Home Grows and Climate Change

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Let's stay away fro the political.  You know, the is it man made or a natural cycle stuff.  It is hard to deny that the weather has been getting weird.  Our winters have been getting lighter and lighter.  Our storms have been getting bigger and bigger.  We are getting what seems like much more rain, but in spurts.  Like a week of rain and then a month of nothing.

Where do you think this global weirdening is going to go with respect to home gardens?  I am thinking lots of water saving / catching and high tunnels to protect from bad weather and rapid temperature changes.  Heck our winters are now so mild that heated green houses might be affordable because there are really only a handful of nights where it is below 40.  Not saying things grow great at those temperatures, but they tend to survive.
 
So far, the only adjustments I've made are my planting-out day and garden cleanup range. I tend to plant out 1 week later than I had for, say, 8 years. Now I plant out in the 3rd week of May, whereas before I had lived by May 15. Cleanup just means my season has been extended just a wee bit as a result of milder weather into autumn. 

I've been storing rainwater for years and could probably do more (I had 2 barrels, 1 just split in the guts and I haven't been able to repair it).
 
Also, the last couple years hardening off has been a bit whipsaw. I get nice stretches of warmth and sunshine, then cold and damp. So more cycling plants in and out of the house.
 
ako, that last part is why I call it 'climate weirdening' or 'global weirdening'.  We had the same thing this spring.  I hardened off with shade cloth over the high tunnel so that the temperature swings werent so bad.
 
You might want to include the solar system actually. We are just coming out of a solar maximum cycle. Many people are unaware that modern man was around during the little ice age. Many areas in Europe could not even grow enough food. The Thames was even froze over for months many times.  The 1930s drought and dust bowl in the midwest ect ect.  In the 1970s LOTS of scientists said we would be in another ice age by now.....I must have missed it.
 
No, im sorry but weather cycles are far more complicated than just blaming man. I think weather patterns not long ago were far more weird than what i see today.
 
Climate and weather are complicated and science is only as good as our ability to collect data/facts and interpret what it means. While I personally believe humans play at least some factor, it would be naive to pretend there is any way to know the magnitude of influence by a single component.
 
 
 
The only thing a home gardener can do at this point is take a page from a farmer's book and buy crop insurance! ;)  
 
 
ShowMeDaSauce said:
No, im sorry but weather cycles are far more complicated than just blaming man. I think weather patterns not long ago were far more weird than what i see today.
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Did I say it was caused by man?  Nope.  In fact I believe I said lets not bother to argue the causes.  You know, the complicated stuff.  The topic is how to mitigate / manage the challenges of changing weather.  Example: West coast drought followed by west coat flooding.

Come on guy, lend a hand to the discussion.  How do you cope / adapt to the weather being all weird lately?

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Peter_L, the only thing a person can do is purchase crop insurance?  Seriously?  There was a fish business in KY that lost everything in a freak cold spot a few years ago.  If he had larger capacity heaters, he would have been fine.  There's lots people can do to mitigate changing weather.

Our biggest project has been moving earth around so that we can withstand severe rain and severe drought.  Essentially, we've moved things around so that everything is on a slant feeding a system of ponds.  Ponds arent done yet, but we have zero standing water after the heaviest of rains.  There are lots of things people can do to mitigate weather.

Biggest problem I see on a national level is so many people want to argue if it is man made or a natural cycle.  Doesnt much matter to people like us because very little we can do but try to cope.  I think that is where it is at, coping, changing, adapting.  Let the politicians argue and bicker.  Besides, coming up with new ways of doing things is fun.

 
 
AJ Drew said:
 
 
Peter_L, the only thing a person can do is purchase crop insurance?  Seriously?  There was a fish business in KY that lost everything in a freak cold spot a few years ago.  If he had larger capacity heaters, he would have been fine.  There's lots people can do to mitigate changing weather.
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Sorry, it was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek; I'm not really in the same position as you so admittedly I haven't worried about it.
 
 
 
Humans do what humans do, we modify our surroundings to make it survivable/habitable then thrive in it. Pots make it easier to move plants around and protect them. I think this is the most economical choice unless it's worth the investment to build a permanent green house that will eventually pay for itself.
 
On average, growing seasons seem to just be getting longer, so even without investing in creative ways to protect plants, home gardens would probably produce more. Production is just hampered by potentially stronger storms/unpredictable weather. Averages just don't mean much if you're on the losing side. 
 
If I was tasked with making my living off plants, my first priority would be to diversify. Growing as many different types of crops will mitigate the loss of some varieties. There will be the difficulty of keeping up with the demands of different plants; everything will need to be handled on a case by case basis and a good portion might not find the surrounding climate the best for optimal production. It's just solving the issue of "having all the eggs in one basket".
 
I grow some plants to keep me occupied with a healthy hobby in the summer. My favorite season is winter so I'm probably not the most motivated to search for the best answers. 
 
The growing season does seem to be getting longer.  I first noticed maybe five or six years ago when I found out Chicago hearty figs can now be grown in Kentucky.  I -think- the Department of Agriculture change the zones not long ago.  Is why I am so keen on the idea of growing year round.  I think it used to cost a fortune in heat, but might be approaching a point where it might be worth it to supplement heat on those few really cold nights.

Still, while it is helping many folk who can adapt easily I gotta figure the big time folk have very specialized equipment and cant change all that fast.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2012/usda-unveils-new-plant-hardiness-zone-map/
 
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