How to Protect Your Garden from Costly Hail Damage

There’s nothing like the sickening sound of hailstones battering your greenhouse roof to strike fear into a gardener’s heart. One minute your courgettes are thriving, the next, your patch looks like it hosted a vegetable boxing match. Hail can turn weeks of nurturing into compost in mere minutes, but fear not. With a few preventative measures, you can drastically reduce the damage and keep your plants safe.

Cover Up Before the Clouds Roll In

If you live in a region prone to sudden storms (hello, unpredictable British summer), keep protection gear handy. Think fleece tunnels, cold frames, or mesh netting with a tight weave. Even a simple tarp or plastic sheet secured with canes and clips can act as a temporary barrier. I keep a stack of old shower curtains in the shed just in case.

Use Cloche Power and Pop-Up Protection

For individual or smaller plants, cloches are your best friends. Whether they’re shop-bought bell cloches or repurposed clear plastic bottles with the bottoms cut off, they create a mini shield that deflects hail. They also help retain warmth, bonus points for cool-season crops!

Pop-up plant protectors are another great option. They collapse flat for storage but spring into action when hail threatens.

Plant Smart, Shelter is Strategy

When hail season looms, tuck your most delicate plants in naturally sheltered spots. Growing lettuce under the leafy canopy of runner beans or placing herbs beside a sturdy hedge can give them just enough protection to dodge the worst of the ice rain.

And if you’re growing in pots? Group them close to a wall or under an overhang where they’re less exposed.

Install Hail Netting (Yes, It’s a Thing!)

Hail netting is stronger than your average bird net and specifically designed to cushion impact. It won’t block out too much sun or rain, but it will prevent those marble-sized missiles from turning your brassicas into Swiss cheese. Look for UV-resistant types if you want them to last beyond one season.

Strength in Structure: Staking and Support

Flimsy stems are hail’s first victims. Stake tall or top-heavy plants like tomatoes, beans, and sunflowers to stop them from snapping in high winds and hail. Add extra ties if a storm’s on the horizon, better a slightly over-secured plant than one broken beyond saving.

After the Storm: Damage Control 101

If the worst happens, don’t despair. Gently remove shredded leaves and broken stems, as they can invite pests and disease. Give your plants a gentle feed with diluted seaweed or comfrey tea to help them recover. You’d be surprised how resilient a plant can be when given a bit of TLC.

Hail might feel like a gardener’s worst nightmare, but with a bit of forward thinking, it doesn’t have to spell disaster. Cover, support, shelter, and nurture, these are your tools in the battle against ice from the sky. So the next time you hear that ominous rattle on the roof, you’ll know your garden’s ready to stand its ground.