Don’t Delay Hurricane Preparation

We’re already well into the 2017 hurricane season, and so far southern Florida has been spared. But recent reassessments by the various tropical weather monitoring entities have led them to predict a higher probability of storm activity than they originally foresaw. Consequently, if you still have some preparations to make, we at Richard Lyons’ Nursery recommend that you take care of them as soon as possible.

With respect to your yard, you should pick up and store any loose containers; an airborne clay pot can inflict lots of damage. Beyond that, your primary concern should be the condition of your trees. Selective pruning can open up the canopy of trees so that wind can move through them more readily. A tree that is allowed to develop a very dense canopy will be more prone to breaking or falling over during hurricanes or even tropical storms.

In Miami-Dade County, a homeowner can call 311 to arrange for a bulky waste pickup. Alternatively, an appointment can be made online at

https://www.miamidade.gov/311direct/#/bulkyWaste

However, there is a critical issue to consider when assembling a trash pile: Once an appointment is made, the county has nine calendar days in which to make a pickup. If there is a lot of tropical weather activity in the Caribbean, Gulf or Atlantic, you would be safer leaving your trees unpruned, rather than to have trimmings on the ground with a storm looming. This risk accentuates the importance of wrapping up your hurricane preparation as soon as possible.