Hailstorm hits Boambee

Paul Grant couldn't believe it when hail hit his property on Monday.

Rob Wright

FOLIAGE farmer Paul Grant's pleasure at yesterday's rain was dimmed by the hailstorm that came with it.

He measured 33mm of rain yesterday morning after 2.5mm overnight but a short sharp storm of gravel-sized hail about 10am on Monday was a nasty surprise.

Mr Grant has been keen for rain to encourage new growth on the rainforest trees he cultivates for the flower market on his Boambee farm.

With more than 500 trees on more than 1.5ha hectares of protected slopes, he usually harvests foliage every week for the Sydney and Melbourne domestic flower market as well as some overseas customers.

He said he had finished fertilising on Sunday in time for the rain, but the hail had bruised foliage and punched holes in tender new leaves.

Paul Grant said he had only just begun to take an interest in his rain gauge again, after the ample rain during the first half of the year which had been ideal for his trees.

“We had plenty of stock on the trees and we don't expect much growth over winter,” he said.

His trees have already started shooting again and with fertiliser to give the leaves a richer colour and added growth boost, the rain came just at the right time, but the hail means he will have to pick selectively and choose the second growth flush.

Upper Orara cattleman Phil Doyle said he had measured 25mm to 9am Monday and a further 10mm to 4pm yesterday and it was still raining heavily.

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