Landscaping

Challenges Facing the Green Industry

Losses from the storm could affect the green industry production for years to come.

By EMILY TICKNER, Rotolo Consultants Inc.

Following winter storm Uri, many nurseries in the Houston area are feeling the impact. When news of the impending storm was announced, nursery owners sprang into action, looking for ways to protect their plants from the freeze. Many of these local nurseries were not prepared for the freeze as this type of weather is not typically seen in the Houston area.

The last time Texas saw a freeze of this magnitude was over 20 years ago, in 1989. While many covered their delicate plants with freeze cloth, others resorted to moving plants into greenhouses that would later collapse due to ice. While nurseries saw damage to the plants outside of greenhouses, the most significant damage was found in greenhouses' collapse across the area. One wholesale nursery reported a loss of 40 of 45 greenhouses.

At this time, the full extent of the damage and losses caused by winter storm Uri is not available, but the losses from the storm could affect the green industry production for years to come. A state-wide assessment has been distributed that will provide us with more information regarding the storm's impact in the coming weeks. This assessment will help local landscape maintenance providers gain a better understanding of where they may need to adjust the landscape to meet the current plant shortage appearing in the industry.

A Southern Shortage

At press time, we saw the start of the plant shortage in Houston. This shortage started moving across the southern states as nurseries and landscape maintenance/construction companies rushed to find replacements for not only what was lost but also spring annuals and enhancements.

What does this mean for property owners in the area? Many landscape management companies will be working hard to mitigate the damage done to properties. There’s a possibility the landscape will worsen before it gets better, as many plants will need to be pruned back to properly come back for the spring.

A delay in the annual installation is also a possibility due to the lingering cold nights. Putting out delicate new landscaping during that time could have caused more loss as these new plants cannot thrive in cold weather. Looking at the current landscape may be grim, but it is not a total loss.

Spring Forward

Shrubs, trees, and perennials may look like a lost cause but should be cut back and may recover. Complete recovery of these plants to their pre-freeze size may take a couple of years, depending on the magnitude of the damage. While the ability to cut these shrubs and trees back will help mitigate the damage, this will also result in a delay before seeing the landscape reach full maturity once again.

Tropical trees and seasonal color are the plants to consider replacing, although sometimes tropical trees can be fertilized and make a full recovery. It is recommended to give these tropical trees some time to recover before calling them a complete loss and replacing them. They may not show signs of recovery until later in the season but keep checking for buds or new growth as a sign they will come back. On the other hand, the seasonal color will need to be removed until the spring changeout can happen.

This spring changeout should not happen until the temperature is able to support these plants. This will mean waiting until warmer nights to reduce the chance of losing these new flowers. The first step to repairing the damage is to walk the property with the landscape management provider and establish a game plan. This plan should periodically be revisited as some of the landscape begins to come back. The key to a sound remediation plan will be patience. Taking the time to bring back the plants that are currently in the landscape will aid in keeping the look of a mature landscape on the property.

Winter storm Uri has caused damage across the Houston area, not just to the landscapes. It is essential to keep a positive outlook as remediation of properties is happening. With time, they will return better than before. "While the situation we were left with following the freeze seemed disheartening and somewhat overwhelming, the Houston area is resilient. As we have seen after previous natural disasters in the area, this community rallies and returns better than ever. I am confident in our industry's ability to work through these current challenges and setbacks while maintaining the standard of care you are accustomed to receiving. While walking your property may have looked like a total loss, there are many options to reduce these losses and grow your landscape back to its previous beauty," divisional manager Bryan Martin with RCO said.

Amongst the many industry professionals spoken to regarding this topic, it has been continuously stated that this industry will bounce back along with Houston and its residents.

Emily Tickner is a marketing specialist for Rotolo Consultants Inc (RCI). She can be reached at etickner@rotoloconsultants.com. Since 1976, RCI has designed, constructed and maintained many of the most innovative and beautiful landscapes in the southeastern United States. Through the years, they have evolved from a small family nursery business to one of the largest, most respected firms in the industry. They are one of only a handful of landscapers in the nation with the proven ability to install complicated $1 to $2 million projects in fewer than 30 days. Learn more about RCI by visiting their website at www.rotoloconsultants.com.