[Grandmasue]

Hi I have only just joined the site, thanks for your welcome messages. I live two miles from the wash on lutton marsh. I have been growing veg in Kent for forty plus years with not many problems, but since moving here have struggled to the point of almost giving up and grassing everything. The main problem is wind. I have tried poly tunnels but they get ripped and blown away despite guy ropes etc. this is a problem for the commercial growers in this area as well. The problem has worsened over the last four years or so, the winds have got stronger. We have tried fences and we have hedges but if we let them grow too tall we lose light. Does anyone have any ideas on wind resistant varieties we could try, I really don't want to give up, we love our veg.

[Snoop]

Grandmasue, I have the same problem and no real answers. I've tried growing a hazelnut hedge as a windbreak, but it's very slow going. I'm looking forward to seeing what others recommend!

[ptarmigan]

My plot is on a really exposed site, I know others on here have the same Problem.

Things I've tried are, a windbreak, replacing it as it gets shredded, I'm growing a hawthorn and sloe hedge, but it's far enough away that it doesn't cast a shadow, growing things between beds, hedge roses, perennial sweet peas and fennel to break the wind. I've got individual wind breaks round some beds, and I use raised beds which provide a bit of wind break when plants are small.  I grow short versions of broad beans and sprouts. 

Things I have seen but not tried are Jerusalem artichokes as a wind break.

[mumofstig]

In Spring I use debris netting on fence pins on the windy side of my veg plot, the plant seem to cope a bit better when they're bigger.

[ptarmigan]

I've always been a bit 'hmmm' about the JA suggestion! 

Wonderwall is something else I've seen at our plots - it's a polytunnel but is designed for v windy situations. 

I have my shed fastened down with huge wood posts sunk into the ground as I lost my first shed in a gale. 

[brokenglass]

Lost the glass in my Greenhouse a couple of times, hence the name, until I spent the time and puttied in every pane of glass it took some time but haven't lost a pane of glass since.     The standard answer is to slow down the wind by using a permeable barrier i.e. debris netting or the "Wonderwall" type netting you can buy from many Garden Centres.      If you then plant native hedging/tree whips on the lee side of the netting after a few years this will take over from the netting and provide the best possible wind barrier.   It isn't an overnight solution, and isn't cheap, but it will work.    Wind barriers offer 5 times their height in protection, rule of thumb but it is a fair calculation.

[Goosegirl]

I live about a mile from the coast and the only substantial thing between me and the sea is a large sycamore! The winds we get here are also salt-laden which adds to the problem. Any means of reducing the wind speed was essential so we planted hedges using hawthorn whips and put a green mesh wind-break on the windward side to help them grow. My GH wasn't cheap but it has stood up to some really severe gales. For veg supports I use fencing posts instead of canes and knock them well in, and use tied-on clematis netting to support my broad beans, or just several horizontal lengths of twine for my sugar snaps. I try to choose tasty veg that doesn't grow too tall and grow my sweet corn in the GH as sometimes the wind has blown the pollen away from the silks. Maybe a couple of willows or Mountain Ash might help as well.

[m1ckz]

hmmm just wondering what a  JA IS LOL

[Yorkie]

Jerusalem Artichoke, as per ptarmigan and BabbyAnn's posts 

[Grandmasue]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I thought I might try the green netting all over my tunnels. We have leylandii, which we inherited and wanted to remove so we cut it to six feet but I might let it grow taller. We are also fighting with elder trees, they grow as you look at them but it may be better to leave them to help stop the wind. I will try again next year and if that doesn't work I'll concrete it all over and put pots of plastic flowers every where. Oh I forgot we have moles as well but there hangs another tale! Thanks again I'm now going to bed to dream of a beautiful veg plot with balmy breezes and prize winning veg!

[Nikkithefoot]

Is it only me that finds it ironic that JA's are recommended to be grown for a wind break?

[Snoop]

Is it only me that finds it ironic that JA's are recommended to be grown for a wind break?