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Tinybu88les8
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- Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:36 pm
- Location: Southern California
How to Protect Vegetable Garden from a Rain Storm?
Weve got a pretty big storm coming through southern california right now. Supposedly tomorrow the storm will hit its peak. Heres my problem... my artichokes out back are very large (not yet producing) but the rain is destroying them! They look like they have been sat on...laying on the ground on their sides! One of them actually has roots exposed. I tried setting it upright but I heard things snapping and breaking... I don't want to make it worse. Will they be okay or can I protect them? Also... I just started a large pot full of broccoli raab seedlings... the pot filling up with water and the seedlings are actually underwater... I don't know why the pot isnt draining all that extra water! And there is nowhere to protect them from the rain in my backyard. I thought about putting it in the garage but I would have to drag a large very heavy wet muddy drippy pot through the house. What do I do?!
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I'm just answering because nobody else has so far. I don't have much advice. Which way is the wind blowing? Maybe you could put your seedlings in the lee of a wall or a fence? Similarly, can you create a wind shelter for your artichokes, maybe? (something that's NOT going to blow away or into the artichokes)
Do you have benches or patio table that you could put your seedlings under?
Do you have benches or patio table that you could put your seedlings under?
I read about the storm you're having. I used to live in LA, and have experienced those torrential rains. I remember Winnetka Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd in the San Fernando Valley running like rivers! The drains simply couldn't handle the volume of water.
Your container isn't draining because the rain is falling too fast. Can you possibly get it under some kind of shelter, like the eaves of your house? Anything?
I would have advised you to cover the artichokes, if at all possible, with upturned garbage cans, or whatever would have fit over the plants. You probably would have had to put cement blocks or something similar on the cans to hold them down, though, if you're also having wind. Sometimes, sadly, there's just nothing you can do, especially when the plants are large. I can't suggest whether or not they'll survive the storm. I wish you the very best of luck, though.
Your container isn't draining because the rain is falling too fast. Can you possibly get it under some kind of shelter, like the eaves of your house? Anything?
I would have advised you to cover the artichokes, if at all possible, with upturned garbage cans, or whatever would have fit over the plants. You probably would have had to put cement blocks or something similar on the cans to hold them down, though, if you're also having wind. Sometimes, sadly, there's just nothing you can do, especially when the plants are large. I can't suggest whether or not they'll survive the storm. I wish you the very best of luck, though.
In the middle of a storm, the best thing to do is to stay inside. The plants will do as best they can.
If there's a break in the action, staking up the artichokes with sturdy stakes and maybe multiple pantyhose-like ties *may* help, but some of the winds have been over 60 mph (96 kph)!
Re. seedlings: If they're sitting in a pot with a tray, take the pot out of the tray until the storms have passed and get the pot under the eaves, carport, into the lee of the house, anywhere just to relieve the wind burden on the seedlings. Yes, a little air movement is nice, but...this is a bit much!
One of the thunderstorms went right over my house at 3:15 (I was working at home today). So, today, I discovered that my male dog is afraid of thunder, at least when the storm goes right over the house! So lucky...I was working on a document online and my power did NOT go out.
But I'm trying not to look very closely at my winter plants...chard, mostly.
Cynthia
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
If there's a break in the action, staking up the artichokes with sturdy stakes and maybe multiple pantyhose-like ties *may* help, but some of the winds have been over 60 mph (96 kph)!
Re. seedlings: If they're sitting in a pot with a tray, take the pot out of the tray until the storms have passed and get the pot under the eaves, carport, into the lee of the house, anywhere just to relieve the wind burden on the seedlings. Yes, a little air movement is nice, but...this is a bit much!
One of the thunderstorms went right over my house at 3:15 (I was working at home today). So, today, I discovered that my male dog is afraid of thunder, at least when the storm goes right over the house! So lucky...I was working on a document online and my power did NOT go out.
But I'm trying not to look very closely at my winter plants...chard, mostly.
Cynthia
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
We had some rain and wind last night ... and there's more to come ... but not any 60 mph winds ... thankfully! The backup battery on my computer beeped every now and then, but the power never really went off. I didn't notice any damage to my plants/yard this morning, but a number of my neighbors were wandering up and down the block looking for their trash containers. (Mine only got as far as my front yard. 
)
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The Helpful Gardener
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sweet thunder
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- Location: Eureka, CA
We had very strong winds last night and early today, but very little rain, which we really need. Meanwhile Shasta is looking at avalanches and Phoenix is raining cats and dogs according to one of my sons. I'm sure whatever I had left in the garden is pretty much wiped out, I see the row covers blowing around, BUT, I went to Garden Club today! So the day was not Totally wasted!