hawthorn wind damage

softlad

Hi, like everyone else here in Donegal the wind over the past few days has reduced all foliage exposed to its harshness to a brown crisp. Everything looks like its dying and bleak like just before Autumn, My problems in the garden are compounded by the fact that only in March we planted a new Hawthorn hedge its now in a pathetic state, Does anyone recommend any remedies or do you think its got a chance of recovering

Sonnenblumen

softlad wrote: »

Hi, like everyone else here in Donegal the wind over the past few days has reduced all foliage exposed to its harshness to a brown crisp. Everything looks like its dying and bleak like just before Autumn, My problems in the garden are compounded by the fact that only in March we planted a new Hawthorn hedge its now in a pathetic state, Does anyone recommend any remedies or do you think its got a chance of recovering

Assuming you have checked plants regularly for water/feed requirements, probable damage is more to do with 'wind rock', ie plants are not secure in the ground and regular rocking due to wind will ultimately kill plants.

Hawthorn is usually very robust, but even very hardy new plants can suffer and fail to develop in challenging sites. Have you considered using a wind break to protect plants during the early vunerable years?

softlad

the wind I believe came from the south west this part of the garden very rarely gets the wind but certainly after the time and effort that went into the planting a windbreak would be ideal, unfortunately its not wind rock because there are chesnut trees hundreds of years old that have been decimated by these extreme conditions and many other varieties hopefully we wont learn that in ten years time that the wind contained something more sinister because it really is strange.

slowburner

softlad wrote: »

the wind I believe came from the south west this part of the garden very rarely gets the wind but certainly after the time and effort that went into the planting a windbreak would be ideal, unfortunately its not wind rock because there are chesnut trees hundreds of years old that have been decimated by these extreme conditions and many other varieties hopefully we wont learn that in ten years time that the wind contained something more sinister because it really is strange.

Are you close to the sea? It could be salt spray borne on the wind. These severe winds could carry it a long way.

softlad

were quite a few miles inland, but even asking older more experienced farmers and gardeners they say that this sort of burning is unusual, a lot have had early crop potatoes damaged destroyed they have never seen this sort of prolonged winds one estimated that the wind has been causing this damage over the past 6 weeks. Something that must be greatly disheartening is the amount of people who may have decided to chance growing their own potato and vegetables this year Ive seen a lot of back yard plots turned over and prepared, so only the most enthusiastic might carry on the potatoes resemble that of those that are blighted.

slowburner

I was talking to friend in Connemara earlier. He says that all his spuds are burnt. The incessant winds have carried sea spray well inland, further than in living memory.

softlad

thanks for that, it is truly an unprecedented situation this year, but I'm still wondering will the trees, hedging affected survive.

henryporter

How tall are the hawthorn quicks that you have planted? You may need to cut them back anyway to get them to 'bush' out from the base as much as possible - the last thing you want is a hedge on stilts!

Tora Bora

softlad wrote: »

thanks for that, it is truly an unprecedented situation this year, but I'm still wondering will the trees, hedging affected survive.

I'm a farmer, one mile from the sea. Had the wind give a good tossing to the hawthorns and everything else around the land, but nothing too serious.
About 18 years ago, we had 6 weeks in early spring of cold hard windy weather coming from east, north east. Did serious damage to hawthorn as well as a few more things. I mean mature hawthorns, full size and less. We didn't see any leaves grow on the east facing side of those trees for a few years.
Looking at them today, you wouldn't know the ever got a set back:D

slowburner

Tora Bora wrote: »

I'm a farmer, one mile from the sea. Had the wind give a good tossing to the hawthorns and everything else around the land, but nothing too serious.
About 18 years ago, we had 6 weeks in early spring of cold hard windy weather coming from east, north east. Did serious damage to hawthorn as well as a few more things. I mean mature hawthorns, full size and less. We didn't see any leaves grow on the east facing side of those trees for a few years.
Looking at them today, you wouldn't know the ever got a set back:D

So there's hope softlad
I forgot to mention that I haven't seen or heard of any similar damage on the east coast.

softlad

when i planted them in march about 1200 or so i put in a double row and cut them back then, they were doing so well and were becoming great bushy plants the only Saviour may be the double row as the inside ones I hope will take.