It’s been rainier than usual here so this has been a question for me as well. Thank you for bringing this up @Bregingew , the article is very useful! Also the organza bags discussed in this thread sound like a very good idea. I will have to order some.
Here is what I’ve been doing in the meantime:
I got a bunch of tulle at a local shop that I cut up into rectangles. I fold them over to create a square and tie it down to secure. The double layer of tulle has been enough to disperse light raindrops and deter bees while keeping good ventilation. But if the rain is torrential it would probably not be enough.
During a pleasantly warm spring day, 9 hours should be sufficient for germination of pollen tubes. Please let us know how the hip take was. Best wishes!
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I’ve also used aluminum foil during very wet periods, with reasonably good success. I also try to remove them relatively soon, and loosen them to improve airflow before that. There should be a reasonable amount of “headspace” left above the stigma. Organza bags, or anything similarly porous (or less so) will do little to prevent water from reaching the stigma, but are okay for pollinator exclusion. Complete removal of the petals usually deters pollinators anyway, though.
Stefan
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