DENVER — The amount of damage we get in our gardens depends on the size of the hail stones and the duration. Some plants may be totally pulverized. Others may be salvageable.
It takes several days to assess the damage. As you begin cleanup, start by removing damaged leaves or stems that can no longer carry on photosynthesis. I only remove the worst. Others can be removed later after plants begin to rejuvenate.
Avoid removing any foliage on peonies or hostas. These perennials only produce one set of leaves each year. They won't grow any more this year. We just have to live with the tattered foliage.
A liquid foliar feed using a fertilizer high in nitrogen will help plants recover. They will absorb nutrients directly through their leaves. Just sprinkle it on. It's tricky because the ground and pots are so wet. As things dry out, continue with more aggressive fertilization.
You may be able to salvage some damaged plants by taking cuttings. I "topped" some succulents and placed the cuttings in soil to root.
Some plants may just need to be replaced altogether.
Our plans for a Proctor's Garden tour to benefit Dumb Friends League are on hold. We'll reconsider later in summer. Stay tuned.
More Proctor's Garden:
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
9NEWS+
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.