What a difference a day makes...

[jgh]

I've been super busy getting ready for my second weekend sale... but then I was committed to getting lots of good photos. A lot of mine have "leaped" this year, and my retirement meant I actually got out and sprayed Liquid Fence before the deer and rabbits did much damage.

I really wanted to record a bunch of them before summer starts to take its toll. I did shoot a few over the last couple of days, but mostly I've been digging and potting.

So, of course, for the second year in a row, a freak storm hit us in May. This one went from a few sprinkles to 1" of rain in 10 minutes plus 1" diameter hail dumped in buckets. It was basically all over in 20 minutes (except for the 12,000 homes without power and the trees down all around us) but once again, I'm looking at a garden devastated by hail.

Here's an example... George Smith has taken its own sweet time to get to decent size... I grabbed a shot the other day... and now you can see the change...

[renaldo75]

I'm sorry, Jim. 2 years in a row is not fair at all. I'm glad you were able to get some good pics before the damage.

I had some hail damage when we had a hard rain a few weeks ago but the hail was very small & only for a short time so although it's noticeable on some plants it's not nearly as bad as it could have been.

Hang in there!!

[caliloo]

Bummer!

I'm glad you got some good photos too.... please post lots of them when you have some time....

Alexa

[Wanda]

Oh, man, that is hard to look at! What a crying shame!!! Pictures aren’t much consolation, are they? And even worse...hard to move tattered hosta...cutting down on your “new purchases”! I am so sorry Jim - gosh, that George Smith was looking great, too...

wanda

[Justaysam]

I'm sorry too Jgh. Usually happens here to us too every year. Not this year, yet, still waiting for it. I'm not taking any pics yet of how nice stuff looks, I think it will jinx it. I did have my deck power washed, and ofcourse the guys stomped on a few choice plants, but the boxer has kept his big feet off of the hosta, so I am still thankful.

[eastwood2007]

I'm sorry, Jim. That was a beautiful hosta. Been a hard hosta year so far...no hail yet, but hard freeze with everything leafed out, now cutworms. Ho hummmmm.....

[baja220]

Ah man, I hate to see that. Such a beautiful Hosta too. Mine have been shredded the past 2 years, last year twice with golfball size hail then a micro-burst. They looked like crap the whole season.

eastwood, what cha doing for the cutworms? I've got em bad too.

Debbie

[thy]

Sad to see that once again

but it is still lovely and can't you rearange the leaves some

[buff24]

So sorry to hear about your hail damage... perhaps when the hostas put out their second flush later this season, they will look better?? I know that must make you sick to your stomach to look at

[eastwood2007]

eastwood, what cha doing for the cutworms? I've got em bad too.

Debbie

Well, just a few days ago I sprayed with Permethrin...supposed to kill cutworms. I would like to do the organic controls, but here in the woods the pests just laugh at the organic stuff (I can hear the snickers coming from the gardens! ) I don't yet know if the Permethrin had worked as it has only been a couple of days. The CWs sure have done alot of damage. Never had them before.... There was a post a few days ago titled something like "what is eating my hostas" and someone recommended an organic treatment called BT, but I don't remember what the BT stands for....long name...she spells it out in the post, so you might want to find it, or maybe someone will read this and post it here.

Good luck!

[Linda P]

Drat the luck! I hope you didn't get the super-sized hail I heard about on TV this morning that hit your area last night.
So sorry about the hail damage, especially when you have another big weekend coming up.
Linda P

[baja220]

eastwood, what cha doing for the cutworms? I've got em bad too.

Debbie

Well, just a few days ago I sprayed with Permethrin...supposed to kill cutworms. I would like to do the organic controls, but here in the woods the pests just laugh at the organic stuff (I can hear the snickers coming from the gardens! ) I don't yet know if the Permethrin had worked as it has only been a couple of days. The CWs sure have done alot of damage. Never had them before.... There was a post a few days ago titled something like "what is eating my hostas" and someone recommended an organic treatment called BT, but I don't remember what the BT stands for....long name...she spells it out in the post, so you might want to find it, or maybe someone will read this and post it here.

Good luck!

Yep, that was my thread. They're bad this year. In fact, a couple days ago on the news they were saying cut worms are eating the wheat fields in North Central Okla. They said they can spray, but the sprayers are backed up and if they have to wait more than a couple days to spray it'll be too late. I can beleive it, cause that hosta I posted was beautiful 2 days before I took that pic. I'll check into the stuff you used.

Debbie

[GrannyNanny]

Jim -- I'm so sorry about your hail damage! I think you live on the wrong side of the Cities -- the big storms seem to drop all their "stuff" on the western suburbs, and then they either don't have any left by the time they get to us in Roseville, or more often they detour around the Metropolitan downtown, and veer off to the northeast. We got only a few drops of rain from the very threatening clouds that dumped on you. Again, I'm really sorry. Come and visit, so you can see un-hailed hostas -- you've been promising to do that for several years, you know. Condolences -- Phyllis

[oldcoot]

It is OC He had most of his melt over Easter in the late hard freeze we had. Lost 80& of his Liliums and the rest do kt look good. Only 5 of his Iris bloomed, but Iris will recover, not sure ab out the Liliums. WIll some mild weather, lots of water, Miracle grow, and some TLC, many appear to be trying to make a comeback.
Thanks to our groups OC has enough Host anyway to fill his longing this year, Sorry for your loss. OC sure know how you feel. It is always so hard to put so much work into something and see the Weatherman take it all a way in a matter of hours. Cross your fingers for next year, OC sure is...........