Killer Wind

[The Mama Chicken]

We've had high winds here for 2 days and it's doing a number on my plants. So far I've lost 2 summer squash plants (snapped off at ground level) a cucumber plant, a tomatillo plant, and most of 2 tomato plamts (one did have a sucker growing from the roots and that survived.) The squash and cucumber were starting to flower already and the tomatoes and tomatillo had flower buds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, this time of year a windbreak is a pretty good idea. I even planted a row of lilacs on the prevalent wind side for me (South) to try to act as a wind break without gettinmg tall enough to block the sun but the deer seem to like keeping them nibbled back. If they ever get big enough so the deer don't take them to the ground it might help.

Even if the wind does not break them off, it can dry them out enough to kill them or stunt them. It's something I deal with every spring, some years better than others.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Thinking over all of the places I've gardened before, I've always has a fence or trees to act as a windbreak. The best place here (sun, proximity to water, distance from goats, etc) is also at the north end of an old hay field, with no windbreak at all. I guess I'll have to come up with something. Something not too tall, as the worst winds also come from the south here. I wonder if grapes would work...

 

[digitS']

I am sorry, TMC! Yes, even a strong breeze on seedlings will dehydrate them. Strong enuf to break! Yeah, I know something about that. At times, I've thought of "stapling" vines especially to the ground. When they are up-side and in the neighbor's yard . . . well, that's too late to be trying to come up with ways of "nailing them down!"

My big veggie garden has the advantage of rocks. Boy, does it have the advantage of rocks ! I've thought of putting some in my pockets when I'm out there to keep from blowing away! No, but I've wondered about stone walls .

I've never visited Ireland but see what seem to me to be those charming stone walls around little fields and gardens in pictures. I know that they serve a purpose more than just a handy place to toss the rocks or just to keep the sheep out. I bet they do some good at deflecting the wind.

A stone wall and what advantage it might afford me - I don't know. That garden isn't on my property and, I know one thing, I'm not going to spend a summer hauling rocks from a neighbor's huge stone pile nearby to build a wall or walls! Still, I wonder about the protection it could provide and how high it would need to be and how far out into the garden it might protect the plants.

Protected growing is more than just about temperature. And, these "micro-climates" gardeners talk about -- well, they just blow away when hit by 35mph+ winds!

Steve
who knows there's some research out there on windbreaks and is curious what it is.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Oh Steve, these weren't seedlings, they had been in the ground for a month and were starting to flower. One of the squash plants had a tiny squash on it.
I would love a rock wall, but that would mean hauling rocks out of the creek and up to the garden. I think I only found a dozen rocks while tilling up the garden. Now, if I could make a wall out of mesquite roots, then I'd be all set. Actually, I might be able to get my hubby to bring home enough broken concrete to build a wall along that one side.

 

[digitS']

You have probably had the experience there of having the wind blow tomatoes right off the plants . . . Yeah, me too.

Here's what Purdue University says about windbreaks:

Solid fence 15H
Porous fence 20H

H = fence/wall/tree/bush height

These are maximums. So, a 4 foot fence would have some windbreak benefit as far as 60 feet away. But, Purdue notes that greatest protection is within 5 x H, which for a 4 foot fence is 20 feet. Notice that the "Porous fence" has wider benefit! It must be because the wind is "broken up" and doesn't go over the wall all together.

I can, in a small way, understand why the original farmer did not pile his rocks where they would be of some benefit to my garden. I can understand it but not really forgive him :/. He owned the property on both sides of the fence. The pile that he made elsewhere, however, could probably be seen from space .

Steve

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Steve, you find the best links.

 

[digitS']

Thanks, TMC!

Purdue and Cornell are 2 very useful websites for gardeners . Yes, there are others like North Carolina State, Auburn, Texas A&M, Colorado State, and Washington State. Virginia Tech has an awesome weed gallery and UTexas/Austin has wildflowers!

Even tho' I've never been anywhere near either - Purdue & Cornell rate high with me. . . . and, then . . there are the Canadians!!!

Steve

 

[Waylon05]

Oh Steve, these weren't seedlings, they had been in the ground for a month and were starting to flower. One of the squash plants had a tiny squash on it.
I would love a rock wall, but that would mean hauling rocks out of the creek and up to the garden. I think I only found a dozen rocks while tilling up the garden. Now, if I could make a wall out of mesquite roots, then I'd be all set. Actually, I might be able to get my hubby to bring home enough broken concrete to build a wall along that one side.

I'm down near Houston and i'm in the same boat as you right now. Luckily, there is pretty good tree line about 15 yards south of my garden that gives me a pretty decent windbreak.

I don't know if you have access to a tractor and/or hay, but if you're looking for a quick/temporary windbreak, you might consider putting a line a round bales on the south end of your garden.

 

[lesa]

Wow, MamaC- mother nature is not giving you an easy time of it!! Here's hoping for some mild weather- no wind, hail, sleet or drought!!