Jersey Shore Magazine

T 'S I M PA C PLANT on SANDY Seeds of Discontent Salt water flooding left behind carrot-colored evergreens such as arborvitae, boxwoods, and Leyland cypresses. A continued on page 36 s h o r e • F a l l / h o l i d a y 2 0 1 3 barrier island. "What's interesting is the variability. Dead Japanese pine trees are standing right next to live Japanese pine trees." There is a scientific answer for this destruction. "The chlorine in salt water is sodium chloride. The chlorine gets taken up into the plant and carried along with water into the leaves and branch tips," Costaris said. "The water evaporates and the chlorine piles up." Moreover, "It burns the edges of the leaf. If there is enough chlorine, it kills leaves and tips of branches," Costaris explained. "Salt water dries out root systems as well." The extent of the damage depends on the location of your property. "Anywhere the barrier island was breached, especially Mantoloking, salt water killed most of the vegetation," said Jason Austin, greenhouse manager at RareFind Nursery in Jackson. However, "Ninety percent of the flood waters in other areas were brackish bay water. Plants will burn from this, but in most cases not die," Austin said. j e r s e y utumn dawns on the Jersey Shore. Nature is in full bloom as leaves are dressed in particolored foliage. Maples are festive, radiating red and neon yellow. The oaks are more demure, dressed in rust. And, ironically, evergreens are decked in orange. You can thank Superstorm Sandy. The culprit? Salt water damage. Salt water flooding left behind other carrot-colored evergreens such as arborvitae, boxwoods, and Leyland cypresses. Your lawn may either be dead, or worse, erased from the map. Flowers and shrubs—like one of the Shore's favorite, the hydrangea—have withered. It's been a long road to recovery for most homeowners. The priority has been fixing infrastructure and damaged homes. Many are just beginning to tackle their landscapes now, a year after Sandy. What can be done? Charlene Costaris, Horticulturist Consultant for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County, has seen first-hand the effects of Sandy on local vegetation up and down the If you are faced with the daunting task of having to restore your plants after Sandy, here are some expert tips for the best ways to get green. First, don't think that all of your plants need to be scrapped, especially in areas flooded by the bay. To test if your plants are still living, Costaris advises to scrape off a bit of the bark. If it's brown under the bark, it's gone. If it reveals some green underneath, then the plant might still be able to recover. Or, bend a twig—if it snaps, the plant is dead; if it bends, it is still alive. "For plants that seem to be making it, the single most important thing to do is keep them watered," Costaris recommends. Plants won't be "working as well" due to root damage. "1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, or 1.5 to 1.75 inches two times per week in sandy soil will lessen the stress on the plant and allow it to heal." However, if your plants are still entirely brown, they may have gone to the great garden in the sky. "If a plant hasn't sent out any new growth, that's a really, really bad sign," Costaris said. "At this stage in the game, it's pretty obvious which plants are dead or not. I think by Laura Webber Kerwin Laura Webber Kerwin The Dirt on Restoring Plant Life, Post-Sandy LIFE 35

• Cover