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Bristol R.I. USA

We got hit with some heavy winds. It just so happens that 2 days prior I took down the hoophouses. I got nailed even with silt fence and parked cars on the perimeter of the patch. Talk about disapointment. Anyone expirience the same and whats the suggestions. Can the plants bounce back?

6/3/2011 8:58:33 AM

Weedville,pa

kenny, your experience is EXACTLY the same as mine. We were expecting 90+ degree days on Memorial Day and on Tuesday and I was fearful of my plants suffering too much heat stress. I took down my hoop frames and put up silt fence on Memorial Day and was feeling confident I had protected them. Well, to my horror I watched the wind howl all day at work on Tuesday. My early plant for a county fair was OK but the two others were thrashed badly. One even had the main vine buried at several places and it was completely pulled up out of the soil, the main was twisted and split. I'm a rookie, so I'm still watching and hoping they recover.

6/3/2011 9:14:53 AM

Polson, Montana

Just about the same story here in Montana except it is 42 degrees, high winds, and lots of rain. Took the cold frame off one vine Sunday and it got hit pretty hard by the wind and cold. Had it pinned pretty well but over an inch of cold rain didn't help. Got some other vines that need to come out but I am reluctant.

6/3/2011 10:56:44 AM

ipswich, ma usa

They will be fine rebury the vines give them a shot of fish and water and sit back and watch. As long as the vines are not snapped off the will live. It's still ealry so much of the growth is still to come, believe me after 12 years doing this a few broken leaves and whipped around vines is nothing.

John (5150)

6/3/2011 11:01:42 AM

Buffalo, New York

We had Warm Sunny days this week with HIGH winds. I lost a few leaves to sunburn and wind.....

I wont remove the plastic on the hoops until they outgrow them (few days)....still having cold nights here and have the heaters going at night and high winds can pop up anytime.

6/3/2011 11:07:23 AM

Bethlehem CT

Same here Kenny, They will be fine. I will just cut off the snapped leaf stalks. The plants recover so quickly.

6/3/2011 12:23:19 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Plastic hangers from the dollar store cut in half to make anchors

6/3/2011 12:58:14 PM

Ohio

kenny, sorry to hear that about your plants. I have had the same thing happen to me a time or two, since then I now leave my hoops up untill the plant completly out grows them.

6/3/2011 1:17:47 PM

Midwest

Sorry about the damage Kenny... I don't know what's going on with the weather but its sure been windy everywhere for days and days. The wind caused the stump to split on one of my plants. At least you've got silt fences up. You're plants will bounce back!

6/3/2011 1:53:09 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I hear yall, The plants where protected by moving a few cars from the neiborhood around the patch the 1596 Wallace and the 991 Urena got hit pretty good. I staked up some of the leaves and pruned the remaining snapped leafs. I still have some leaves but they are looking pretty shabby. At any rate I didn't have to prune around the stump area as the wind took care of that.

6/3/2011 3:58:09 PM

New York

I've had all sorts of plants that grew without missing a beat after having their main stem/vine snapped nearly in half, but still hanging on by a thread or two. Plants are amazingly resilient.

6/3/2011 5:02:30 PM

hate wind damage
just a idea here kenny you mentioned cars
when you get this all done please post pics in your diarie


http://pleasedontreadthis.com/wp-content/car_fence.jpg

6/3/2011 5:39:57 PM

Mass

lost a few stems here and one main kinked due to silt fence stake ripping out. Im not going to use it again. stuff is shreaded!! will use weed barrier or house wrap instead.

6/3/2011 6:43:22 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Don I had a few cars from people in my area that parked them around the patch. My patch is near the water and the wind is always magnified. I think I may be in the clear for tonight. It was a big shock to see such awesome plants on the ground with leaves snapped off. And to think I had just took the hoophouses off the day before. It really rots to see all the work down the toilet. Ive heard that all isn't lost if the main is still in tact. The 991 has a small split in the stump but thats taken care of with some sulfur and cleaned with bleach. The main is fine so I guess I still have a chance at beating my personal best. Its so discouraging to see your plants get hit like that. I'm sure that everyone has had to deal with such things much more tragic then this. Especially some heavy hitters, to go outside and see your hardwork lost is a drag. I understand that Joe Jutras had a hard year this last season from things that he was unable to control. Thats growin. Gotta take your licks and come back fighting until the next bell. Good luck all.

6/3/2011 9:07:58 PM

Ohio

look at Chris Stevens diary from last year, it looked like someone took a machine gun to his plants it, guess what,,he grew his world record off that same plant.

Or look at Tom Privitera's diary from a few years back when he had 90% of his leaves eaten by a ground hog and then look at what he ended up growing,,it isnt over until the skinny lady sings......

6/3/2011 9:51:48 PM

Las Cruces NM

Kenny, spring winds and dustorms are then normal spring here. Winds can go 30-50mph for days -- it is usually windy Mar-May and I've lost several plantings. This year it is still windy! But I'm about to take down the protection.

I've tried that silt fence and it doesn't work for me -- winds too strong. It doesn't help because there not enough stakes and the wind steals it(can fix that). But the big problem I see is wind jumps it like it's not even there -- it has to be higher. I put up series of 4ft clear plastic (so light still get through) using electrical conduit as posts. When it comes t wind, Clearly higher is better. I can place as close as 3ft apart but you have to provide some distance from the plant as the wind wips it good. Took out a main this year cus plastic was too close. I can't use hoop house cuz sun it too intense/hot, but if you can imagine it, it is like hoop house without the top (but some screens are line vice a square. I can move screens as plants grow.

In another post someone had a good pic of one using that crate wrap plastic -- think I'm going to try that next year cuz taping all the plactic is a chore. But even with the best of protection, sometimes mother nature gonig to win.

6/3/2011 11:39:17 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Kenny, a lil late..but here goes...when I put up silt fence, for wind break...I also put up t-posts and pound em down ...and tie strap em to the silt fence, wooden posts!!! Makes em a lot stronger!!! Peace, Wayne

6/4/2011 12:44:16 AM

Putnam Ct.

Kenny ,sorry to hear about damage keep pluging along it is early and things will turn around! I also have wind damage on my two biggest plants lost some big leaves and they had silt fence and a tarp over them the wind has been brutal.

6/4/2011 6:44:47 AM

Muddy Waters

The Pontiac Silver Dome sold for 280,000.00 dollars!If I win Mega-Millions I will buy it I convert to Greenhouse! Great windbreak!!! lol.Only two hundred-eighty thousand-dollars,Its a buyers Market!!lol

6/4/2011 7:44:37 AM

Sharon, MA

Hi Kenny:
I live about 25 miles north of you and got nailed with wind damage too. The vines were anchored down, but I lost about 2-4 leaves per plant from wind shear. Trimmed off the broken leaves. The 4 plants are rebounding nicely though. Hopefully in a week you won't even know that the wind damage happened. I use bamboo to hold the vines down.

6/5/2011 10:56:31 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

I hear ya Steven, I staked down everything and the main was buried. The main is fine but the larger leaves got whacked. I gave them an extra dose of neptunes harvest to help them along. Hopefully in a week of good weather things will look much better.

6/5/2011 11:35:10 AM

Mass

Main on my 1674 Connolly didnt make it! silt fence and stake had ripped out and folded it over last week, It looked like it was recovering some, but I tried to bury some more of it and it snapped right off, about 5ft out. Damm!! Will see if secondary right behind break will take over or not.. We'll get something on it. Sorry Steve

6/5/2011 7:15:04 PM