Winter storms are here, once again, in the Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver areas. Rain, hail and windy weather have already become rather abundant this fall. The Pacific Northwest is all-too familiar with this kind of weather and the havoc it can wreak on our landscapes. Cleaning up after a storm can be discouraging, oftentimes leaving us with no idea on where to start. Here we will discuss just that: Storm Cleanups.
Inspecting Trees
A great place to start before beginning a storm cleanup is inspecting any trees you have on your property. It is quiet common for trees to become damaged during heavy storm season, so it is important to thoroughly investigate any trees that have become damaged. Wind can cause branches to snap and fall to the ground or become tangled in other branches, precariously waiting to fall. Snow and, cold weather in general, can not only weaken branches but damage entire trees. These kinds of incidents can create hazards for people, pets, and homes as well. Therefore, after any major storm, it is important to begin with looking to see if any trees have been compromised and decide if any branches need to be pruned or trimmed or if the entire tree should be removed. The threat of falling limbs or trees can have dire consequences for your loved ones and homes, so addressing tree damage is paramount to your safety. One of the best solutions for this problem is to care for your trees (as well as shrubs and bushes) regularly throughout the year. This can be accomplished by proper pruning and trimming as well as fertilizing and mulching to ensure a strong and healthy root system.
Debris
More often than not, the biggest issue after a storm is the debris that gets strewn about our yards. High winds and heavy rains easily create an abundance of leaf litter, branches, trash, and other debris that can quickly clutter our lawns and landscapes. Sometimes its hard to figure out where all of this excess debris even came from! During any storm cleanup, debris will need to be addressed. Picking up trash and properly disposing of it is an important first step. Then you can turn your attention toward larger items like branches, which can be gathered and either removed from the property or chipped down and used for mulch. Lastly, rake any leaf litter or other small organic matter into piles. Then, you can either place these in a compost pile to break down and be reused to build soil later, or you can simply remove it entirely from your property by taking it to a recycling/refuse center.
Water
Annual rainfall in Camas alone is about 61 inches, which is higher than most places throughout other portions of Washington State. So, needless to say, we get A LOT of rain. This has its pros and cons; it can make our state feel dreary at times, but it is also why it is so lush and green throughout the year. Standing water, however, can have an abundance of negative impacts on our homes, lawns, and landscapes. Standing water that pools after a heavy rain can carry with it pathogens from sewer systems; this can potentially have negative impacts on our health, especially with the case of home flooding. Oftentimes, when standing water accumulates on your property it means there is a problem with water runoff. In other words, the water on your property has nowhere to go, so it pools in localized areas. One sure-fire way to treat smaller amounts of standing water is to plant hydrophilic (“water-loving”) plants throughout your landscape. If you have an abundance of standing water, it would be advisable to backfill the area and look into redirecting the water, dispersing it over a larger area of your landscape.
Storm cleanup can be an intensive project that will take plenty of hard work. With extensive storms it is a good idea to call a skilled and experienced professional to handle the cleanup for you. From fallen branches and flooding to picking up the mess of leaves left on your landscape, Urban Eden Landscaping can handle it all. Contact us today or fill out our FREE online estimate request!