around half the multitude in the U.S. live within 60 miles of the coast and are vulnerable to storm , floods and other natural disasters , make untold devastation to life and property . Vegetable gardens , with their crops of attendant annuals , can be particularly susceptible to a storm . Although nurseryman can not prevent all damage , there are measures that any gardener can take to understate harm .
1. Hurricanes and High Winds
Hurricane season takes place between June 1 and Nov. 30 , though a few have occurred outside this full stop . Since 1851 , about 250 Atlantic storms with wind speeds greater than 74 mph have hit either the Atlantic or Gulf coasts , resulting in inestimable toll in damages . Five storms have reached Category 5 , book for storms with free burning winds peachy than 157 mph .
Vegetables , fruit and nut Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and fruit vines are some of the first victims of hurricanes . Wind average 100 mph can rip up and uproot plants . Accompanying pelting pelting can shred leaves and stems . Salt water , whipped up from raging ocean and carried up into the storm clouds can linger in the soil and kill plants after the storm has turn over . Flooding can have fruits and vegetables to become contaminate with harmful bacterium , making them unfit for human consumption .
However , New atmospheric condition forecasting make it potential for gardener to protect and save some of the garden . Here are some way you’re able to protect your garden from hurricane damage :
2. Flooding
implosion therapy can leave behind chemical taint and disease - causing being , which stick the greatest hazard to gardeners . It can also induce soil erosion , unwanted silt deposits and damage to flora . overflow bring in waste . sewerage ; animal faeces ; contaminant from beast corps ; subsist being , such asE. coli , parasitic dirt ball and inorganic compounds ; and heavy alloy , such as fossil oil ware , insect powder and herbicides , can all be carried by flood body of water .
3. Tornadoes
Unfortunately , there ’s little a gardener can do to save plant when 200 - plus miles per hour winds are barrel your direction . In fact , in the face of a crack , the first and foremost thing on your mind should be getting to a storm cellar or some other place of safety .
Whether or not your garden will be missed by a twister is a affair of pure fortune . If it does chance to hit your garden , you could always replant if it ’s ahead of time enough in the time of year .
For those who subsist in crack cocaine - prone areas , minimize the number of pots and other garden items that can become missiles if a crack move , and keep tools firmly stored indoors .
4. Hailstorms
Hail can literally shred plant life apart .
Many gardener use row coverings over their plant , back up by basketball that make a collapsible shelter . While a row cover will not offer 100 - percent protection from hail , it can minimize the damage . run-in screening also protect plant from frost and freeze price and are an organic louse - pest roadblock . However , hail is oftentimes a forerunner to a twister . In tornado - prostrate arena take that into consideration when place up garden structures of any eccentric .
5. Earthquakes
In the wake of an quake , it would seem that veg gardens would be the last thing on a person ’s brain . Citizens are more interested about sail through collapsed infrastructure , wellness and safety yield , and offer for immediate nutrient and water requirements .
garden tend to be omit after an earthquake , exactly when they should become more important . If there ’s a unsuccessful person in infrastructure and saving does n’t arrive before long enough , vegetable gardening might provide the only source for dependable and nutrient food . Even after infrastructure has been restored and food supplies become available , invigorated produce might still be difficult to come by . A healthy garden , maintained with good organic praxis , has the potential difference to be quite significant after an earthquake .
To ensure that stability of your garden , work up raise bed in earthquake - prostrate area . easily still , grow part of your garden in container . container can be moved aside from overhead dangers , areas in danger of implosion therapy , or nearer to sources of water . They can also be take with you in case of evacuation
Plant First Aid
After any weather event except implosion therapy , apply first - care to the garden .
