Hello Janice! First I would like to say thank you for running your website – I find it very helpful and pictures from your garden are so inspiring!
I wanted to ask you advice on something. I am planning to put all my annuals and perennials out in the beginning of June and then I would be away for a week. Knowing that June our rainiest months with possible thunder-storms and hail I thought that covering my plants would be a great idea. But I can’t find anything what can be used as hail protection. I have checked in the stores like LOWES and Canadian tire (their garden departments) and nobody never heard about any kind of hail protection. They all saying: just cover plants with empty pots, and it would be fine if I would be at home….
Then I searched internet and I was able to see some websites which offered very fine plastic nets which you stretch above plants, so sun light and rain go through but hail doesn’t. Great idea, but they only sell it for major growers, farms, vineries, etc. So, the amount of your purchase needs to be in hundreds of meters of that net, unfortunately lots in Calgary are not that big J
Soooo, may be you can advise me from your own experience what can be used for protecting plants from hail damage….I am scared that all my hard work will just go wasted and when I come back I would be in tears.
Thank you very much in advance and have a great spring!
Thank you for your answer, Janice!
My mom suggested placing big water jugs in the ground (i will need to make little holes on the bottom of them first) and filling them up with water. So water will gradually release itself in the the soil. Thats how she keeps soil moist when she is away....
But for hail protection - it is still a challenge for me. I will keep you posted, may be with the pictures if I will be able to come up with anyhting :)
Posted by: Kseniya | May 12, 2011 at 07:10 AM
I think that when we live in Calgary (or the prairies for that matter), "bloody hail" as I like to call, can happen anytime, anywhere ... It's part of gardening here... Perennials will be battered but they will come back in time ... you just have to cut them back. Annuals are replaceable or as Janice mentioned moveable to a more protected area.
Posted by: Tammy | May 17, 2011 at 08:03 PM
Yes Kseniya, keep us posted! And thanks Tammy, I agree with you.
Janice
Posted by: Janice Miller-Young | May 17, 2011 at 08:09 PM
I would suggeset the green shade cloth from Lee Valley as an alternative. It's pretty durable, and will both be hail protection and moisture retention. I think it's only 20-30 dollars for a pretty large chunk. It can be stretched over simple supports over a raised bed (with clothespins), or be made into a patio roof type thingie with some wooden supports.
Posted by: Tatiana | May 19, 2011 at 11:25 AM
Thanks Tatiana! So youve used it?
Posted by: Janice Miller-Young | May 19, 2011 at 11:28 AM
I've used it, although not against hail - I put it up to protect my tomatoes from the sun as they harden. It's very tough though, so unless we get golf ball sized hail (and what would work against that?) it should work as hail protection.
Posted by: Tatiana | May 22, 2011 at 09:00 AM
Thanks Tatiana! Lets hope for no golf-ball-sized hail this year!
Janice
Posted by: Janice Miller-Young | May 25, 2011 at 05:29 AM
use diamond lathe to protect against hail. cheap easy movable and works against golf ball size hail.
Posted by: Dale Jackson | June 18, 2011 at 05:40 PM
Dear Janice,
I plant all of my flowers on pots since I didn't have space to plant it on soil.
I plan to make a small greenhouse made from thin plastics to cover my seedling plant. Any suggestion about it?
-Awan
Posted by: Air Alkali | August 11, 2011 at 10:45 PM
I like the writing structure of your blog and it does a pretty decent job of presenting the material.
Posted by: supra foot | October 15, 2011 at 08:06 AM