Following extreme windstorms, many homeowners find themselves dealing with the “Suddenly Sun Syndrome” or SSS. What’s that? SSS is an influence on the landscape in which lawns, flowers, shrubs and small trees that used to be shaded by trees are now in greater sunlight exposure because they were significantly thinned by Mother Nature or were removed for safety reasons.
What are the consequences of SSS? The most common is the scorch and leaf burn that frequently takes place on plants growing in the spaces under the former tree canopy. Withering and outright desiccation often takes place as well. Depending on the degree of sunlight reduction, most spaces take on an overall burnt and fried appearance. Eventually, these plants die and stop growing, leaving big voids in the landscape.
What can be done about SSS? Fortunately, late summer and early September is a good time to dig and transplant perennials and shrubs to a shadier location. Using a pitchfork, prepare the new location where they will move to, then use the same tool to lift the roots out of the ground and nestle them into their new site. If the perennials are over 2 feet tall, or the shrubs over 4 feet tall, a light cutting back of the stems and foliage will help facilitate the transplanting process. Afterwards, a thorough soaking of the root system will help settle the soil and help encourage the development of new roots from the cut surfaces created during digging. Keeping the roots of the newly transplanted specimens moist, but not soggy or dry will help the establish in their new home. Avoid fertilization until the spring of 2025.
Generally, it’s a good idea to enrich the soil in the new planting area for annuals and perennials with an inch or two of compost before installing the new plants, working it into the upper 6 inches of soil. Incorporating compost into new shrub areas is often problematic in that it encourages the newly forming roots to grow vigorously close to the crown or root plate and not extend out into the landscape sufficiently. As such, it’s a practice to be avoided.
There is a silver lining to SSS; actually, two. In many cases, some perennials and veggie gardens were struggling due to too much shade being cast upon them. Now, after the storm, those landscape spaces receive a greater level of sunlight, and may perform better. For example, sun loving plants such as tomatoes, peppers, yarrow, coreopsis, butterfly milkweed and baptisia may grow better in the increased sunlight instead of floundering in a lower light exposure. As well, lawn areas that were performing poorly due to excessive shade might grow much better after limb or tree removal. If that’s the case in your landscape, make some observations of the newly produced leaves this fall. Note the size and shape of the leaves as well as the overall vigor of the plant.
The second silver lining is that now that more sunlight is being cast in various parts of the landscape, there may be an opportunity to try out some plants that previously were not well adapted or not possible at all. Ornamental grasses such as little bluestem and sideoats grama require full sun to grow well; they become thin and often flop over in shady spaces; likewise for many annuals and perennials such as coneflowers, lavender and peony.
