Author Topic: 50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?  (Read 780 times)

fliptop

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50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?
« on: September 21, 2020, 10:29:32 AM »
Goodness gracious, what would a hurricane do? Anyone else have problems in SW Florida with wind and rain last night?

Had one 7ft Papaya tree topple over and my pigeon peas all have a serious lean and a section of yard still has standing water and lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

It's now a waiting game to see if the Jackfruit seedlings survive the standing water and if the now-propped up Papaya tree finishes what it started, in terms of fruit.

Thinking of clumping bamboo and bananas as thirsty windbreaks. Any other recommendations?



Satya

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Re: 50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2020, 11:23:21 AM »
Goodness gracious, what would a hurricane do? Anyone else have problems in SW Florida with wind and rain last night?

Had one 7ft Papaya tree topple over and my pigeon peas all have a serious lean and a section of yard still has standing water and lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

It's now a waiting game to see if the Jackfruit seedlings survive the standing water and if the now-propped up Papaya tree finishes what it started, in terms of fruit.

Thinking of clumping bamboo and bananas as thirsty windbreaks. Any other recommendations?



Gracilis and Dwarf Chinese bamboo, both clumping, have done very well for us. They are not edible though.
Bananas will lean and may fall if leaves are not pruned prior to the storm. Both will love the water.  Chinese goddess seems more tolerant to drought during our dry months and will still look beautiful.

fliptop

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Re: 50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2020, 12:21:14 PM »
Thanks, Satya, for the recommendations and insight on bananas as a windbreak! I recently got Buddha Belly Bamboo and will look into the type you recommended. Thanks again!

EddieF

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Re: 50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2020, 02:17:32 PM »
I've been topping the brazil pepper trees for windbreak & privacy.
A little worried though after someone said pep trees can cause issues with mangos i'm planning to put there.
I have almost 2 dozen banana trees & honestly they could use a windbreak.  Still standing but leaves shred (no harm) easily.  A vigorous growing mango tree would be nice there to protect b's.
My avocado leaves are turned on their side after last night.

Satya

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Re: 50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2020, 02:55:32 PM »
I've been topping the brazil pepper trees for windbreak & privacy.
A little worried though after someone said pep trees can cause issues with mangos i'm planning to put there.
I have almost 2 dozen banana trees & honestly they could use a windbreak.  Still standing but leaves shred (no harm) easily.  A vigorous growing mango tree would be nice there to protect b's.
My avocado leaves are turned on their side after last night.
Brazilian peppers are known to be allelopathic, stunt growth of other plants/trees around. I have no direct evidence to support this. When we started our garden we removed all the pepper trees as they were growing scraggly, they had overgrown all over the empty lot and we needed room to start afresh. I have seen surinam cherries grow around a neighbor's small pepper tree with no problem in thriving or fruiting.

bsbullie

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Re: 50+ mph winds last night. Windbreak suggestions?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2020, 06:26:10 PM »
Brazilian Pepper are also a major invasive, can be a sever irritant and cause issues to many who have allergies and asthma.  You should not be using them in a cultivated manner.
- Rob