Gardening in a changing climate
Natural Method
To help fix a microclimate, one could grow a shelterbelt of evergreens around their land. Masanobu Fukuoka mentioned windbreaks at the end of his Sowing Seeds in the Desert, and he mentioned some varieties, including trees that grow quickly. “Trees planted as windbreaks are valuable not only for preventing wind damage but also for maintaining the fertility of the soil, filtering water runoff, and generally improving the environment for all creatures.”[1] A shelterbelt is a line of windbreak trees. It's best to let in a little wind near the ground, so the other wind will go over the trees and softly land on the other side.[2] The trees should provide shelter up to several tree heights deep into the land, and this will keep the wind from drying out the plants inside.[2] This humidity will help your plants grow, and it may even make your farm or garden more tropical or one zone warmer.[3]
- ↑ Masanobu Fukuoka, Sowing Seeds in the Desert, (White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J. M. Caborn, Shelterbelts and Microclimate, (Edinburgh: Department of Forestry Edinburgh University, 1957)
- ↑ Natural Farming Center, Natural Farming with Panagiotis Manikis PART 4: "Shelter Belts"