Did you know your yard is an ecosystem? The lawn and landscape work together to balance each other out, just like the human body. When either the lawn or the landscape are under stress, they become more prone to natural control and disease. This relationship can be seem more than ever after severe weather events. We can see the landscapes changing around us after the hurricane superstorm and two harsh winters. It may seem as though these changes are random, but to a landscaper the patterns are repetitive.

When a shade tree grows for decades on a property, providing shade, moisture and nutrients to a lawn, the lawn adapts to its environment and depends on this shade. Different species of grass that are more acclimated to this environment begin to flourish and slowly take over. The protection that this tree gives to everything beneath it is especially evident in the severe heat of the sumer months. Sometimes a well-defined line of dormancy at the end of the shade line can be clear. Even other times, certain pests like chinch bugs follow this line of shade and attack the more stressed-out grass exposed to heat while the grass in the shade stays untouched.

Consequently, after severe weather events such as a superstorm, one of the things that most affects lawns in the long term is the damage and sometimes removal of these trees that have provided shade for many years. The sudden shock that the lawn goes into causes enough stress that it begins to attract pests to naturally control it. Many homeowners have noticed these effects last season or this season as grubs and other insects have begun to show their signs of damage. If not treated immediately, a lawn will usually have to be renovated and seeded from the start. If you experience damage to a large tree on your property and it either falls or has to be removed, keep an eye out for signs of lawn damage. If you aren’t sure what to do, please give our experts a call.