Hurricane Ian Prep

[Gulfgardener]

I know some might be avoiding the subject but it might be helpful to start a thread on current hurricane prep for your trees. It's been such a quiet year so far, I really thought we would get lucky and it would take a pass for this season.

Does anyone have any tips for the newcomers that might be in the cone?

What trees are most sensitive to saltwater inundation?
 
Are there ways to protect them?
 
How far back do you prune branches to protect from winds?

Just thought this might help someone. Yes they can search but there might be some new advice to give. My thoughts are with ya'll along the west coast of FL.

[johnb51]

  Stay safe, guys.

[elouicious]

Stay safe all-

you can always replant a tree if you are alive

[1rainman]

Large oak trees need to be cut back and they'll stand. Otherwise they are top heavy and will fall over.

[Galatians522]

Here are my recommendations.

1). Use common sense to observe your yard and house. If you wouldn't drive down the highway at 60, 80, 100 mph with the thing in the bed of your truck, strap it down or put it away. One thing people often forget about is that outdoor fans should be taken down.

2). Although I have never bothered with it myself, some very knowledgeable people recommend reducing tree canopies by about 1/3. That is usually enough to keep them from blowing over. Also remove any limbs that could touch your roof and any fruits that are close to ripe or that could become projectiles.

3). Remember that some damage is preventable and some is not. Pool cages and screen porches are among the most commonly damaged parts of the house that might have been prevented. Slashing or removing the screen is often enough to save the structure and replacing the screen is a lot cheaper than replacing the metal frame.

4). Taping your windows does basically nothing other than waste your time and tape. If you only have boards for a few windows, put them on the windows facing the prevailing winds (windy.com can show a prediction of what direction that will be).

5). Be careful after the storm. More people die each year from running generators in a closed garage or from falling off a roof than from the storm.

[palmcity]

hurricane prep
any tips for in the cone?

If unable to move your boat into safe harbor or out of the water/area,
Lower your Sails or change to a smaller sail size before your mast (limb) gets broken and your boat sink to the bottom (ground).

If in cone... Remove almost all leaves or cut back each leaf to 1/5 size. Could try staking poles & wrapping cords around limbs and poles, good luck, might help.

Newly grafted limbs are especially susceptible to breaking with new big leaves, so cut back to 1/5 size leaves on the graft.

[pineislander]

This is a super weather page that links to everything weather related for hurricanes. We are expected to get some strong effects the expected landfall keeps shifting but for now looks to be somewhere just south of Tampa bay.
https://spaghettimodels.com/

[roblack]

Ian is going to dump a tremendous amount of rain. It is forecast to slow down, which could weaken the storm, but will stick around much longer and bring more water as a result. Just happens to coincide with king tides, which increase the chances of flooding already. Not looking good.

...already over 3 inches of rainfall here in South Miami-Dade (yesterday, last night, and this morning), and these are just the outer bands.

[Gulfgardener]

Newly grafted limbs are especially susceptible to breaking with new big leaves, so cut back to 1/5 size leaves on the graft.

I think I'd almost take scions of rare / favorite varieties just in case. I know there are many more important things to worry about but if you are all prepped or getting ready to hit the road, it might be worth it.

Pineislander - I love this page too! So much information, it's turned me into a weather nerd. I run the models whenever I can.

[pagnr]

The coming Hurricane made the news in Australia, thinking positive for all who may be in it's path.

[Oqueel]

Please be safe everyone out there. Please!

[DeeMango]

All you guys in Pine Island and Ft Myers area - John, Jay, PineIslander, Pine Island Nursery, etc - Stay safe! See you on the other side!

[Orkine]

Prayers, especially for all our friends in South West Florida, especially Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Pinellas County.  Those in Sanibel, Cape Coral, Bokeelia or Pine Island, please stay safe.  The surge and winds on this one are very nasty looking.

[palmcity]

All you guys in Pine Island and Ft Myers area - John, Jay, PineIslander, Pine Island Nursery, etc - Stay safe! See you on the other side!

I see the eyewall now maybe touching Sanibel to Captiva strip of island....

Pine Island look to be next a few minutes away...

Keep your thoughts/prayers out for them today... & of course all others...

One of many tv radar sites:
https://www.wptv.com/live#vidJump

[Epicatt2]

I see the eyewall now maybe touching Sanibel to Captiva strip of island....

