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Joliet, IL

i had some sturdy plastic laundry baskets i used last year
to protect small pumpkins from the sun. easy to adjust,
with good ventilation.

last night after watching the weather channel (anyone else
think christina abernathy from the weather channel is
smokin' hot?) and seeing a chance to get severe
thunderstorms with possibility of HAIL and HIGH WINDS,
i decided to put the laundry baskets to good use.
so inside my 2' silt fence windbreaks, i put the baskets
over the plants with a couple bricks on top to secure them.

well at 1:30 a.m. last night i looked out window and i
thought i was looking through a waterfall. 2" rain in
1 an a half hours. i am not sure if it hailed, but the rain itself would have pounded the young plants.
with more severe weather lined up for a lot of the country
i thought i would pass on the tip.

has anyone ever had hail damage using 6 mil visqeen
cold frames? does the 6 mil plastic hold up to large hail?

5/9/2003 1:36:00 PM

Western Pa.

Shazz,

Usually by the time we get hail
around here, the plants have outgrown the hoophouses. My "hoops" are covered with 6 mil, and they do a pretty good job deflecting hail and heavy rain.If the hail gets around 1- 1/2 to 2" diameter, pray a lot! Be sure to stake the hoophouses down for high winds.(I had one "fly" 100'!) Even though they don't look pretty, I've seen a lot of AG plants survive an early hail storm.
kilr

5/9/2003 1:57:29 PM

Joliet, IL

thanx kilr. i figured the 6 mil would hold but i am afraid
of the wind at the same time. i also just went out to look
at the plants and realized another good use for the laundry
baskets...as sun acclimators.

for those falling behind in getting them outdoors cuz
the crappy weather, you can regulate the amount of full sun
once the plants are in the ground with a laundry basket
shade. just an idea, but it seems to make sense.

5/9/2003 2:11:36 PM

Massillon, Ohio

just wanted to let you know that i got a laugh out of your comment on christina abernathy. i too know the weather forcasters by name and pick out all the hot guy ones. (reminds me of those old weather channel commercials; "you are not alone if you are a weather fan" type ones) haha.

5/9/2003 2:50:07 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

you can also use lawn chairs

5/9/2003 4:06:20 PM

Commack, NY

i think that Christina Abernathy is HOT! :)

5/9/2003 5:37:27 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

note to self....when flipping channels stop by and check out Christina.

Er... I mean the weather, yeah the weather.

5/9/2003 5:54:09 PM

Kansas

I use an old card table i found at a garage sale for hail and heavy rain protection when my plants are young. The four skinny legs sink nicely into the soil and stay in place. Goes up quick and with a couple of them i can cover a good size area.

Shawn

5/9/2003 7:50:03 PM

Joliet, IL

basebell, glad u got a laugh at my christina abernathy
comment. yes i am a weatherchannel junkie and she definately does it for me...sharon resultan use to be my
favorite weather chickie, but christina is now number one.

and i am now laughing at myself for sounding like a
perverted freak...who is kidding who, i am a perverted freak. lol.

shawn, thanx for the card table idea because by
next week the laundry baskets will be too small.

5/10/2003 12:57:24 PM