Spring is a good time to buy or sell your home. If you intend to buy, you may discover that you prefer to make some modifications to your new home. I once revisited my old neighborhood and found that many homes were under reconstruction.
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If you intend to make some major renovations to your home, then it is common during this period of tumult to forget about the foliage and garden that may be nearby. If you are making changes to a new home you have acquired or wish to make modifications to a home you have been living in for many years, then you are going to want to take steps to protect the garden and trees on the property.
You are going to want to take precautions because trees and some kinds of plants can suffer damage due to root injury, compaction of land due to heavy construction equipment. If you want to make topography changes on the property, then the result could be changes to slopes and more.
Affects Of Home Construction To Garden And Trees
Plants are susceptible to damage during construction through a variety of things. For example, construction workers may trample over flora or construction equipment could accidentally be driven over parts of a garden. Just the simple activity of driving construction equipment over the ground can cause damage to roots, stems and branches of trees.
Obviously, you aren’t going to want the construction crew to just run amuck over the property.
Protecting Plants During Construction
Pruning plants and trees to open up areas of your lawn for construction equipment can help to prevent damage. This will probably need to include root pruning. In this case, it may be best to invite an arborist in to perform initial maintenance to prepare for the construction crew. It may become necessary to temporarily move trees or flora to provide a clear path for workers.
Smaller plants can be dug up and the roots wrapped in moistened burlap for a few weeks. Larger plants may require a professional to move and install them into prepared soil until construction is over and the plants can be reinstalled back where they were. For larger plants, it may be a good idea to enclose these plants with fencing and clearly marked posts.
Simple things can also be done including tying back vines and errant branches that might be in the way. Vines that self-attach should be cut back so that they will stick to a surface as they grow out. Vigorous vines including English Ivy, Creeping Fig, and Boston Ivy will quickly grow back and reestablish themselves when the construction is finished.
It is also advised to cover plants. This will prevent chemicals, tar, paint and other common toxic construction materials from contacting plants. Sheets or lightweight cloth would be ideal. They will protect the plants and permit light and air to reach them. If you have delicate plants you wish to cover, construct a scaffold around them and drape the cloth over so that foliage and stems won’t be crushed.
Finally, it is essential that you water the plants during construction. This is especially true for plants that have been moved or are in danger of stresses.
(Source: gardeningknowhow.com)
