Any Advice for Garden in Hurricane?

rsg2001 · August 26, 2011

Just wondered if anyone could offfer any advice for best chance of not having entire tomato garden destroyed with Hurricane Irene expected to hit here. Outside of picking any large tomatoes (ripe or not) and making sure cages are secured, not sure if there is anything else.

b54red · August 26, 2011

If you get the high winds that we get when hit with hurricane force winds you better have those cages really, really, secured. Tie up any pepper plants so there are no branches longer than a foot that are not secured. In my experience the garden will be the least of your worries. Best of luck.

raindrops27 · August 26, 2011

Rsg, I suspect that our gardens are pretty much done. As for cages, I would take them out.

Noreaster · August 27, 2011

Yep. Am sittin here in south Jersey ready to drown, with 125 plants still full of greenies......

...will pull even the half ripe ones off tomorrow before it starts coming down.

Because those plants will be trying to FLY in 100 + MPH !! Better to pick 'em than have one of the large ones kill a neighbor as it crashes through a window !

raindrops27 · August 27, 2011

Yes, not just the maters flying. But the cages. Take them out.

gryffin · August 27, 2011

Stupid and probable unanswerable question, but how much wind can really heavy duty cages, like Texas Tomato Cages, take? I'm in west central NH and they are predicting gusts at tropical storm intensity, tropical storm watch at the moment). I want to prepare, but not sure how much precaution I should take.

tjg911 · August 27, 2011

my crw cages are anchored with 2 5' lengths of 1/4" rebar 2' in the ground, i'm not touching them. besides how do you remove a cage from a plant that fills the cage, you can't. as far as green tomatoes flying off and going thru a window and killing my neighbor that's a stretch, the distance is ~ 300' but i'm still hoping for a miracle.

tom

cleo88 · August 27, 2011

I was in the Bahamas when Irene hit and flew back yesterday - now I get to experience it in Massachusetts again. With many all-green fruit on my 23 plants. Oh, lucky me!

As was the case in the Caribbean when we couldn't get an early flight out, I just have to hope for the best.

gryffin · August 27, 2011

I have 28 plants loaded with green fruit. I picked all the fruit with any sign of a blush. I left my cages in- not enough time to pull them- they are several hundred feet from any structure- and others left way more rickety stuff in place in the community garden. I wonder if somehow they didn't know a storm was coming? I took all my containers off my deck. I put the large ones between my deck and bulkhead. I put a few smaller containers in my basement. Now I guess I just cross my fingers and wait.

Noreaster · August 28, 2011

Okie-Dokie !

Winds are about done, rain's stopped, sun trying to peek out !

Well.......tomato plants are tougher than I thought. Some greenies on ground, but MOST are sittin' on plants like nothing happened !!!!!

Hummers are back searching for feeders, so they're back up and doing their job.

Our power was never lost. (lucky, about 100,000 homes in our county did lose it).....flickering now and then.....so not bad here in South Jersey. Must be alot of flooding though.....have seen ZERO cars go by in past 2 hours.

So.....have bacon and lettuce.......will slice up some half-ripe tomatoes picked yesterday and have a sandwich !

lakelady · August 29, 2011

Well I'm in Northern NJ and lost most of my plants. I was upset about the garden, but more worried about the 18 full size oak trees in my yard around my house

. One plant I actually dug up and put into a 5 gallon bucket and brought in because I wanted to see what will happen in doing so, and the other still stands in the garden. Everything else was bent and fell over except those San Marzano's around the other side of the house...they sure are sturdy stocky little plants. If I had not lost power for over 24 hours I would have been making fried green tomatoes for sure this weekend. I really need to find more green tomato recipes for sure.

Hope everyone's gardens (and homes) sustained the storm well!

Zana · August 29, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakelady

Well I'm in Northern NJ and lost most of my plants. I was upset about the garden, but more worried about the 18 full size oak trees in my yard around my house

. One plant I actually dug up and put into a 5 gallon bucket and brought in because I wanted to see what will happen in doing so, and the other still stands in the garden. Everything else was bent and fell over except those San Marzano's around the other side of the house...they sure are sturdy stocky little plants. If I had not lost power for over 24 hours I would have been making fried green tomatoes for sure this weekend. I really need to find more green tomato recipes for sure.

