Are you ready for next year's hail storms? by Terry Rintala

All photos by the author

If you have lived in Colorado for any length of time, you most likely have been in or around a hail storm.  

For gardeners in the state these can be very upsetting and traumatic events. Mainly because they can show up with little to no warning, sometimes weather services will show you that there is the threat of a hail storm during a weather incident (usually heavy rain). But in my experience, its usually 30 mins or less (if you happen to be watching the weather). I know several people that have lost most of their crops due to these storms.

Protecting your plants from wild weather this spring by CSU

Courtesy HGTV

Spring weather in Colorado can be temperamental, it can sometimes feel like we experience all of the seasons in a single day. Frosts and cold snaps of spring are one thing, but hail can be one of the greatest risks to our gardens. Hoop houses or high tunnels can both extend the growing season and offer protection from hail. Hoops can also provide structures to which tightly woven ‘hail cloth’ can be fastened for added protection; hail cloth can also be placed over tomato cages or other structures available in your garden.