So, October turned out to be a surprise package weather wise with perhaps the need to create an 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not take Mother Nature lightly.

We were not O-Fay with the first storm and by the time the second hurricane hit us, many plants were Gonz with the Wind!

With such a wetter-than-normal summer which encouraged abundant growth, the landscape was ripe for devastation if hit by a major storm; it is a regular occurrence and yet we continue to let our landscape look after itself which in the long term has a dollar cost in clean-up and just as important an aesthetic cost in loss of mature and general plantings.

With so much top growth and being full of foliage the weight factor during stormy weather is in itself a situation for a problem, combined with, on many occasions, a surface growing root system — because the tree was not planted in a large enough hole to encourage downward growth of the roots and thus act as an anchor during strong winds — the uplift of strong winds against the downward force of wet foliage creates the problem of displacement of the root system from the ground.

Not only is this a case of losing — in most cases the tree — but it can also have ancillary effects on creating walls to tumble, pipes to break and road surfaces to crack if the root system spreads far enough out.

Over-planting in general, including areas which have ‘naturalised’ with self-seeded material, are by their very nature suspect to high winds, especially in ground with little soil depth.

In such locations the roots become surface growing and in competition with their neighbours, with the survival of the fittest being the rule, invariably when one or two trees start to have root movement it can weaken the surrounding area with the result numerous plants are loosened and the problem continues until one or more fall down.

The important point to remember now that we can start to see the extent of the damage is not to rush to remove or cut back material before one has assessed the situation.

It will take several weeks after a hurricane for plants to settle down and new growth generated; once this happens determine the long-term viability of the plant and prune to create openness and structure for the future.

With plants that were partially uplifted and ‘replanted’ continue to monitor that roots are firmly placed and no movement is obvious, this will assist in restoring active growth and anchor the plant during windy periods.

Two important points to ensure a ‘better chance’ of survival for large trees being first and foremost the planting exercise in a hole that is large enough to accommodate a vigorous root system and sustain good growth whilst anchoring the plant in the ground.

Secondly, by having a professional tree surgeon inspecting the trees will immediately identify potential problems such as rot or a weak branch area owing to crossing branches or overcrowding of growth.

Removal of top heavy canopies will reduce the wind impact and allow winds to filter through branches and not hit them as if they were a ‘stone wall’ thus creating damage of the branch system.

It is obvious that many fallen trees had some form of rot with holes and decay being obvious once the trunk was logged up; such rot and therefore weakness was started several years ago and has continued to deteriorate to the detriment of the tree.

Much of the problem lies in the manner in which we conduct monthly maintenance with landscape companies, with the dominant tasks being mowing, hacking and raking whether each task is required or not.

The fact that maintenance covers a much wider palette of tasks seems to be non-existent in both parties case.

Surely it would make more sense to list all tasks required during a calendar year and then designate a timeline for each of the tasks on the said list; such a list should include the obvious, mowing as and when required only, pruning as defined — in most cases — twice or no more than three times per year for shrubs, ground covers, herbaceous, etc.

Weeding and raking are obviously regular tasks, but others to add to the list include pest and disease control which is an ongoing task, fertilising lawns and flower beds, maintenance of tools and equipment to ensure clean and best work practice in the garden. Inspection and, if need be, pruning of large/mature trees and palms at least once, or, better still, twice a year.

Weed control of hard landscaped areas might appear a natural task, but in reality many a large tree which has caused a problem was initially a young seedling left to grow to maturity even though its location was perhaps suspect.

I also noted on one property a wall collapsed because there was a cedar tree growing too close to the wall and its root system had grown toward the wall and then ran parallel to the wall with the outcome during the hurricane, the ‘swaying’ of the tree in the wind dislodged the wall as the root system moved with the tree.

Many properties have lost a high percentage of plants, in such cases assess what and why you want to plant; develop a plan that will not outgrow the allocated space or indeed garden when correct maintenance is carried out.

Remember as plants grow they take up more space, therefore this should be taken into consideration when designing the new layout, even though pruning will within reason keep the top growth in bounds.

What happens below soil level is a mystery to most people; it is only after a hurricane or similar when plants are blown over that the question of a root system becomes a featured part of the plants anatomy!

We live but do not always learn.