Hail Drill/Protection

I don't want to jinx anyone but don't forget to practise your hail drill and get your protection ready. We've had a bad hit here already sigh. Also if you use boxes like me, don't forget to have one to put over your head so you don't get cut.

Dahlianut. as a new rocky mountain resident, I must say...what are you talking about!?! I do know we get horrible hail here, but I was unaware that there was a protocol about what I should do. Eek! Last summer it didn't rain ONCE without hail...I recall that very vividly.
I am so glad you brought this up though, because clearly I'm clueless! Can you fill me in? :)

It really depends on what plants you are trying to protect. Many of the native (penstemons) and acclimated (from similar climate) plants will have little or no damage from hail because they evolved in areas that experienced frequent hailstorms. Others (garden vegetables, for example) will become plant smoothies, ready for the compost pile.

Exactamundo greenjay. art_n_garden iIt TOTALLY depends on what/if you want to protect and of course if you're home when it happens. I have some tender bulbs in containers that I pull under the eaves and I put boxes over new perennial plantings. I think the best defense is to water with cold water to dissolve the ice as soon as you can so I'm usually out there with a box on my head watering in the hail/rain LOL. I too let my annuals and kitchen greens turn to coleslaw while I water down my dahlias.

Alsop Happy B-day art_n_garden. Hope your day is filled with sunbeams and blooms.

Aw thank you! It was filled with subbeams (maybe too many, I'm a little burned) and blooms and a great plant shopping trip!

GJ, as you said "natives" should be fine in hail, I had to chuckle because last year I remember throwing many curses at the clouds for my swiss cheese brugmansias. lol Glad to hear about the watering trick to melt the ice- didn't know the pellets could harm the plants once they were on land, too. Thanks for the head's up!

Excellante art_n_garden about your sunbeam day! We had h*a*i*l today that pitted my dahlia foliage sigh but not bad enough to make coleslaw out of my herb/greens bed whew. Glad you had a great B-Day but don't forget your sunscreen! Sadly we need to be really careful about the beams now :(

Hey art, a very happy b-day wish!! Ah, another gemini.... I had 1st year hostas that got smashed last year. Took them a couple of months to grow back. Fortunately, didn't have the veg garden out yet. Keeping my fingers crossed-so far, so good this year.

Thanks paul! Yep, gemini. :)
Dahlianut, I think you jinxed yourself! Glad it wasn't too bad though. We still haven't really had any moisture that could even turn into hail here in a couple days. Supposed to thunderstorm later this week though...how I missed the thunder!

So far anything hail has done to my gardens in Montana seems utterly insignificant compared to spending a 1.5 billion dollar storm with soft ball sized hail and 80mph winds in a tent in Fort Worth during an art show. The tent was shredded and my daughter and I huddled under my counter with the chairs pulled up to prevent the bouncing hail from hitting us.

The only sheet metal on my van without hail damage was the driver door. Windows smashed, wipers and mirrors hailed off, etc.

I think I can cope with a few holes in leaves from time to time...

And I am another Gemini too.

Happy Birthdays all around! I'm a June birthday Cancerian. Dahlia, I've been practicing the Hail Drill since Sunday. So far just clouding up and the storms going east. But, we're due. I put potted plants under chairs and tables but everything else is on its own. D.H. mocks me. He does. He thinks a little hail is nice, I guess. He has obviously never experienced hail like you had in Fort Worth, Mulch. I had thought we might go camping up north for my b'day, but realized today that there is just way too much going on here right now to leave. A friend volunteered to water but also mentioned that he would be out of town at the same time for the weekend. Men! D.H. is annoyed that I want to stay home. I'm hoping I can get him to agree to a compromise; shorter trip and maybe just do a motel. I love to camp but to get all the gear together, the food, etc. for only 1 or 2 nights isn't worth it to me.