The first year we had a garden here, overnight the wind ripped off practically every leaf on most of our plants. Set them back ~3 weeks. This year I was gone when we got hail and peppers still recovering. Soon the CPB and flea beetles will arrive. Welcome to the High Plains! Very challenging gardening here.

If you're not cutting the bottoms out of the buckets they'll be more unhappy than left alone. I also save garden trimmings for stakes, and Target has this coated garden wire in the dollar bins, one packet does about 7-9 plants - I do this for peppers in the early wind, then they get the cattle panel to weave into. I left the WOWs on for longer, and still have one on for wind protection and heat. I still have one hoop up for windbreak for the onions - 1/2" black poly the ends secured by...hmmm...not sure...sunflower stalks? Tree prunings? Tomatillo in pot is wind-protected by old remay.

Anyway, you'll figger it out. Very challenging place to learn, certainly. You'll be a wind and hail expert here soon, answering the newbie questions about what works for you. Something to look forward to!

As an aside, I found this picture and was reminded that men have been sexting in one form or another for centuries:

;o)

Dan

Christy, go ahead and cry, rant, whatever you need to do. That's part of why we get together here.
This year does seem especially frustrating, drought, followed by 4 + inches of rain, then wind, wind, wind! It seems like the wind usually comes from the northwest, but not this year, so you can't even protect your plants on one side.
I don't know if your planting from seed or buying plants, but a lot of peeps here keep some spares in reserve for these "special occasions". Hang in there!

Dan, that's naughty. And funny as he**!

Barb

Like I and Dan say, cut the bottoms out. I find that steel fence posts work good to weight them down and let some light and air in.
I too all most lost a grape vine one hour after I planted it the other evening. The worst is the drying out. I gave up trying to grow carrots , even with a wet gunney sack over them. Thats just the way it is here in Colorado. I have 12 tomatoes left in pots in my 6 by 8 green house-----just in case!
Kenny

Is there any way you can block the wind?

What I used in the early part of the spring for cutting down the wind was straw bales. Straw or hay shouldn't be too hard to find in your part of the state. It doesn't need to be fresh bales but you'll need a truck or trailer.

Long term you might need a fence, hedgerow or something along those lines.

Okay - how can I not laugh and feel better from Dan's post. Thanks!

Yes - just had to rant and let it out a bit. I can be grateful that my family is not dependent on what I grow... there is still the grocery store down the street.

Oh, I'm only growing peppers, cucumber, tomatoes and broccoli from plants - all else is seed (thank goodness). Yup - need to do something for a wind break next year.

On the plus side, the stems of the plants adapt and get a lot stronger.

The ol' "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger theory" eh?

: )