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brandytab

Will the plants survive the hail damage?

brandytab
15 years ago

Hi everyone --- we just got a MEAN hail storm this afternoon and we have nickel sized holes in much of our leafy veggies (squash, broccoli, cauliflower), and side stems broken off of our tomatoes and peppers.

Is there any damage control of some sort that I can do now or should I just wait it out and see?

Thanks

Brandy

Comments (4)

  • deeluzon
    15 years ago

    mine got blasted about 10 days ago and, per the advice of more experienced folks here, i trimmed off the broken (dead or dying) foliage and waited. pretty much everything seems to be doing okay if set back a bit - few flowers and barely any fruit on anything, but surviving and, mostly, thriving plants.

    patience seems to be the key.

    good luck!

  • brandytab
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Sounds great.

    I guess my next question is if there is a hole in the leaf, is it to be considered 'dying'? I don't want to cut off the leaves that I don't need to, but also don't want to leave leaves (ok, that sounded funny!) that are hindering growth.

    Thanks!!
    Brandy

  • wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
    15 years ago

    Two years ago hail hit badly here. Some things like corn and sweetpotatoes recovered completely. Melons were hurt more as were onions apples, and peppers. The peppers never recovered their vigor. Some other things seemed fairly unhurt...beans, tomatoes, and potatoes.

  • granite
    15 years ago

    A hole in a leaf does not mean it is dying. If the leaf or branch is significantly broken from the plant, remove it. If it is partially broken back, wait a day to see if the leaf is withering or recovering. If it is withering, remove it.

    Plants can make a remarkable recovery from hail damage; here's some pictures from my garden after its TERRIBLE hailstorm last year:
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