Before
you start selecting plants, you should
evaluate your shoreline
property to identify areas for specific
plants or improvements. After you have
completed this quick evaluation, visit
the Plants for
Wildlife page to start selecting plants.
As you evaluate each of the features below,
be sure to record your observations in
a notebook for future reference.
Sun: Knowing how much sun or shade different areas of your property receive is important
when selecting plants. On a sunny day, watch what spots stay in the
sun, shade or get some of both.
Soil Moisture: Some
plants prefer more moisture, while others
are better at tolerating drought. Moisture
loving plants will do better in low spots
or nearer the shoreline. Higher spots away
from the water will need plants that prefer
drier soils.
Soil pH: Soils
can be limey, neutral or acidic. Since
many plants have soil pH preferences, testing
the pH of your soil can
help you make more informed plant selections.
The Cornell
Nutrient Analysis Laboratories, your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office and many
local nurseries can provide you with a
test kit.
Erosion: Do
you have an eroding bank? Some plants are
better at controlling erosion on banks
than others. Look for plants listed as "Bank
Cover" in
the plant
list [653KB PDF] or consider
using
wattles of
willow or dogwood shrubs. Keep in mind
that very steep slopes may require alternative
drainage and structural technologies, such
as drainage pipes or a sea wall in lieu
of or in addition to woody plants. Visit
the Bluffs page
for more information.
Views: Careful placement of different sized trees
and shrubs can help enhance views that are valuable and can help screen
less desirable views.
Activities: Consider your common activities and leave
enough open areas to conduct them. For example, you may need to allow
enough access to the shore to allow you to launch your boat. Plan the
best way for people to get to the water without treading over
existing vegetation.
Hardiness
Zones: When
selecting plants you should consider the
minimum winter temperature at which the
plants can survive. The USDA
Hardiness Zone map for New York from
the Cornell
University Department of Horticulture
depicts these temperature minimums as zones.
The Lake Ontario shoreline falls in Zones
5a, 5b and 6a. Generally, the southern shore
of Lake Ontario falls in Zone 6a (average
minimum temperature of -10 to -5 degrees
Fahrenheit) while the rest of the shoreline
is considered Zones 5a (average minimum
temperature of -20 to -15 degrees Fahrenheit)
and 5b (average minimum temperature of
-15 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit). All plants
listed in the plant
list [653KB PDF] will grow in
either of these zones or lower numbered
zones.
