Wind Damage in the Garden

30 Jan Wind Damage in the Garden

Below are some tips on dealing with damage caused to plants by wind and ways to help treat damaged plants and prevent problems:

Wind Burn

Whilst people are most aware of the drying effects of windy weather on our skin, wind also has a drying effect on plant foliage, especially spring growth which has not yet hardened off.

Prevention: Keep plants, especially potted ones well watered during periods of high winds. Look at re-locating any potted plants out of harms way. Foliar applications of Yates “Droughtshield” also protect against this form of wind damage by putting a polymer coating on the leaf surface.

Rubbing Damage

Windy weather is a time where you can check the effectiveness of your pruning techniques in removing crossing branches through winter. Physical rubbing of stems and branches damages the plant making an ideal entry point for plant pests and diseases.

Prevention: Always keep a close eye on your plants to make sure that there are no crossing branches that could rub against each other and cause damage. Any branches that have been damaged should be cleaned up with a sharp knife.

Breakage

This catastrophic failure is the most common in standardised top heavy plants (Roses etc) and also on grafted specimens. It can also be caused by long-forgotten wire plant ties that have been left on the plant too long, causing it to cut into the plant as it grows.

Prevention: Make sure that staked plants are allowed some movement when planted to help increase their taper. Movement will thicken the trunk/stem and protect the plant in times of high winds. Using three stakes and tying loosely to all three is ideal. Standardised plants need to be properly staked to limit movement as they are an exception to the above rule.

Instead of using wire plant ties use “Budding tape” or other plant tie that allows for expansion of the stem.

Cure: If you have had your plant snap in half you can attempt to tape it back up with budding tape to form a tight, weather tight seal around the stem. Doing this as soon as damage is noticed is critical for success. Electrical tape can also make for a handy quick-fix used in the same way. Remove any excessive foliage that will reduce the strain on the damaged branch. Small splints can help take the weight in the interim till the branch recovers. Ties and splints should only be removed after several months.