Hope everyone's gardens (and homes) sustained the storm well!

Sorry to hear that you lost most of your plants. You might want to check out the thread in the harvest section that is just for green tomato recipes. Lots of ideas there.

Noreaster · August 29, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakelady

Well I'm in Northern NJ and lost most of my plants. I was upset about the garden, but more worried about the 18 full size oak trees in my yard around my house

. One plant I actually dug up and put into a 5 gallon bucket and brought in because I wanted to see what will happen in doing so, and the other still stands in the garden. Everything else was bent and fell over except those San Marzano's around the other side of the house...they sure are sturdy stocky little plants. If I had not lost power for over 24 hours I would have been making fried green tomatoes for sure this weekend. I really need to find more green tomato recipes for sure.

Hope everyone's gardens (and homes) sustained the storm well!

So sorry to hear that, lakelady. But thank God that the trees didn't come down ! And better yet, that you and family are safe.

There's always 2012 for new varieties ! And more San Marzanos.

August 26, 2011	#1
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Any Advice for Garden in Hurricane? Just wondered if anyone could offfer any advice for best chance of not having entire tomato garden destroyed with Hurricane Irene expected to hit here. Outside of picking any large tomatoes (ripe or not) and making sure cages are secured, not sure if there is anything else.

August 27, 2011	#7
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	my crw cages are anchored with 2 5' lengths of 1/4" rebar 2' in the ground, i'm not touching them. besides how do you remove a cage from a plant that fills the cage, you can't. as far as green tomatoes flying off and going thru a window and killing my neighbor that's a stretch, the distance is ~ 300' but i'm still hoping for a miracle. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

August 26, 2011	#2
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	If you get the high winds that we get when hit with hurricane force winds you better have those cages really, really, secured. Tie up any pepper plants so there are no branches longer than a foot that are not secured. In my experience the garden will be the least of your worries. Best of luck.

August 26, 2011	#3
raindrops27 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: long island Posts: 327	Rsg, I suspect that our gardens are pretty much done. As for cages, I would take them out.

August 27, 2011	#4
Noreaster Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northeast Posts: 260	Yep. Am sittin here in south Jersey ready to drown, with 125 plants still full of greenies...... ...will pull even the half ripe ones off tomorrow before it starts coming down. Because those plants will be trying to FLY in 100 + MPH !! Better to pick 'em than have one of the large ones kill a neighbor as it crashes through a window !

August 27, 2011	#6
gryffin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 229	Stupid and probable unanswerable question, but how much wind can really heavy duty cages, like Texas Tomato Cages, take? I'm in west central NH and they are predicting gusts at tropical storm intensity, tropical storm watch at the moment). I want to prepare, but not sure how much precaution I should take.

August 27, 2011	#8
cleo88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sharon, MA Zone 6 Posts: 225	I was in the Bahamas when Irene hit and flew back yesterday - now I get to experience it in Massachusetts again. With many all-green fruit on my 23 plants. Oh, lucky me! As was the case in the Caribbean when we couldn't get an early flight out, I just have to hope for the best.

August 28, 2011	#10
Noreaster Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northeast Posts: 260	Okie-Dokie ! Winds are about done, rain's stopped, sun trying to peek out ! Well.......tomato plants are tougher than I thought. Some greenies on ground, but MOST are sittin' on plants like nothing happened !!!!! Hummers are back searching for feeders, so they're back up and doing their job. Our power was never lost. (lucky, about 100,000 homes in our county did lose it).....flickering now and then.....so not bad here in South Jersey. Must be alot of flooding though.....have seen ZERO cars go by in past 2 hours. So.....have bacon and lettuce.......will slice up some half-ripe tomatoes picked yesterday and have a sandwich !

August 29, 2011	#11
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Well I'm in Northern NJ and lost most of my plants. I was upset about the garden, but more worried about the 18 full size oak trees in my yard around my house . One plant I actually dug up and put into a 5 gallon bucket and brought in because I wanted to see what will happen in doing so, and the other still stands in the garden. Everything else was bent and fell over except those San Marzano's around the other side of the house...they sure are sturdy stocky little plants. If I had not lost power for over 24 hours I would have been making fried green tomatoes for sure this weekend. I really need to find more green tomato recipes for sure. Hope everyone's gardens (and homes) sustained the storm well!