This 20 Minute Hack Saved My Garden From Hail

Last year was brutal for all of my pepper and tomato plants when numerous hailstorms left me with nothing but sticks poking up out of the ground. This year, I decided to do something a bit different and plant directly into the ground with a raised bed. But, how am I going to protect the plants from the impending hail? Here is how I did it.

I created a quick frame out of four 2x4's, half-inch pipe and shade cloth. Overall, this quick and to the point protector helped immensely. When the storm was all over, it appears that I might have lost only one plant. That plant was a small tomato plant that can easily be replaced this early in the season. I will certainly be keeping this assembly around for the growing season as it has proved to be helpful. I will probably add a couple of sheets of shade cloth to the front and back for better protection to the plants on the perimeter in the near future.