to anyone else who woke up to the horror that I did this morning. Let me just say that golf ball size hail and plants (hoyas were no exception) don't go together like OJ and Vodka, which is what I'm going to go start on right now to ease my pain :)
Hail isn't something I've ever really had an appreciation for or had to worry much about but I know now it's no friend to the gardener.
Going back to bed,
-Andrew
My heart goes out...
Oh Andrew, I really feel your pain. That hail can really shred leaves & leave devisation in its path. Hopefully, they produce replacement leaves quickly & be beautiful once again. You'll want to leave the shredded leaves on them though so they can get food, but you probably knew that.
Jan in Central Illinois
I've only had a hail issue one time, and I know that I never want to see it again. It cut down Hostas that were three feet in diameter, and otherwise devastated my garden. No doubt, it is one of the worst things a gardener can face. I'm really sorry Andrew!
Doug
Don't worry, look at it as some natural pruning - I had some frost damage and my main worry was that the older leaves that were damaged on the older vines would not come back, that I would just be stuck with ugly bare vines...and you know you don't want to cut them off because of the peduncles...BUT, lo and behold, hoya leaves do regrow on old vines, even VERY old vines - some right away, some a year later. So don't worry - they'll be back!
I remember one hail storm several years ago that stipped the leaves off trees & pulverized the leaves on the hosta & other plants, but in a few weeks, they were sending up new leaves. Hope your plants weren't that mutilated & that they'll be fine in a few weeks
I guess it would be best to consider that YOU weren't out in that hailstorm.
getting bopped on the noggin with big hail isn't much fun
Andrew,
Hail storms are so devastating. We had a horrible storm her about 10 years ago, and it destroyed everything. Every tree, rose, vegetable, you name it, it was gone. We had hard ball size hail balls come down that took out all our windows and skylights, roof, siding, car windows, motorhome, you name it, it was gone. We ended up with all new appliances, because the hail balls were comming in the skylights and pinging back up on the appliances. Allmost all my nicknackes it the kitchen were busted, canisters, coffee pot, horrible horrible horrible. My poor labs were outside when it started and I couldn't get them in fast enough and one of them had two knots on he's head. Standing in the house it was like being inside of a popcorn popper, almost drove me over the edge. Like you I just grabbed a cocktail to ease the pain..... :) And called State Farm...
The coolest thing about it is like someone said above it is natures way of prunning. Within about a month, lilac and forsythia plants were blooming which are spring bloomers. The next year everything bloomed really good, and from then on I didn't hesitate to prune back really hard.
All my hoya babies were inside, thank goodness....
Well, I'm glad the hail here wasn't anything too severe. Not enough to break windows or ding my cars but it sure laid a hurtin' on some of my plants. Most of my hoyas were pretty well protected hanging under a large oak but my large leaved plants like hostas and some gourds I'm growing were torn up real good. I had some trellised morning glories which, as if the hail wasn't enough, had their trellises blown over and broke the vines at the base. I've heard horror stories about severe ice and hail storms in this area and I'm not looking forward to a time when I have to experience those myself. I'm all for natural pruning from time to time but it's much more rewarding when I can prune on my own and trade those cuts for others.
Speaking of trading cuttings... is there a big hoya following the the plant trade area? I have some rooted cuttings and plants of obovata, publicalyx 'splash', fungii, and carnosa that I'd like to swap for some new cuttings. Is there a "Hoya Swap" area to this forum?
Thanks all for your kind words,
-Andrew
Andrew...hope things are getting back to normal... Ma Nature can be a real witch at times...is it a test?
Carol
Well, the plants are all alive and well. A few torn up leaves here and there but as you all said... they'll grow back.
On a more positive note... I found out the very next day that we (my wife and I) may be growing more than just plants around the house. We're still waiting for a doctors appointment Monday morning to confirm but it appears as if there might be a new addition to the house... and I hope this one's not green :)
Anyway, I seem to have forgotten all about my plant worries for the time being.
Thinking of you with all the promise of a new joy!!! Fingers crossed!