Protecting Your Garden During Thunderstorms

After what feels like never-ending sunshine over the last few weeks, the weather appears to have finally broken, with the Met Office now saying that more unsettled conditions are on the way, with thunderstorms forecast until Wednesday (August 16th).

Interestingly, thunderstorms and specifically lightning can actually be very beneficial for our gardens, helping to fertilise the soil by breaking nitrogen molecules in the air apart. 

These single molecules then bond with oxygen to form nitrogen oxide. This then dissolves in water droplets to create nitric acid and then nitrates, which fall as rain and make their way into the soil, where plants can absorb it and really start to grow. Next time it thunders, take a look at your lawn… you might well see it looking very lush and green!

While it’s great for our gardens that rain is on the horizon, stormy weather can also cause quite a lot of damage to our outside spaces, so taking some precautions now could stand you in excellent stead in the near future.

Staking small and young trees can help protect them when the wind whips up, but make sure that you stake them loosely, as this will allow them to move with the wind and help prevent breakage.

Covering smaller plants outside with buckets or large containers and weighing them down with something heavy can help keep them safe and sound. Alternatively, you could bring them inside if you really want to keep an eye on them.

Also head outside to look at trees and bushes that may have broken branches, as these could be quite dangerous during high winds and stormy weather.

Tidy up your outside areas and lock everything away in the garden shed to help prevent debris from being blown about, which could also cause a fair bit of damage.

Here’s hoping your garden makes it through the adverse conditions in one piece! If you need the help of Merseyside landscapers after it’s all blown over, get in touch with the team here at LW Landscapes to see what we can do.