Growing your own food is no easy feat. Aside from making sure your crops have adequate water and sunlight, you will also need to protect your harvest from external threats such as pests and harsh weather conditions. Fortunately, you can take certain steps to protect your food supply. Here are a few methods you can use to help protect your crops from bad weather. (h/t to BeansBulletsBandagesAndYou.com)
Plant a diverse selection of seeds and plantings
Some plant strains are more tolerant to drought, while others are more tolerant to the cold. Some plants are resistant to disease. If you grow a diverse range of plants, it will decrease the likelihood of losing your entire yield to bad weather. A little diversity can go a long way in protecting your fruits and vegetables from adversity. Additionally, make sure that you choose plants that can grow well in your hardiness zone.
Always keep extra seeds at hand
Refresh your seed stock whenever you can. Even if your entire garden's worth of produce is felled by harsh weather conditions, you will still have a backup plan with your extra seeds. It won't be a total loss if you always have the chance to start anew. If you aren't able to collect any seeds from your harvest, you can always buy more seeds from gardening stores. Try to wait for them to go on sale, so that you can get them dirt cheap. Remember to store your seeds properly in a cool and dark location, away from any light, heat and moisture.
Use hoop tunnels and row covers
You don't have to build a whole greenhouse just to improve your plant's growing conditions. You can easily protect your garden by building simple DIY row covers and hoop tunnels. These can keep your plants safe from hail damage. Damaged plants are often more susceptible to disease. You can also use cold frames, cloches, and cut-up plastic jugs to protect your plants from the cold and other weather-related problems. Be sure that these structures/items are properly secured, otherwise they may be blown away or lifted off the ground entirely by strong winds, especially during storms. Keeping the air around your plants warm can help extend their growing season. Likewise, if you want to keep your plants cool during the hot summers, you can use shade cloth to cover them. Remember to give your plants plenty of mulch and water. (Related: Gardening hacks: High-yield strategies to make the most out of your space.)
Use windbreaks
To protect your plants from wind damage, you can put small windbreaks at ground level. These can shelter tender crops and seedlings from strong winds. If you have small trees, you can also stake them to the ground for up to a year to keep them from being uprooted by the wind.
Make sure your soil drains well
If you live in an area that is prone to heavy rains, make sure that your garden has well-draining soil. Too much moisture can either drown or rot your plants. You can add some sand or organic matter to your soil to help with any drainage problems.
Try using vertical gardens
Improve the air flow of your plants by keeping them off the damp soil with vertical gardens. This also reduces the risk of fungal diseases.
If you want to learn more about protecting your crops, you can read more articles by going to Harvest.news.
Sources include:
BeansBulletsBandagesAndYou.com
Please contact us for more information.