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Commercial Irrigation, Snow and Ice Management May Help Prevent Winter Rot | Potomac MD

Have the plants throughout your business’ landscape started to wilt? Did their leaves turn dull and are the shrubs showing signs of gumming? If so, the problems could be caused by improper commercial irrigation as well as ineffective, snow and ice management. Why? All three may contribute towards creating a wet soil environment that’s conducive for the development of root and crown rot.

In our years of commercial landscaping experience, crown and root rot tends to occur when the soil stays overly moist and warm for extended periods of time. Poor drainage and undesirable soil content have the potential to create excessive moisture. As for the snow cover and ice, they often help warm up the soil and can also cause tissue damage to occur. With that said, there are steps that may be taken to prevent winter rot from devastating commercial landscaping.

First, make sure that your commercial irrigation system is up to snuff. It should be designed to keep water off of tree trunks and plant stalks plus reduce incidents of soil saturation. In addition, your business’ watering schedule should match the plant’s needs and not create situations where plant stress is likely to occur.

Second, ask about having your soil amended and aerated as needed. It will go a long way in helping get rid of excess moisture. The same may be said for installing drainage systems, which are designed to pull excess rainwater and snowmelt away from delicate vegetation.

Third, be proactive by choosing high quality, healthy plants that are known to resist root rot and assorted diseases. Doing so will help give the landscape a fighting chance of surviving the ravages of winter at least relatively unscathed.

Fourth, at the first signs of root rot, take action. Depending on the weather conditions and the plant itself, there may be a window of opportunity to make temporary corrections. For example, it may be possible to remove some of the moisture or damaged areas before the rot situation progresses past the point of no return.

To learn more about the aforementioned preventive measures and other ways to get a handle on winter rot, please contact us at Chapel Valley Landscape Company. Our list of services includes, but isn’t limited to commercial irrigation, water management, plant health care, snow and ice management.