Post on 25-Feb-2016
description
Recovering the Flooded Landscape
Tennessee Master Gardeners
Ashland City
Courtesy of Ashland City Times
Kingston Springs
Courtesy of Ashland City Times
Residence
Courtesy of Ashland City Times
Welcome to Ashland City
Courtesy of Ashland City Times
First Things First:
Be aware of personal safety (downed power lines, sewage-contaminated water, displaced wildlife)
Attend to your damaged home
Document damage and report to insurance company, TEMA/FEMA
The Clean Up: Is the site dry enough to enter?
Thick silt will cover the landscape & may have a raw sewage-like odor Caused by lack of oxygen in the soil
When dry, remove trash, debris & uprooted plants
Separate home trash from yard waste—place in designated place for pick up
Your Landscape May Recover!: Established plants have a good chance of
survival
Many plants will look dead, but don’t pull them out unless physically damage is major
Known to survive after 2 weeks under water: Native trees Native shrubs Native perennials Hardy bulbs
Plants at Risk (don’t like “wet feet”):
Japanese Holly Japanese Boxwood Indian Hawthorn Nandina Hybrid Junipers Hybrid Azaleas Encore Azalea
Plants Most Likely to Survive:
Crape Myrtles Chinese Holly
Casissa Holly Burford Holly Burford Holly & Crape
Myrtles 3 months after flood
Plants Most Likely to Survive:Crape Myrtle
Chinese Holly
Deciduous & Evergreen Plants: Most deciduous plants will defoliate immediately after a
flood
Before pruning, wait to see if bare branches bud out in next month or two
Hardy evergreens (like Chinese Hollies) may hold their leaves Washing the silt off evergreens will aid their survival (do not
pressure wash)
Cover any exposed roots
Apply fresh mulch (never use fresh hardwood mulch)
Trees: Remove excess silt and soil from trunks and crowns
Cover any exposed roots
Remove broken or damaged limbs Wait to see if bare branches start to bud out in next month or
two
Apply fresh mulch (never use fresh hardwood mulch)
Trees may experience a forced dormancy due to flood shock & lack of soil oxygen Leaves will turn yellow & drop off, and some branch die-back
may occur
Trees:
Trees may experience a forced dormancy due to flood shock & lack of soil oxygen Leaves will turn yellow & drop off, and some
branch die-back may occur
Anticipate: Plants will be stressed
Poor growth More diseases
Wet soils encourage root and crown diseases (fungi) Fusarium spp. Phytopthora spp. Pythium spp. Rhizocotonia solani
Improve site drainage Helps reduce stress and disease
Replace lost soils with organic matter
Nutrients: Avoid excessive nutrients during recovery
High nitrogen fertilizers are not beneficial to trees & shrubs at this time
Excessive fertilization can increase diseases Take a soil sample to determine needs Organic matter replaces lost soil microbes as
well as slow-release nutrients
Your Flooded Garden:
Gardens: Food Safety!!
Flood waters are contaminated with raw sewage Handle with caution
Eating leafy or bulb/root vegetables should be avoidedSpinach or lettuceGarlic, onions, radishes
Some vegetables are less risky if they can be boiledTurnips
Visit http://foodsafety.gov for more information on food preparation & safety
Newly Seeded Gardens: Most did not survive the flood, or were washed
away
The good news? We have much of the growing season left to start over
Let soil dry out completely--working wet soils leads to large dirt clods and future soil compaction
Add amendments, composted organic matter, straw and mulch
Flooded Turfgrass:
Golf Course
Athletic Field—after flood
Turf & Lawn Areas: Most resilient to flooding:
Bermuda grass Bahia grass Hybrids of the above
Bermuda grass, under 4 weeks of floodwater, has responded with re-growth after drying out
First, remove sediment, silt, organic debris Mow, removing only 1/3 of height Apply 1/2 lb. of nitrogen per 1,000 sf – will
encourage turf recovery Follow normal maintenance practices
Sprinkler Systems: Turn off power & inspect electrical systems Replace irrigation clock if it was flooded Have backflow prevention system inspected by a
professional Shut off water supply, open drain valve, drain
water from underground pipes Rotors—remove, shake out, & rinse Flush the pipe system before replacing the heads
Sprinkler Systems (cont): Open valves one at a time to full open position
& turn system on manually Run water for 5 minutes at each zone Reinstall heads & run system for 10 minutes Turn off water & be sure all heads retract Replace heads not working properly
Patience
Salvaging a flooded landscape can be economically feasible if you have the time & patience
Let your plants return naturally
Replant with native species
Nature’s resilience will amaze you
Websites for Additional Information:
http://www.extension.org/pages/Recovering_the_Flooded_Landscape
http://utextension.tennessee.edu/Pages/default.aspx
http://fcs.tennessee.edu/nutrfdsfty/safefd/index.htm
Facebook: Tennessee Master Gardener page
Thank You Nancy Coop, Cheatham County MG