Hello everyone!

:)

Soooo... are everyone's hands begging to be working the soil as the temperatures warm? I know mine are. I was just in from clearing out the plant debris from winter and I remembered I need to get something this year to protect (mostly) my irises from our late spring heavy snows which are almost always inevitable. Last year they decimated my irises and various other bulbs as the flower stalks broke under the heavy snow. So, I got to thinking this year I will protect them. What I envision in my head is a tarp of sorts that have long stakes on each corner that provide a cover for large lengths of various beds. I can't find anything like that though.

Can anyone out there help with good, practical, economic suggestions?

Thank you in advance!
Benny

Not sure how much area you need to cover, but for heavy snow, any tarp like structure would need to be sharply angled to allow snow to slough off or have an abundance of posts to make sure there is no collapses. I've seen many different things used in this area for winter protecting small shrubs, perhaps something like these could work for your iris until the danger of snow has passed...




By the time my iris are putting up bloom stalks in my area the snow is long gone so I've never run into this issue. Hope you find an adequate solution.

I did something like that -


As Robert pointed out you're talking snow, mine were for a temperature plunge.

At the garden center we use the ground cover material that normally goes under mulch .

I was going to suggest a low hoop tunnel and heavy plastic film, so you could re-use it in spring and fall for other temperature protection tasks. But a circular hoop might not have a steep enough pitch to throw snow off the top ... it might build up too much weight and collapse.

You COULD build a pup-tent-shaped "hoop" tunnel if you used 1/2" EMT metal conduit and bent them into steep Vee s instead of half-circle "hoops".

e.g.:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/All...
$2.39 for 10' lengths

They also make 3/4" EMT conduit, $3.54 for 10 feet.

Hi Benny -- I feel your pain about the late snowstorms!

A low tunnel made using PVC pipe, covered with plastic sheeting, will hold up to snow if you either connect the tops of the hoops and then anchor the end ones a few feet from the end of the tunnel, so they can't collapse inward. Or, if you criss-cross the hoops, the way Anderwood does... I know he posted a photo fairly recently on another thread, I'll go see if I can find it and post the link here...

Here's a link to the whole thread: The thread "Snow peas, carrots, spinach" in Ask a Question forum

and this is the specific post and photo that I was thinking of: http://garden.org/thread/view_...

I hope this is helpful!

That looks like a great idea!

RickCorey said:That looks like a great idea!

I agree, Rick -- I hope I can remember it the next time I set up a tunnel...

Hey there everyone!

I want to thank you all for the great ideas. I do love the idea of a hoop system. I have a lot to go on and will work on getting that set up. Now watch, I do all this and there will be no late snows. :)

All the best to you all and thank you!

bennysplace said: ... Now watch, I do all this and there will be no late snows. :)

I hope you're right! The most effective known form of weather control is carrying an umbrella to make it NOT rain.

-- our snow is finally melting (yet again!); I think I'm going to go out and set up a bunch of low tunnels (and maybe move the snowblower back into the garage) to try to ward off the evil snow spirts