The ‘Scoop was blown right out of my shoes by the wind!
In one weekend almost every leaf in the neighborhood has been ripped from its branches. Except my neighbor’s oak... the Mighty Oak really do hang on to their leaves for as long as possible. While the weather report says winds gusting to 35 mph, I’m thinking they should add a “feels like” to that and make it 80 mph!
Cool or not, things to do with those leaves include:
- Piling them up and jumping in, although that generally means you’re under the age of 12 but not limited to.
- There’s the old rake method. No one really enjoys that one.
- The ‘Scoop’s preference is to mow them over and leave them on the lawn or gather some chopped leaves for mulching purposes.
- Waiting for them to blow into the neighbors’ yard.
- Hiring a teenager to rake and then take them to the compost site. The leaves and/or the teenager.
- Or do nothing, nothing at all. And that’s okay until spring. Then you’ll want to rake out any thick layers to prevent mold in your landscape.
What does that kind of wind do to our plants? For those of you yawning right now, hold on to your hat, I’ll try to make it more interesting for you.
Here’s the good news, our plants become strengthened by the “right amount” of wind, in particular, trees.
And the bad news, the most damage occurs when winds are 30 mph and over. It affects transpiration. Plants will close their leaves to reduce water loss. Very important in a drought. Unfortunately, that also limits the plants ability to breathe.
Strong gusty winds shred leaves, tear off flowers, break branches and can uproot shrubs and trees. In particular plants that are less than 3 years old. As mentioned above, constant wind pulls moisture from the foliage faster than roots can draw it from the soil. And since we continue to experience drought, that’s even more of an issue. WATER, WATER, WATER. And mulch too. Here’s more from Gertens LEARN section on Fall/Winter Care.
If you have newly planted trees and shrubs in a windy area, consider creating a wind screen using stakes and burlap. Or don’t plant in a wind tunnel!
Another great idea is to create a living wind screen. Talk with Gertens experts for the best advice for your particular situation. Keep in mind that you don’t want the screen to create too much shade.
Putting rocks in my pockets,
