MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE

Six ways to grow an eco-friendly and climate-resilient vegetable garden

The climate-change emergency has been at the top of my mind throughout the 2023 growing season. This year I’ve been evacuated due to wildfires. I’ve dealt with fl ash flooding and record-breaking rainfalls, and I’ve tried to overcome months of soaring temperatures and high humidity. It was a challenging year in the vegetable garden, but thanks to a handful of climate-change tactics I put in place, the garden still thrived.

Climate-change gardening is all about learning to adapt and create a space resilient to weather extremes. It’s about building and nurturing soil, as well as supporting pollinators, beneficial insects and other wildlife. It also conserves resources like water and encourages the reduction of plastic waste. I can share six strategies to help your garden adapt to our changing climate:

1 FEED THE SOIL My top priority is to feed and nurture the soil in my garden. Understanding what to add to the soil, whether amendments or fertilizers, begins with a soil test. I test my soil every two years by sending a sample to my local agricultural office. (At-home test kits can be bought at garden supply stores, but a lab test is far more accurate.) Testing indicates nutrient availability in the soil and its pH and level of organic matter.

To promote healthy garden soil, I top my raised beds with two inches of organic matter, such as compost or rotted manure, each spring. If a soil test indicates a nutrient deficiency, I’ll also add a slow-release organic vegetable fertilizer. And because my native soils tend to be acidic, I lime my garden annually to raise the pH closer to neutral.