hail protection advice?

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!

 Sincerely, Kseniya.

Hi Kseniya,

 Thanks for the feedback and you are smart to think ahead!  Actually, I haven't ever used anything that is specific for hail protection so I can't speak from experience - but the hail we get here can be so strong that in some cases it is hard to imagine a thin screening material being able to protect plants without getting shredded itself or else the supports not being able to hold the load.  You could try window screening material as long as it is well supported.  That said, I haven't tried it, so maybe someone else will chime in...?

I tend to grow my most tender things in pots that can be moved, so if I am going away in the summertime (or if hail threatens) I put them all in a sheltered spot in the yard (eg. east facing).  The sheltered spot is also partly shady so the pots don't dry out as fast either, if you're going to be away for a while, meaning they don't have to be watered as often.  I think you're more likely to get help from a neighbour to water every couple of days rather than asking them to be responsible to run out and shelter your plants at any sign of bad weather.

Does that help?  If anyone else out there has advice, please chime in!

Janice

Comments

[Kseniya]

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 :)

[Tammy]

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.

[Janice Miller-Young]

Yes Kseniya, keep us posted!  And thanks Tammy, I agree with you.
Janice

[Tatiana]

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.

[Janice Miller-Young]

Thanks Tatiana!  So youve used it?

[Tatiana]

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.

[Janice Miller-Young]

Thanks Tatiana!  Lets hope for no golf-ball-sized hail this year! 

Janice

[Dale Jackson]

use diamond lathe to protect against hail. cheap easy movable and works against golf ball size hail.

[Air Alkali]

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

[supra foot]

I like the writing structure of your blog and it does a pretty decent job of presenting the material.