Ideas for early season rain protection?

My Achilles heel is the rain we often get just after the dahlia tubers are planted in mid-May. This of course causes a fair amount to rot before they have a chance to come up. Its a particular problem for me because of the large amount of clay under my raised beds. Later on its not so much of a problem, as they can take it when they are bigger. So what to do? I am thinking I want to buy some 6mil greenhouse film, which usually has about 90% light transmission, and attach it somehow to the 8' stakes I put in for each plant. Does that sound practical? Not sure exactly how it could be done at a decent slant so the rain would run off, I'd probably have to punch holes in it for the stakes. I would need some solution to last only 3-4 weeks I think. Any ideas? I don't want to go all out and build a greenhouse that big.

Thanks,
Tod

My achilles heel is similar to your achilles heel only it often rains into June here too :(

It seems to me like you'd be further ahead and avoid the hassle of building a rain deflector by just starting your dahlia loot in pots or containers. They'd be well-rooted, growing, and once hardened off you can plant them right into the soil, rain or shine.

If you don't want to do all that container starting, maybe experiment with a smaller rain-protected area and see how it works in general before going to all the work. I think I recall you have no garage, but maybe a small, simple cold frame would get your dahlias started and be much easier than a larger rainforest-proofing job.

I thought of such things, but I have maybe 185 to start, that made me balk at trying to pot all those. Then I started thinking of all the mishaps pulling them out of 10 inch pots with all that loose soil. But I am starting my backups indoors, I figure I could fit 16 or so under lights. Indeed I have no garage. Rainforest-proofing? I like that! :) Anyone got 185 cheap umbrellas?!

Sorry but I have plans for this one!

You need to contact the gent from Travelers Insurance Tod!
http://azoony.com/hattrips/hartford/travelers-hat-install.jpg

I really don't see any practical way to protect your raised beds unless you employ a hoop house model with rounded roof for runoff. Could you mark where stakes will go later with short sticks and hoop your plastic over the beds until better weather?
It seems like it would be easy to attach PVC receptors to your raised bed slats and remove hoops/plastic later.
Similar to this maybe?
http://www.noble.org/Ag/Horticulture/MiniHoopHouse/index.html

Using newspaper liners in gallon pots is easy. The plants root well and the paper pot slides out easily for transplant, degrades into the soil, and opens up easily on the bottom for continued root spread. Not easy for 185, but for some late bloomers it would be doable.

PIrl I love your 'heirloom' dahlia under shade there!

How about a massive amount of shower caps pinned to the earth with earth staples?

He's in constant bloom, Pooch!

LOL! Some interesting ideas! Does your DH have 172 friends who'd like to stand in my garden bed for a few weeks pirl?! :) I am thinking - could I get a PVC pipe that would be a 20' half circle? With standard 12' wide plastic cover I would need maybe 4-5 hoops only for the main bed.

Uh oh! This could mean a dry spring if you go ahead with your plan.