Officials at Pennington Seed, Inc. , however, are providing a ray of sunshine in 1998 with improved seed production and distribution capabilities to help the nation rebuild from El Nino's wrath and prepare against future conditions. The windy, rainy weather that accompanies El Nino could affect Americans' turf and gardens.
Strong storms can cause landscape problems such as flooding, broken tree limbs and erosion.
Plants may become waterlogged, topsoil and hillsides can be washed away, and trees can fall. I would expect that the icestorm will result in a need for overseeding, because ice is the most devastating element to turf and gardens. There is always a certain amount of renovation that is done in addition to new construction, but especially in years when there are a lot of trees breaking and a lot of damage from people driving and walking over the turf. This year Pennington will produce approximately 150 million pounds of turf grass seed, which is about 15 percent of the worldwide industry's 1 billion pounds harvested annually. The interest in high-quality turf grass is as strong as it ever has been.