Are we to late to be waking up to reality?

1. The youth of today aren’t interested in our historically troubled past, they are interested in their future and rightfully so.
2. Unfortunately, global warming is not the most accurate description for us in the UK, climate change is more appropriate.

We need to face up to widespread and consequential change:

• We really don’t know what the weather will be anymore.
• One year it’s a scorching summer, another (and more likely) it’s warm and wet.
• Spring can be early or late (Stick your finger in the air and guess)
• Winter varies from mild and damp to arctic deep-freeze.
• Storms become more frequent and more powerful, with all-time records being broken every year it seems.

Reasons that global warming are complex but basically we have a lot more energy in the system.

• Warm sea water evaporates more causing more potential rain.
• Jet stream has stuck in its winter position in summer although nobody is quite certain why.
• El Nino stream (South America) changes so often you can bet on it (The Butterfly effect)

What we can do to Cope with Climate Change: We just don’t know what will happen next year, so we need to cover all our bases.
Much of the answer is to follow good allotment practices anyway, things we should really be doing whatever the weather.

• Warmer winters will mean that many of the pests and problems that are normally killed by cold weather will survive to plague us in spring.
• Accordingly organic methods such as providing habitats for predators will be of great benefit. 
• When the pests are alive, so are the predators that keep them in check.
• Good hygiene practices will help as well. E.g. when harvesting potatoes, ensure the travellers, those little potatoes that we miss, are dug up. 
• They provide a reservoir for blight and other problems.

Improve the Soil with Organic Matter

• Organic matter in the soil acts as a sponge and buffer to extreme water conditions.
• In the event of a drought there is a larger amount of water stored in the soil to help carry the garden through to the next rain
• In extreme wet weather, the organic matter increases the soil’s capacity to absorb water and the improved structure will allow oxygen to still get to the plant roots. 
• Plants, like animals, can literally drown if no oxygen is available. 
• So improved soil condition will benefit whichever way the weather goes.

Improve Drainage and Deep Raised Beds

• By incorporating organic matter as part of the digging process you improve the sponge effect referred to above.
• Properly constructed deep raised beds will raise the plants above a high-water table helping to prevent flooding in wet weather and again providing a reservoir for dry spells

Be Prepared

• We tend to act for the events that happened the year before, so after the drought we put in water storage systems.
•  We know that the weather has become more extreme, and a prolonged dry spell is likely at some point.
• We also know that if a drought comes then we are likely to have a hosepipe use ban.
• Buying water butts and providing storage will be a good investment but like any investment needs to be made before the benefits are reaped

When there is no rain it is too late to start storing rainwater

• Consider how you distribute stored water. Irrigation systems based on weeping hoses are very efficient and long lasting, especially useful with deep beds.
• Variable Sowing Times and Planting

Variable sowing times and Planting

• As allotment holders we have the ability to be far more flexible. (I would like to thank my other allotment sages for there wise wisdom).
• We can vary our sowing times and sow back-ups in case the first sowing fails. 
• Successional sowing can save the day if it the first fails utterly.
• Different varieties will cope with different conditions, pests and diseases. 
• Cost of seeds is relatively low, many will last for following seasons meaning you sow three or four varieties knowing and maximise out chances of survival.
• Conventional rotation is good, but the most important thing is to avoid planting the same crop in the same space year after year. 
• Spreading the crop out can help avoid disaster. 
• The pest may miss a patch, or something may be planted in a dry area and avoid drowning when the same crop in the wet area survives a drought.

Conclusion: We can’t win all the time; climate change is bringing us challenges beyond those we have had to meet before but we can take steps to adapt to whatever change comes.