may rot root systems, resulting in plant decline or death. This may be the situation for perennial plants as well, especially grasses.
What You Can Do
- Allow the snow to melt gradually. Do not attempt to shovel out plants.
- Survey your property looking carefully for potentially hazardous situations, such
as leaning trees and cracked limbs.
- Prune broken branches. Do not use pruning sealants. As branches break and
fall they can tear into the trunk. Unfortunately that tear can be an avenue for
insects and decay and it may require professional care.
- Deciduous shrubs, such as barberry, nandina, hydrangeas and spirea, can be
cut back to the ground if they have been crushed by the snow. This is an
extreme measure which should only be used in circumstances like the ones we
have right now. Since the root system should be fine, the plant will probably
come back. Depending on its age and size, however, it may take several years
to recover to its original size.
- Evergreens which have been crushed may not recover as easily. You can attempt to tie up branches of boxwood, junipers, yews and other shrubs. Chain lock rope (a plastic interlocking rope, sold at the nursery) can be used to support the branches. Here again, it may take years for the branches to correct themselves. Because the branches are tied together, there may be an increased chance of fungal diseases.
New Beginnings
We're all in this together! Here at the nurseries, we are commiserating with each other about our poor plants in our own gardens! We keep telling each other that we have to think of this as an opportunity to create new gardens and to try new plants that we didn't have room for before.
- Many of the plants that are the most severely damaged are also some of the
most tried and true, such as inkberry holly, boxwood, junipers and arborvitae. It
is important to remember that we are dealing with an act of God, not plant
varieties with inherent problems. If you need to make some plant replacements,
you do not need to feel that you should not use the same plant if you were
satisfied with it.
- Stadler is here to help! If you are unsure about what to do with damaged plants, you can bring in or email a picture to us. Please include something (such as a yardstick or a person) in the picture to add a sense of scale. If you send an email, please include information regarding the type of plant and how long it has been planted. You may send your email to kims@stadlernurseries.com, Stadler can provide you with an estimate to remove damaged trees and shrubs and plant replacements, if necessary.
Spring Hours
Our spring hours will resume for all stores beginning Monday, March 8th. The garden centers will be open 7 days a week 8:00 - 7:00.
Free Tree Planting Sale
Our famous Tree Planting Sale starts on the 10th. If you are planning to have trees planted, you may want to participate in The United Nations program "Plant for the Planet - Billion Tree Campaign." Their goal is to plant at least one billion trees worldwide each year. It's easy to register your trees at www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/about/index.asp.
Unadvertised Specials
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Until next time... happy gardening!
