Preparing Your Garden for Tropical Cyclone Oma
Hovering off the Queensland coast line at the moment is Tropical Cyclone Oma and, like any good Dutch or German Grandma (Oma means Grandma in Dutch and German), she is making her presence known.
Scroll down for some quick tips and reminders on how to prepare for the strong winds of TC Oma.
Correct as at 3pm 21/02/2019
A few months ago I suggested some tips on preparing your garden for storm season that you might want to check out. Before the winds come it is really important to clean up:
dead branches
loose fixtures and outdoor settings
Doing so will help reduce the risk of wayward branches and objects causing damage to your or someone else’s property. Worse still, these projectiles can cause injury to unsuspecting passers by. Branches can also land on or bring down power lines. In any of these instances please call the relevant emergency service to assist. DO NOT TOUCH POWER LINES OR ANYTHING THAT IS IN CONTACT WITH POWER LINES.
Best emergency contacts are:
The wind will likely cause damage to broad leaf plants such as Helaconias. The leaves may be shredded and burned by the wind. To help reduce this damage, or to at least give the plants the best chance at rejuvenation, feed them some Charlie Carp or Seasol. Don’t remove the dead/damaged leaves until new growth starts to come through.
The BOM suggests that South East QLD will get some rain, even if TC Oma doesn’t make landfall. Either way, drag out the soaker house NOW and soak your garden. The wind will dry out the plants and, if it does rain, soaking the soil now will encourage the soil to soak up the rain like a sponge.
For your own peace of mind over the next 24 - 48 hours please keep an eye on the BOM website at www.bom.gov.au for the latest on TC Oma and follow all the good advice to ensure your safety.
Images: 1 Tropical Cyclone Oma, 2 Garden Drum