Hail Damage: What You Should Be Concerned About!
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Hail damage to trees, shrubs and other garden plants is an all-too-common occurrence at this time of year. We rely on thunderstorms to bring us rain in order to water our lawns and garden plants, but storms can come with hail, and even pea-sized hail can end up causing severe damage.
After a hail storm, you need to inspect all your plants, shrubs and trees for damage. The part of a plant that typically gets the most damage are the leaves on all your plants. The hail stones can punch holes in the leaves or even shred flowers and their stems.
Depending on the severity of the storm, leaves and stems can be ripped from plants and branches can be torn from the tree. The damage usually occurs on the side of the plant that faces the storm and on the top-side of the branches.
If the damage occurred in early summer, it is a good idea to fertilize your plants, which will help them to grow new leaves. Be sure to stay on top of watering, especially any plants that were severely damaged. An addition of 2 to 3 inches of composted mulch will also benefit these plants.
If the damage is localized to the leaves and they look tattered or torn, it is okay, especially if it occurs while these plants are actively growing. The plant has plenty of food reserves to grow new leaves so they will recover. If there are broken branches, carefully prune them. Be sure to cut back to a main limb/branch and, not in the middle of the limb/branch.
Damage to limbs should recover on their own. The plant will form a callus over small damaged branches and twigs. If a limb has extensive hail damage, you may want to consult an arborist for the best approach. In some cases, the only choice is to remove the damaged plant and replace it.
Take the time to evaluate the damage and take the necessary steps to help your plants recover and heal. It may take a year or more for complete recovery, but if you give your plants some TLC, they will recover.