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Post by mogarden on Dec 22, 2009 17:35:35 GMT -6
If the climate in your local area does change, how will that affect your choices of what to grow? Just mulling over all this while I sort my seeds for this coming years' garden. If things are a bit warmer in general for a few years, should we grow more long-season stuff? What about early greens and things like peas? Maybe I will try to plant peas twice this year (3 weeks apart), I used to do that; planting number one gets froze out half the time but when it doesn't, I have a ton of peas!
Or something else to worry about (lol) what if it becomes colder, then what changes would you make?
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Post by Rita on Dec 22, 2009 17:45:00 GMT -6
Up here it keeps getting colder and colder wetter and wetter ...
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Post by mogarden on Dec 22, 2009 19:20:54 GMT -6
So will that change what you grow?
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Post by Rita on Dec 23, 2009 5:52:56 GMT -6
No I will keep planting pretty much the same things I have in the past .. may have to adjust how I am gardening to some extent .. I would love to make some sort of rain shelter to cover tomato's .. but with the location of my garden it would not be a good idea as it would block site for traffic ..
I guess I will more or less HOPE for a lot less rain this next season ..
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Post by jerseycub on Dec 23, 2009 6:32:28 GMT -6
It seams to me that we have been experiencing these changes in weather from season to season for quite a while here, but with all of the new things out there to aid crops we can compensate fer the bad years in one way or the other. Example.
Starting early peas-Row covers
boost peppers & tomatoes- peppers use plastic mulch/ tomatoes- red plastic mulch or water towers.
Also small hoop house can be used in the cooler climate to extend the season for many crops. So we really don't have to change our planting of these crops, just adjust our methods.
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Post by Pharmer Phil on Dec 23, 2009 13:48:28 GMT -6
That's a great thing to ponder on a wintry day Mo  First, if it gets any colder here, we will move for sure.. We've said we will give Minnesota one more summer...and if the summer sux..we're outa here.. Ever since I lived in Mn. it's been crazy...even in the last 6 years, we've had Nice grow seasons, and we've had cool ones, actually, alternating last year being a cool one... so, I do think things are changing, but in a strange unstable way... When I moved to Mn., I had to adjust the way I raised a few things, some, do better, some, much worse, but yet, we get a fair yield.. Pholks I've said before I could grow a garden anywhere, maybe, maybe not, but I've sure seen & I am sure You have too.. photos of foriegn countries where they were...actually raising food, in God forsaken looking soil... where there's a will  |
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Post by jack on Dec 24, 2009 3:51:27 GMT -6
Gidday
From what I have seen on our news, you jokers up ther are really getting into this here global warming stuff. That's why you got plenty of snow and the likes?
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Post by mogarden on Dec 24, 2009 7:21:37 GMT -6
Jack, at this point it's mostly speculation. As far as my own local climate changing, I don't see it so far. I know there must be something going on with arctic ice and glaciers melting, but we don't have those in Tennessee, lol. I just wanted to discuss what we'd all do _IF_ things got very different than they are now, either warmer or colder. Is your weather there the same as in former years?
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Post by jerseycub on Dec 24, 2009 8:14:49 GMT -6
Mogarden;
I really don't think there has been a change in seasons here we have our bad seasons and good ones and that's been that way since I can remember...That's a good 55years for a man that's 63 so as I said in my earlier post we can adjust with the tools that are available to us. As far as freakish weather goes we haven't experienced that here as a rule, it just seams whenever we get a big blow or a decent snow everyone is on the band wagon saying it's global worming. I believe that a lot of this is the natural occurrence of the earths changes. science has taught us that the earth has been changing for thousands of years and will continue to do so until it finally peters out one day.
What we experience in this state is not different then the weather that we have been having for as long as I can remember, and I don't think it's much different then any other state in this country.
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Post by colorado on Dec 24, 2009 9:50:10 GMT -6
I have been here on this place since June 64. I plan to plant like I have. Although I want to try a few more things. It seems we get an extra month of cold winter here now. Winter starts way early. Spring maybe a week earlier to plant. I have not tried to plant earlier. Still last frost about May 10 th they say and use to be here 15 th. And I use to seeup to the 20th frosr warnings. Cannery planted tomatoes end of Mat to be sure passed the frost. Another cycle in the weather? Water does not come on till after the freezing is done. So about April 1 st. Does depend on the weather. We have hot summers here and some cold winters. Snow we really do not get a lot most times. Here it is desert classed and 8 " of moisture per year is normal. Wet years maybe 12". Here we depend on the irrigation water to grow anything.
Last few years yes I have had to plant different than it did as ground was so dry. I have to irrigation before planting. Been same crops. If tiller can not crawl over the ground I have had to make ditches with little monster and irriagte first. It is a whole new ball game that way. When the tiller would just bury it self I had this one wheel 3 HP and put a blade on it for ditching and to irrigate. Have had to figure out how to do things. It is light and would not sink in to dry ground. That things has really helped. I have had to work around dry conditions and summer it was so hot I had to irrigation that 1/2 acre every day to keep it going. If too wet you have to wait till can get tiller in.
I do not plant tomatoes that have over 80 listing. May 15 to end of Sept. Can frost in Mid Sept but not normally. I do not know why or what. Yes, one has to work each year with the weather. I can not say the winters any colder or summers any hotten than use to me. We have had some mild winter here and not nomal and now winter way early . ? Least this is how it seems to me.
Winter before I moved to this valley was a very cold one, and worse where I was. It seems to can either cuss the snow/cold and or cuss the heat. I think I am about near as I can get to to it for good living. Could be lot worse either way.
We can help this for longer season if money to get plastics and so on. Weeds are a very big problem to me. Get more in the water all the time. Ones I have never seen before. I covered that late tomato one yeara dn had ripe tomates till mid-Nov. All the big ones it had set on. Was not many as too late to set on. We can pick crops that have a better chance.
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Post by jack on Dec 25, 2009 2:24:31 GMT -6
Gidday
Hey thanks for all this. It really makes interesting reading for this old Kiwi bow from way down under.
I have always believed that the word climate meant changing paterns of the weather and it has always been changing. Some years good some bad, some hot some cold. It all goes in cycles.
You up there have continental climates and we are just on an island but because of a range of mountains running right up accross the prevailing winds some parts inland have continental or similar climate too.
Here we are sitting right smack bang on the 45th. parrallel so are ecactly half way from the equater to the south pole. In other words in the centre of the roaring forties which the old sailors used to dread.
Being insular in climate we just caint say that our frosts will start or stop on any day, or month for that matter, so there is a lot more guessing as when to plant.
We have only been in this place for less than two years and my garden is therefore very new. Lots of weeds and still fairly poor textured soil for gardening. And as we are sitting on the top of about a 100 foot bluff up from the ocean we do get a bit of problem with salt in the air. But hey, it has it's advantages too, with this time of the year the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean and streaming in through our bedroom window before 6 in the morning.
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