Check the forecast for your address and look at what is happening on the porch itself. A covered entry, an open stoop and a spot beneath a downspout will not experience the same weather.
Plan before conditions become slippery or the arrangement becomes unstable. Do not climb through a display to protect it.
After rain, look for water that stays.
Notice puddles, overflowing gutters and water collecting around pots or pumpkins. Avoid adding irrigation to an already wet display, and aim plant watering into the soil.
If a downspout or sprinkler regularly reaches the arrangement, tell us. Moving a heavy grouping is not a quick household task, and laying plastic beneath it can create a different moisture problem.
Check the plants separately.
Rain on the walkway does not prove that the mum’s root ball received water. A porch roof and dense foliage can leave the potting mix dry. Conversely, an outer container may hold water after a storm.
Check the soil and drainage when it is safe to reach them. Do not add water automatically or tip a heavy container to empty it.
Prepare for freezing conditions.
Freezing can damage pumpkins. Check local forecasts as cold weather approaches and contact us early if you are concerned about a large arrangement. No single forecast temperature tells us exactly how every piece on every porch will respond.
If an individual piece is small, stable and safe for you to move, sheltered temporary storage may reduce exposure. Support it from underneath rather than lifting by the stem. Do not remove supporting pumpkins, move bales or attempt heavy lifting.
Keep covers out of the walking route.
Do not drape loose plastic or fabric over a working entrance. It can obstruct the door, catch the wind or hide a trip hazard. A cover should not be treated as a guarantee against freezing or deterioration.
If the only way to protect the display seems to involve blocking the entrance, contact us. People need the door more than the pumpkins need a blanket.
After wind or a freeze, inspect without pulling things apart.
Look for shifted pieces, exposed ties, loose straw and damaged plants. Keep people and pets clear if anything seems unstable. A pumpkin that has changed texture after cold weather needs monitoring, not a coating to disguise the change.
Promptly remove a leaking, moldy, collapsing or significantly soft piece if you can do so safely. Leave heavy or supporting items alone and contact us. Do not wait for season-end pickup.
If weather affects installation day.
We may move an installation when conditions make the work unsafe or likely to damage the property or display. We will contact you about a reasonable alternative under the customer terms.
Do not prepare a slippery or inaccessible area for us to work around. Tell us what you are seeing so we can make a sensible plan together.