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Storm Damage

Elpicante

Elpicante

Yesterday afternoon the monsoon inspired a freak hail storm ran through southeastern AZ. It took with it branches full of flowers, pods and leaves. It also dumped about 2 inches of rain. I do not know what to do now. Should I trim let it be? I raked some of the leaves but what should I do to the plants?
 
To get a sense of how long your growing season is. 
 
Given the proper care, I suspect you have more than enough time to let your plants come around and produce again. 
 
I'm in zone 7a/6b.  Once I tripped and fell on a jalapeno plant that was loaded with peppers, snapping it off about a foot from the ground.  That plant ended up growing back and producing lots more peppers.  I just let it be and fed it occasionally. 
 
Depending on how severe your damage is, I think you'll be okay.  Photos would help.
 
I too was hit with a hail storm up in Northern Arizona. But the shade cloth over my plants saved all but one plant from destruction. And that plant was exposed due to wind blowing the hail in. My Melon plants which are exposed got hit real hard and the plants may not survive. The first year here I learned just how much damage the heavy monsoon rain could do to your plants, breaking stems, damaging leaves and knocking off flowers. Try 60 to 50 percent shade cloth over your plants. I'm sure with the Tucson Sun they will do fine. You could just have it up during monsoon season if you want. So far I have had mine up since the beginning of the season and I have had very little to no damage to my plants this year.
 
Here are some pix of the damage
 

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Stress like that is a great trigger for both growth and flowering.  If your season permits, you'll probably get a phenomenal harvest.
 
solid7 said:
Stress like that is a great trigger for both growth and flowering.  If your season permits, you'll probably get a phenomenal harvest.
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I hope so, funny thing is that two days earlier I was stressing 'cause all I had were lush green plants no flowers to speak of. Leaves the size of my hand and I got big hands but no buddings present. I read that pruning stimulates flower and pod production so I went at them and very shyly started to prune. I guess Mother Nature saw me I'll attempt at this and decided to l nod me a hand?

My season is long Southern AZ weather. Last year my plants started setting pods late September and my end harvest was late December. I am actuality think of setting two seasons
 
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