From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ohio

Eric's post on wind protection reminded me of another thing in mother nature that can ruin a plant in a hurry, and that's HAIL.
I say every year I'm going to try and figure out something to protect me from a hail storm, something I can pull over my plants quick if that happens.

I was wondering how many of you take this precaution and what your set up is, what type material do you use?
Id like to be able to pull something over the plants quickly that will be able to hold up to the wind.

Just looking for some ideas, thanks all!
Brooks

5/12/2009 11:51:51 AM

Picton,ON ([email protected])

I have thought many times about erecting a retractable shade cloth, like the stuff used in ginsing or commercial blueberry fields, for just such a purpose. This would also work on extreamly high UV days when we get leaf burn etc. Not sure of the cost and it would have to be a semi-permenant structure.

We got hit three times last year with hail. two of those times we were home when it hit, so the cloth would not have been effective anyway

5/12/2009 12:50:30 PM

Ohio

Yea, thats the trouble with hail storms, its hard to predict when they will hit, you think a simple rain storm is coming, and then Bam, golfball size hail. Then if you did try to go out in the hail storm to cover your plants up, whats the chances of getting knocked out from it,,lol!!!!!, I know it doesnt feel good getting pounded with hail on top of the head!!!,,lol!

5/12/2009 1:28:03 PM

Eugene, OR

Once again, no expert here but I've dealt with my fair share of bad wind as well as hail. Shade cloth to the rescue again. This was my solution: http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=67506

The system was supported by nylon coated steel cables at each edge running through grommets and a main support cable at the peak. In the "retracted" state, the cable at the peak of the hail screen was slack, making it easy to slide the cover back and forth over the entire patch. Once it was slid in place over the patch, I just tightened up the cable at the peak to pull it tight. It took all of 5 minutes and 1 person to cover the entire patch. Completely convertible, easy to install, and quick to get over the patch when a storm is brewing.

Did it work? You tell me! http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=73666

5/12/2009 3:38:35 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I have five stitches from a ringed golfball hailstone, when I tried to cover a brand new windshield...

I have some steel fenceposts set, with crosswires, to drag big tarps over... rethinking that and maybe getting big enough shade cloth panels to also be hail net....

5/12/2009 4:13:26 PM

Woodburn, Indiana

This is what I use:

http://www.cmhg.gc.ca/cmh/en/image_619.asp?page_id=680

5/12/2009 4:15:17 PM

Ohio

Brian, where did you get your shade cloth, and what was the price for it?,,, nice set up with the cables, I like that idea.

Brooks

5/12/2009 4:48:43 PM

Brian, you need to give up your job as an engineer and become a full time PSC. (Pumpkin Systems Consultant.) :)

5/12/2009 4:54:16 PM

Ohio

lol!! He does come up with some great idea's Nilbert,,lol!!

5/12/2009 5:18:11 PM

Denver, CO

http://www.hydro-gardens.com/GSHFlooringhtm.htm#Hail%20Guard

This is what several of us growers in Colorado use. We are said to be the hail capital of the world. It is an almost certianty that some sort of hail storm will pass over our patches each year. After loosing plants to times, once in september for God's sake, I purchased an errected the netting.

That said, the last two years, I have not had a hail storm hit my patch LOL. Murphy's law.

It's great stuff, but not cheap. It come clear now, with a shade factor of 10%. About $200 to cover a 25 X 25 area.

5/12/2009 5:23:13 PM

Ohio

Kelly, That is nice to have , but do you have one of these like I do?,,, ha!

i use this,,,, http://www.anti-grele.fr/antihail_hail-protection.htm

5/12/2009 5:39:31 PM

great link brooks,,I applied for the crop insurance,,thanks!

5/12/2009 8:16:31 PM

Dallas, Oregon

My only hail protection is a Hail Mary.

5/12/2009 8:48:36 PM

Fairport,NY

thought this was a great idea for early hail protection?
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=104661

5/12/2009 9:41:18 PM

Rhode Island

i have a retractable roof that i purchase from the old dallas cowboys facility.
if hail arrives i just push a button. when its cold i turn up the heat. to hot? i put on the air conditioning with over head misting.
i also installed in ground root tubes that i can feed nutrients into and/or inject oxygen in the air air lines running 12 inches underground.
no earthquake protection yet. im working on it.
pap

5/12/2009 11:59:16 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Kelly, sorta thinkin a tea cup over yer plant would be much more cost effective!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...pap, how long did Tremor spend in yer patch to get 12 inches deep?

5/13/2009 12:16:17 AM

Ontario

lololol....thanks for the chuckle pap.....good one....

5/13/2009 12:24:28 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

was looking into bird netting but he weave teands to be a little large, anything like taps would tend to get weighed down and might come crashing down on the plants, there is hail netting avaible but tends to be for commercial use and in large sizes thus pricey.
Glenn

5/13/2009 8:00:20 AM

Oz

Metal screen.
Coil it into a cone(tepee).
Use bamboo stakes and wire garbage ties to hold it in place.

5/13/2009 10:59:51 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Hah....We dont let a little hail scare us off.......

5/13/2009 2:05:14 PM

Colorado

Check this link. They have several plant protection products. Friendly service and reasonalbe pricing.
They will also custom cut to the demensions that you need.

http://www.gintec-shade.com/pro_guard_apples.html

And trust me the Wiz is speaking from very painful experience....LB

5/13/2009 4:11:06 PM

Colorado

Dang it. Wrong link. Here is the correct link for the folks
I have been dealing with.

http://www.theshadeclothplace.com/white.html

5/13/2009 4:13:38 PM

Minerva,ohio

I unknowingly found the use of my shade cloth quite helpful in protecting from hail, I just streched it over the pvc frame for my hoops attached by clamps, i have kept them up all season and have found them to be a great help in the time of those nasty wind/hail storms.

5/13/2009 5:24:30 PM

anyone tried this on say 8-10 plant patch size

5/13/2009 5:28:25 PM

Ohio

Ive never used it, but what about reemay fabric? You can buy it in 15x50 size, and its less then 35 bucks. Would this be to thin to hold up to hail?
It says Reemay doesnt stetch and it holds up well in hot and cold temps.

5/13/2009 9:05:45 PM

Joliet, IL

brooks,
i still have all my earth anchors, perimeter posts in place and steel wire cables to cover half of the patch if i wanted to like in the picture attached. all i have to do is bring out the hand post hole digger, put up four 4 x 4s that are 10' long. dig 2' down, put them in, string the cables, spread the shade cloth and zip tie to a perimeter steel cable line with industrial strength zip ties for the weight of the hail. i could get it up in hour if needed. if i put the posts in place and run the cable in advance, 20 minutes to spread the cloth and zip tie. i have it on hand if we get a stretch of 100 degree temps at key pollination times. i got tired of putting it up and pulling it down for possible hail. now i just roll the dice. but here was my set up in 2004 in this pic.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=23431

5/13/2009 9:41:33 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

yep, shade cloth. I have pictures in past diaries of covering about 30' x 50' with shade cloth.you could easily do it with more.

5/14/2009 8:35:21 PM