Pine Island look to be next a few minutes away...

Keep your thoughts/prayers out for them today... & of course all others...

One of many tv radar sites:
https://www.wptv.com/live#vidJump

It's 4:45pm WED at this writing.  Here in Tampa we're currently getting lots of rain & gusting winds up to maybe 35 mph.  IAN made landfall just north of Fort Myers about an hour ago and that area is presently feeling the worst of the storm right now.

Just checked outside here at my house in Tampa and there's a lot of wind blowing from the northeast.  But so far my tropical saplings in pots are all still upright except for one that has blown over but I am not having any flooding in my yard.

We're being told on TV right now that the winds by this evening here in Tampa may gust to 80mph with occasional squalls.  We may lose power and up 'til now we have only had short power outages lasting less than a minute where I am.  The Tampa Bay area will continue to feel the storm's effects 'til Thurdsay afternoon or evening.

IAN is supposted to head slowly (±9mph) NE passing through Lakeland/winter Haven, then Orlando by about 8pm this evening degrading to a Tropical Storm, and continuing NE on to somewhere near Daytona Beach and then out into the Atlantic.  [< Updated at 1:20am Thurs]

Hoping that everyone is hunkered down somewhere that's a safe place and that all your tropical fruit trees make it through with mnimal or no damage.

Hope this post makes it through because during the time I've been writing this there have been three short power outages that interrupted my wifi service.  Waiting now to get connected again.

Fingers X-ed!

Paul M.
==

[Seanny]

Good luck.

[Samu]

Had many Earthquakes experience, never a Hurricane. Looking scary just from pictures and videos. Feeling concern to all you Floridians, may you stay save, and your plants too!

[bovine421]

Pick the final orange sherbet hanging on the tree was hoping it would last until October for bragging purposes but didn't feel it would make it through the night
 Bamboo is my friend.

[Geeth]

Stay safe all !

[DeeMango]

Has anyone heard from John Painter of Jay Reynolds or any of our other Pine Island growers? Did they all make it out safe? I'm seeing some terrifying footage of Pine Island and Matlacha and I just hope none of them were trying to ride out the storm on the island.

[SunshineState]

The road/bridge to the island is gone. Only access is by boat. No way for emergency vehicles to gain access as of today. Absolutely terrible. The few people I know that stayed and had large mango trees said they are no more. 150+ mph winds. Unsure about any forum members

[Rex Begonias]

The road/bridge to the island is gone. Only access is by boat. No way for emergency vehicles to gain access as of today. Absolutely terrible. The few people I know that stayed and had large mango trees said they are no more. 150+ mph winds. Unsure about any forum members

That is the dang saddest thing.  I wish them the best, hopefully the folks out that way are safe and sound and secondly hopefully more trees will survive than expected.  If nothing more, maybe at least it will offer some opportunities to plant anew. 

[hammer524]

Wow. Feel very fortunate that I haven't had to go through any of the storms you Floridians have. Can't imagine seeing that sort of catastrophe where I live.

[Jagmanjoe]

Has anyone heard from John Painter of Jay Reynolds or any of our other Pine Island growers? Did they all make it out safe? I'm seeing some terrifying footage of Pine Island and Matlacha and I just hope none of them were trying to ride out the storm on the island.

I got a message back from Jay Reynolds on 9/29 around noon time.  He let me know about the situation with the bridge and roads there.  He and family are ok and their house is ok.  Many trees down and a lot of cleanup ahead.  He said many power poles just snapped off as well in his area.

I wish I were younger and closer so I could try to help out.  My age is really showing however as I did something to my back yesterday trying to get one of my trees back up that were knocked down here in Lakeland.  At least here we can get around and stores are already opening and supplies available.

I hope that FEMA and others with the ability are working out the logistics to get the Pine Island people that stayed the supplies and help that I am sure they desperately need, including any medical related assistance and supplies that might be necessary!

[Jagmanjoe]

Here is a link to a FB post by Hans Meister that includes a video by him traveling down Stringfellow Road.  It might help some of you recognize the extent of the damage on Pine Island.

All the best to Hans for posting this video and for the safety and recovery for everyone hit by this hurricane.

https://www.facebook.com/RancherHans