Climate Change Garden Archive 2015
Monarch Caterpillars spotted!
Some monarch caterpillars have been spotted munching on some Ascelpias incarnata!
Split Sets in Beans
Scientists have projected that in 2050, we will experience five to six heatwaves, lasting an average of five days. So far, we have subjected the high tunnel plants to three heat waves, which has led to an interesting development with the beans. We noticed the beans have developed split sets, which is the condition where beans drop flowers early due to excessive heat and develop another set of flowers, leading to multiple beans developing at different rates on one plant. This condition can be costly for farmers when they go to harvest because not all the beans will be ready for harvest.
The Garden Blooms (7/20/15)
Hello! The Climate Change Garden has continued to grow and since our last post, more plants have begun to bloom. The Monarda didyma have fully bloomed, but are showing signs of stress inside the high tunnel. The midsummer plants have begun to flower, especially the Asclepias incarnata, and have already been visited by a variety of pollinators. The peppers and beans have also produced flowers, with the peppers having many more blooms and peppers than their outside neighbors. While the beans have developed split sets inside the high tunnel. Meanwhile, the cereals have all finished flowering and are now in the process of maturing for harvest. We have also had multiple heat waves come through the high tunnel, with some days reaching higher than 100 degrees!
Blooms are Coming! (6/29/15)
As the plants continue to adjust to their new surroundings, the peppers inside the tunnel have begun to have blooms, specifically Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’ and ‘PI 441 572’. Also the Monarda didyma plants both inside and outside the tunnel are showing signs of future blooms to come in the next few weeks. While all the beans inside the tunnel have grown considerably bigger than their counterparts outside.
Welcome! (6/17/15)
Welcome to the Climate Change Garden’s first post! All the plants have been transplanted into their proper beds and are still adjusting to their new surroundings. While the plants continue to adjust we have noticed small differences in growth between some of the plants. The food crops outside of the high tunnel showed slightly better germination than their counterparts inside the high tunnel, while the nectar plant, Penstemon digitalis, inside the high tunnel, bloomed later than its outside counterpart. Insects, like lacewings and spittle bugs, have already noticed the new additions to the garden and have already begun making small snacks out of Sympotrichum cordifolium and Monarda didyma, both inside and outside of the high tunnel.
