May 2, 2016

avalanche column

April 28, 2016

Oh yes it does seem like it is that time of year when gale force winds and hail storms are around the corner.

Without the use of row covers this time of year can be quite difficult for gardeners. Hopefully this year we do not get late season freezes like we have gotten in the past.

Those adventurous gardeners who their gardens have already planted it is of the highest importance to keep an eye on weather forecasts. This can give you a clue as to what the weather may do that day.

It is important that with row covers / fabric that you keep it off of the plants by using hoops. There are two reasons. Freezing temperatures will translocate right through the fabric and burn leaves that are touching the fabric. Windy days can abrade young seedlings to the ground while mature plants can be bruised. With a daylong wind storm there will be some plant contact but nothing like if the fabric was left to “float” over the plants.

With hail storms duration and intensity are all important. Forty five minutes of pea sized hail that turns the ground white can do more damage than 5 minutes of golf ball hail. These storms are all the “luck of the draw”

I use two thicknesses of fabric. The light one is almost like sheer cloth (ag 19) and the other is like denim (ag 70).  Of course the 70 gives the best protection but to cover all the beds would be extremely expensive. I reserve this for my more valuable crops. The use of 2 layers of 19 is really good hail protection. During one golf ball sized storm: uncovered beds were sent through a meat grinder; single layer of 19, the hail was slowed but went through but with the 2 layers most just bounced off.

There are only a few crops that I do not leave covered for the full season; these are in the cucurbit family (squash, melons, cucumbers…). These crops need to be pollinated. The rest of the veggies that have flowers are (for the most part) self-fertile and can be kept covered. This is an immense help going into hail season.

Sooo if you will be gone all day, especially mid to late afternoon, it would do no harm to your cucurbits to leave them covered all day. This would be much preferred than coming home to confetti.

If by chance you are unfortunate and get clobbered by a hail storm, it is absolutely imperative to clean up all of the shredded foliage immediately! For the cucurbits, all of the shredded foliage is a calling card to cucumber beetles and the party will be on. Once when I worked away from home and was side slapped with hail mid-week, I was overrun with cucumber beetles by the weekend. Time is of the essence.

Questions? I can be contacted at markdirtfarmer@gmail.com. Or more garden notes at redwagonfarm.blogspot.com