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Texas Gardening

More storms....how are you protecting your plants?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Last week in San Antonio we had storms with hail. It caused a lot of damage to cars, property and plants. :( There are more storms coming and possible flooding.

I'm not sure if pushing my pots up against the wall is enough. What do you all think or plan to do? I know rain is good for plants but I'm thinking a weeks worth maybe a bit much lol

How do you all protect your plants in the ground or pots in situations like this? Thanks! :)

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Comments (4)

mindshift
8 years ago
When dealing with continuous rain you have to take into account the type of plant. Plants in the ground need to be placed where they can do their best. Unusual weather is something they either deal with or don't.

Those that require perfect drainage and are already in pots are usually safeguarded by removing the saucer from below the pot. Also the season when continuous rain occurs can be a factor. Plants such as lavender require summer dryness, and a week of rain from a tropical depression in mid to late summer can be harmful. In this case the pot is best moved to a covered porch.

Hail damage is the worst. Large hail or very heavy falls can turn plants to mush. Plants beneath trees are somewhat protected by the leaves and stems of the tree. Most perennial plants that are damaged by hail will regrow, but you may need to move them somewhere to recuperate until they are again presentable. The decision to cut off severely damaged growth is done on a case by case basis. This HAIL-DAMAGED HOSTA is going to look bad the rest of the season, but cutting back more than the worst damage might do more harm than good.
Hareball thanked mindshift
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years ago
I have heard that these storms will not be heavy hail producers , so it is just the water. I move my seriously cactus in the pots under cover. My best aloes are under cover. They show hail damage. Otherwise , I pray, cut back damaged foliage. Laura Springer Ogden has a chapter on gardening for hail in "The Undaunted Garden"
Hareball thanked wantonamara Z8 CenTex
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Hareball
Original Author
8 years ago
Yeah looks like just a bunch of rain. I pushed everything against the wall over the weekend and this morning I chickened out and just put them all in the garage. Hopefully my outdoor stuff (in ground) will be ok. :) At least they got some rain though. :)
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
8 years ago
Last spring's continuous rain washed nutrients out of the soil to the extent that the foliage of roses grew out absolutely white. Costco has their 8 lb Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed $5.00 off making the price around $12. It might be good to get a couple of jugs, or some other fertilizer, to give the plants a head start when the weather clears up.
Hareball thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas

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