Storms and the garden

Some sad news today: the arbor on the west end of the garden blew over in yesterdays insanely windy storm. Thankfully, we didn't lose any trees in the garden, although many were blown over on campus.  In honor of our lost arbor, today's post will be about preparing your garden for a nasty storm. I will also talk a about trees, as many beautiful old trees were lost in the storm.

Most advice on storm preparation is geared towards preventing damage from hurricanes. Lots of this information is still applicable for us in the Midwest, as high winds in a storm and flooding can cause major damage to the landscape. Trees are generally most impacted by these winds.
Maintaining a healthy tree is the best thing you can do to prevent damage.  Removing dead, dying, or weak limbs is the best way to prevent a tree from uprooting or dropping branches.  When pruning, keep branches that have a 45-90 degree angle to the trunk. Staking taller plants or plants with weaker stems can prevent them from snapping.  I'm proud to say none of my tomatoes toppled over yesterday. Bring hanging baskets into the garage. 

After a storm has passed through, be sure to inspect trees for damage.  Broken limbs should be removed back to the trunk of the tree to minimize disease susceptibility.  If bark has been torn away, clean the edges of the wound to speed the healing process.  The Arbor Day Foundation has a great article on repairing storm damaged trees.
Check it out: http://www.arborday.org/media/stormrecovery/4_treefirstaid.cfm

Sometimes, obviously, trees need to be removed and replaced.  While it is sad to see an old tree go, take the opportunity to pick something fun and new for your landscape. Here are some interesting and unique options:

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Ginkgo biloba can grow up to 50' tall.  Leaves have a great fall color and the tree maintains a nice rounded form. I also really like the bark texture. The UMN extension recommends purchasing a 4-5' tree to insure Winter hardiness.

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Flowering Crabapple trees are a great way to add some color to the landscape. And you can make pickled apples out of the fruit! Size can range from 7-25' depending on the cultivar. There are many different types available.

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 Ironwood, or Hop Hornbeam, is a nice native tree for the landscape. The bark is very smooth and they grow some interested catkins, resembling hops.  Ironwood can grow 25-40' tall.  The tree has few insect or disease problems and will tolerate a wide range of soils. 

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 Russian Olive Trees are grown for their silvery foliage.  The trees, considered shrubs by some, grow up to 25' tall. They are drought and soil tolerant, making them pretty easy to grow and maintain.

 For a more complete list of trees for the Minnesota landscape, refer to the UMN extension website: www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/0545frame01.html