[RJR_38]

We had a little bit of wind forecast for today but nothing much... To be on the safe side I left my toms, courgettes and squash in the plastic greenhouse which is on my balcony and tied to the drain pipe. Thought this would be better than putting them outside where I have been hardening them off as they wouldn't get so bashed by the wind...
 It is practically gale force here with heavy rain... Got home to find greenhouse in pieces and plants strewn across the balcony. All the courgettes and squash are ruined and although hard to tell, most of the toms as well. The leeks, cabbages and psb which have been happily sat outside for weeks had it all land on them so are very squashed - particularly the leeks which look very flat. I dare not go to the allotment to inspect the damage as it is more open there and I only put my beans out a few days ago My netted tunnel could also be a mess....

[snowdrops]

Oh dear how disheartening for you,do you think you can rescue anything?

[surbie100]

 

Hope it looks worse than it is and there are things to be rescued. I'm about to head home and inspect my balcony for remnants...

[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

I made a Geoff Hamilton Cloche, and found it on someone else's plot in pieces!

Why do I bother. 3 Months hard graft destroyed in a matter of minutes......

[RJR_38]

The squash a d courgettes are definitely gone - they are like concertina haha. Hoping I can save some Toms - hard to look closely in the lashing wind and rain. I have lost some plants completely 3 squash in 5 inch pots have disappeared and as we are on the top floor (6th) balcony I dread to think so got a plant on their head!

[Trillium]

Sadly, they're all valuable lessons learned. All cloches must be firmly fixed down at all times in case of strong winds, portable greenhouses (like mine) can quickly become kites so need very firm tying down, and some years you simply have to purchase started plants. It's all part of the game 

[BicesterKev]

Here is an image I was greeted with in my first proper season. I had trays of sweetcorn, sqashes etc etc in this plastic greenhouse to find them and the plastic cover spread over about 8 plots. I had the base nailed down but the weather will get hold of the point of least resistence, be it a joint in the tubes or a knot tieing the plastic cover/kite down. I'd never buy a cheap jack greenhouse to put on an open allotment site again.





Edit to replace photo link with viewable image.

[RJR_38]

I almost think the plants would have survived better if I hadn't tied the greenhouse down. I had tied it to the drainpipe and it is tucked away in the corner but the wind was obviously so determined to get it that basically it has all collapsed!

As you say,lesson learnt. I can replant the squash at least and hopefully enough of the toms and leeks will have survived.

[Sweetpea C]

I almost think the plants would have survived better if I hadn't tied the greenhouse down. I had tied it to the drainpipe and it is tucked away in the corner but the wind was obviously so determined to get it that basically it has all collapsed!

As you say,lesson learnt. I can replant the squash at least and hopefully enough of the toms and leeks will have survived.

Sorry to hear that RJR and hope you manage to salvage something. How disheartening for you. Think of the success if you do manage to get them to grow - against all odds! Good luck.

[sunshineband]

It gives you a real sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you see it like that doesn't it?

I am obsessive about tying things down and securing flapping bits etc after our heavy debris covered brassica cage, with legs a foot deep in the soil, took off over the plot, destroying my greengage tree and everything else in its path.

Even wooden legs were outside the plot on the path 

I hope you can rescue some toms and it is fortunately not too late to sow more squashes. Leeks are pretty forgiving so you can hopefully lever them upright again.

Good luck with the recovery

[allotmentann]

I am so sorry to hear that, it is so discouraging after your hard work. I was caught out by just how windy it was yesterday too. I put out a tray of beautiful toms to start hardening off, I was only going to leave them for an hour or two as it was their first time out. It was beautiful and sunny and the breeze was light! Two hours later the poor things were nearly dead, I am hoping that they will recover. I think there is probably more hope for tomatoes because they root so easily from the stems. It is a shame that you are so far away as I am sure that I could have spared a few courgette and squash for you as I always grow too many. I hope that you find more survives than you expect.

[al78]

Very sorry to hear that. First a ridiculous extended winter, now an out-of-season gale. This country's weather really sucks at times.

I consider myself lucky I didn't lose anything; the pots on my garden bench are still there although the brassicas inside them are a bit windswept.

[simonwatson]

It sounds like most of what you've lost can at least still be replanted and replaced, you'll just end up with them later than you hoped. It's a shame to have your efforts wasted but at least with plants it's easy to start again.

[BabbyAnn]

sorry to hear about the wind damage - it's another weather factor we all learn to live with.

Here is an image I was greeted with in my first proper season.

Very sorry to hear that. First a ridiculous extended winter, now an out-of-season gale.

I've noticed 2013 is turning out very similar to 2008 (the year after another dreadful wet summer, with snow in late March, a calm warmish April (warmer than 2013), with very strong winds throughout most of May ... I had just started on my second plot and had bought an identical walk in greenhouse like that one above for the tomatoes.  After a scorching hot weekend when I erected the greenhouse, we had almost gale force winds 3 days later which twisted and broke the uprights and brought the whole thing down    On my other plot, the overwintered broadbeans were flattened, the cages to the PSB ripped apart.  I also seem to remember finding someone's black compost bin rolling around my plot too 

..... if the weather pattern follows the same, the rest of 2008 actually turned out alright with a heatwave in June/July and late summer was surprisingly not too bad either - I remember I had outdoor tomatores, chillies and peppers, lovely sweetcorn, winter squashes all did well too on the new plot.  Fingers crossed hey.

[JayG]

It surely has to be a good idea to try to strengthen these inherently weak structures with at least two strong hardwood stakes hammered into the ground and attached to the uprights, either in two diagonally opposite corners or the two centre struts. Apart from increasing the overall rigidity it should help them avoid living up to their alternative name of "blowaways"!