Wind burn damage: Post-hurricane tips from ArtisTree Landscape.

Wind burn damage
This viburnum hedge took a beating from Hurricane Milton but will eventually recover.

Wind burn damage is a pretty dark subject in Florida’s landscape world. Green leaves turn black or brown, looking like burnt toast before finally giving up and fluttering to the ground. Hurricane Milton’s desiccating winds punished local landscapes indiscriminately, leaving homeowners and landscape companies with overwhelming cleanup. But not all is lost. In fact, ArtisTree is already seeing new buds sprouting throughout our properties just a week after Milton blew through.

Patience is key: Bouncing back from wind burn damage takes time.

Most plants will recover from wind burn damage, but don’t expect it to happen overnight. Whatever you do, don’t start cutting your trees, shrubs and palms back unnecessarily. Some homeowners have asked ArtisTree to “cut all the brown stuff off” so their landscapes will look nice again. But doing so adds stress to already-weakened plant material. Plus, cutting back plants prematurely can induce new growth which is more susceptible to cold damage. Strategic and timely pruning is always the best to grow.

Wind burn damage
These firebush shrubs will drop their “burned” leaves and later fill in with new leaf growth.

Keep your plants watered.

The science behind wind-burned leaves is easy to understand. Browning starts at the edges of the leaves and progresses toward the veins. With no more moisture inside, they’re left looking scorched. As much as you can (and with Mother Nature’s help), continue to maintain normal watering to encourage the recovery process and encourage new leaf growth. This is even more important if your plants have been damaged by sea spray. Get fresh water on them as soon as possible to flush the salt out from the soil (although most plants damaged by coastal flooding probably won’t recover).  https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/salt.shtml

Wind burn damage
“Scorched” bougainvillea vine will need a few weeks to look full and hardy again.

Remember, many of our local plants and trees bounce back when exposed to Florida’s “winter” temperatures. With a little help from us humans and Mother Nature, they can bounce back from wind burn damage, too. It just takes patience and trying not to blow things out of proportion, so to speak.

Wind burn damage
Best to take a wait-and-see approach before strategically pruning this cocoplum hedge. Below, a dramatic example of directional wind burn damage to this holly tree in Venice, FL.
wind burn damage
ArtisTree HOA landscape maintenance

To get your landscape renovation started now, browse ArtisTree’s portfolio and then call Jenni Lassen at 941.488.8897, ext. 312, to meet with one of our award-winning designers. We proudly serve Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and South Hillsborough counties.

ArtisTree also provides complete landscape maintenance services for HOA communities throughout Southwest Florida. Contact Michael Casper at 941.488.8897, ext. 321, for your custom proposal.  

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