Wildfires in California, floods in Texas and Florida, drought, sudden bursts of high and low temperatures, you get the idea. We're officially in the world of weather extremes. Even in Vermont, an intense, unusual wind storm this fall destroyed my greenhouse and uprooted 50-year-old trees. How does a gardener prepare for all this extreme weather?
Unfortunately, extreme weather gardening is our new norm. We can play Pollyanna and say, "We won't get another storm or heat wave like that again," but chances are, we will. So here are some extreme weather gardening tips:
- Know your plants; some of the best plants are those native to extreme weather areas
- Design gardens so plants support each other and grow in community
- Build protected areas with trees, walls or fences to create microclimates
- Use raised beds to protect against flooding
- Have cold and heat protection by using row covers and shade cloth
- Erect a grow tunnel or small hoop house
Listen to this podcast to hear more suggestions.
Now for this week's tip: collect hay, straw and chopped leaves now to use in your food scrap composting pile this winter. With every bucket of food scraps, add a handful of these high carbon materials to help balance the pile.
