Wind, weather, & Plastic greenhouses

[Jan]

Hi grapes,
I just had to post this thread as I'm feeling so upset this morning - hope you don't mind me having a winge
After 4 days of torrential rain with only a few short breaks and now high gusty winds I woke this morning to find complete devastation in my garden/veg patch. Overnight the wind had overturned my two plastic greenhouses and scattered (and smashed) all the contents around my garden - it looks like an explosion in a plant nursery at the moment.

It looks like everyrhing is lost, all the seedlings which were coming along nicely have been destroyed by being blown about the garden etc - all my toms, peas, broad beans, lettuces, you name it, are beyond salvage. The only thing left in tact are my seed pots, minus a few chits, but they are so mixed up I can't tell which are the earlies or maincrops. i was going to put the earlies in all the tubs I've been preparing and the maincrops in the ground - not really sure what to do now though?

To add the final straw, the sun has now decided to break through in small patches amongs the rain just to 'nicely highlight/spotlight the damage' and the only thing left standing is the four plastic pop bottles I put in the soil to warm it up ready for my first lettuce seedlings to go under this weekend!

Oh well, have to leave for work shortly so no time to clear up the mess until I get home (if I can face it) - again, sorry about the winge, it just shows how completely taken over by this growing bug I have become. I guess in the greater scheme of things I can always go out and buy more seeds and not worry about having so much crop variety this year, but as a newby, it is quite upsetting to see all the hard work gone in one night. - Jan

[Hazel at the Hill]

What a shame, Jan - that's awful. Why couldn't that have happened in the depths of winter when you had nothing growing?

Hope there's some things that you can salvage when you get to have a closer look.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Jan,

Sorry to hear about your greenhouses, happened to me last year and I was gutted. At least you are still in good time to replant for this year.

Go on girl, don't let a bit of a gale force wind beat you, Mandy

[smallblueplanet]

Bad news Jan! But salvage what you can and keep them growing, it'll be a surprise later on for sure. And at least there's plenty of time to start things again.

[roitelet]

What a shame Jan, don't get too discouraged it could have been later in the year when there would have been no time to re-sow.

How about putting some guy lines on the greenhouses to hold them down? I've had to do that with my cloches

[muckdiva]

Oh Jan, what a shame, but as Mandy says, you've got plenty of time to replant. You'll probably feel a lot better once you've had a chance to sort through and put things straight again - and some of the seedlings may well have survived - they are quite tough. As for the potatos, you might get a few surprises...
These things are sent to try us, as they say.

[borage]

Sorry to hear about the greenhouse Jan, I hope when you take a second look you can salvage some of the seedlings.

[chillie girl]

same thing happened to me last week. I nearly cried. I managed to save quite a lot of plants, I was sat on the ground sifting through the piles of compost with a pencil, like a little archeologist but it worked. Hope you manage to rescue everything.

[Jan]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments all, I really appreciated them

Ah well, just had a look, nothing can be salvaged except some mint & parsley plants, and my pots. Do you think I should just go ahead and plant into the tubs I had prepared even though I'm now not sure which ones are maincrop & which are earlies? or should I just put them all in the ground?

Just goes to show the strength of the wind/rain, each greenhouse had a paving slab in it to anchor it & all my heavy tubs of carrots on the bottom as well!

So sorry to hear this happened to you Mandy & Chilliegirl - as newby's these little things are quite hard aren't they? PS do you think I'll have time to set more sweetpeas now or give up on them? I've never had much success and this time I thought I'd cracked it

[denise]

Sorry to hear you distressful news Jan, Like everyone says don't give up, re sow. I haven't sown any seeds yet, being to careful maybe. I plan to go sweet peas they will catch up.
Keep us posted on your finds when you brave the mess, seedings are tougher than they look - good luck. Fingers crossed for you.

[Two_Sheds]

Happened to me too - and I still haven't fixed the greenhouse. It is lying where it fell, in disgrace until it promises to behave better next time

[Nicos]

Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago- saw my plastic mini greenhouse flying round the garden like a kite!
If you lay out any compost you find into seed trays - including seedlings and bring them indoors for a few of days, you may well be suprised at what has survived.
It doesn't matter if the varieties are mixed up as we can sort them out later for you. Just encourage them to grow indoors where it is warmer.
As far as the spuds are concerned , try and put them into groups of similar colour skin and shapes of spud, and colour of chit.
TLC for the next few days and then we can help you identify any surviving seedlings
Cheer up...it's nature.....

(I weigh my mini greenhouses down with loads of bricks etc on the base these days, and leave them in a more sheltered position)

[Jan]

Thanks for the advice Denise, I'll give them a go at the weekend, maybe they'll catch up as you say
Anyway, it certainly lets you know who's 'boss' (mother nature) if you start getting carried away thinking you've got it all planned -

[Jan]

Happened to me too - and I still haven't fixed the greenhouse. It is lying where it fell, in disgrace until it promises to behave better next time

Lol, mine are going to become plant supports now they've 'dismantled themselves' - that'll teach 'em;0

[Jan]

Oh Nicos, your such an angel for that I didn't realise spuds have different colour chits etc - that's great! Sorry about your greenhouse, it must have been an amazing site, and I just didn't think mine would still be unstable with all the weight in the bottom but you live and learn I guess! Anyway, Ill salvage the compost as you say - maybe a 'guess the veg spot' would be a laugh Most of the plants have sheared off at the roots though so nothing else for it but to re-set, but you really have cheered me up! - OH just laughed his head off and told me serves me right for being such a 'veggie-geek'!! Guess who's got iceland frozen lasagne and oven chips tonight?