It's no surprise in this climate crisis we now live in that the seasons are all f'd up. Our summer was far too mild and our fall has been as well - apple blossoms suddenly showing up, lavender reblooming, and the camellias on some shrubs laden with buds - some even blooming.
Why? We've roared past our traditional 'first frost date' scheduled by the Farmer's Almanac to hit the Pacific Northwest literally one month ago today, and while it may feel chillier overnight, the first week of December? It's forecast to be in the low 50's. That's not good. Even in my hometown of PDX, they are also a month behind awaiting frost.
In Climate Change: Winter is Here, Climate Central's analysis of NOAA data brings up how there are across-the-board fewer cold snaps, how overnight lows are higher, and reminds us of how plant and animal life cycles and freshwater supplies are dependent on the cold. I wonder how my fruit trees will do in the spring, and have already seen how the mildness of late fall has kept the cabbage moths going nuts on my autumn/winter greens, ugh...
"On US farms, the $27B fruit and nut industry is losing out on chilling time as winters warm — a necessary exposure for the crops to chilly temperatures which allows them to properly bloom in the spring...viable chill time in California’s fertile Central Valley, where 40% of the US’ fruits and nuts are grown, could drop by 25% by the end of the 21st century...With less chill time, there could be less produce like walnuts, pistachios, and cherries to go around, and what’s left is more likely to be of poorer quality,..The warmer, longer growing season also increases exposure to pests and pollen, worsening allergies."
Greens under cover - but do they need it yet?
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