when are you sowing your garden this year?

[rbeau30]

That really sucks. I'm setting up a tarp that I can throw over my garden to keep the hail and frost away. It will attach to the ledge around the garden and hopefully the wind won't blow it off. We have an ornamental pear tree that got destroyed by the frost 2 weeks ago. It was looking soooo healthy, and now all the leaves curled up and died. This is a really harsh environment to try to grow anything.

I am beginning to learn that, I also haven't even gotten to the point to see if there are any pests in the earea that will pick off the remaining fruit. I might have to research maybe some netting or something. I am into canning and preserving so I would love to keep myself busy this summer with that.

Good news is the Hops did well through the frost issues and hail! Only one Hops plant stunted a little, the rest are all climbing the trellis. Potatoes got a little black but I think they will pull through.

Grape vines/raspberries/blackberries/strawberries/walking onions seem unaffected. However all the stalks of new Asparagus are pulverized.

[HoneyBadger]

Of course, the hail is on its way.... At least this makes me feel like I did something.


This also creates a greenhouse of sorts... that's good for gardens, right?




I have a bunch of these 4 mil tarps in my disaster kit. I guess I'll let ya'll know if they are good for anything.

[rbeau30]

Of course, the hail is on its way.... At least this makes me feel like I did something.


This also creates a greenhouse of sorts... that's good for gardens, right?




I have a bunch of these 4 mil tarps in my disaster kit. I guess I'll let ya'll know if they are good for anything.

I think I have a project for the weekend. What are you clipping the grommets to?

[HoneyBadger]

I staked them down outside the box, and I stapled the tarp down to the box and the wooden stakes.

[rbeau30]

I staked them down outside the box, and I stapled the tarp down to the box and the wooden stakes.

Thanks!It looked like you had some sort of clips there or something. I think that is black tape now that I look at it more.

[hollohas]

Hail got my garden today. The early harvest spring veggies got trashed. Strawberries, lettuce, sugar snap peas, radishes and onions are shreaded. Hopefully they bounce back.

Luckily everything else was either not up yet or in the case of my peppers and tomatoes, were covered because they're still getting hardened off.

[HoneyBadger]

Yeah... I used duct tape to reinforce the corners and some of the staples.

It looks like it held up fine to some 20+mph winds and a little bit of 1/4" hail. But, I should add... that's barely even a storm in these parts. The other side of town had several feet of water in the streets along with several inches of hail up to an inch in diameter. I think 1" hail would probably shred this plastic.

[Irving]

So did the plastic work?

[HoneyBadger]

So did the plastic work?

It's still up. Last night we got a good soaking rain and it collected in a pool on top of the plastic. it got so heavy that it eventually tore a hole at the nearest post which lowered the side enough to allow some drainage. I will put a taller post in the center in the future to give the "roof" some pitch. Today we got some hail up to .5" and the plastic deflected it all with no problems. There is about a 2" gap most of the way around the bottom and the side nearest the house is a little more open so it has good ventilation. All seems to be well. If there isn't any more hail (or tornadoes) in the long-term forecast, then I'm going to take it down in the middle of the week. It's was mostly just a trial run. There isn't a lot in there to protect yet because most of the seeds won't even break the surface for another week or two.

[rbeau30]

Got the squash/cukes/tomatoes/red peppers out yesterday. I put a Tarp over the top of the tomato trellis forming a tent. It should deflect the brunt of the downpours.

The seedlings are a little small yet, but they survived the night pretty well. With the extra sun they will get, I think they will start shooting up.

Also bought and planted a black currant bush. Should be great around Xmas time for a ham topping!