Welcome to the great California desert! Sunny skies, seasonally warm temperatures,
and dry, dry, dry… So the good news is
that we have received 15.76 inches of rain this year
The bad new is found in this graph:
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| Standard Climate biome determination chart |
if you know the average
temperature of a location, and the annual rainfall… you can safely predict the
type of biome pattern to be found in that location:
For example: Anyplace
on earth that has an annual average temperature of 10 C and receives 150 cm of
rain in a year … will definitely be a forest… (natural vegetation
before human activity)
Go to this link to find your climate characteristics: http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/
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| Add caption |
So Fremont has 15.76 inches of rain – that's about 39 cm. and
our average annual temperature is 60 F = 15.5C.
Check it out on the graph – We are a desert… This is our 3rd
year of severe drought… Whatever you call it, climate change is happening to
us!
We get along fine when we can count on melting winter snow water in the Sierras - but we are in big trouble when there is very little winter snow...
We get along fine when we can count on melting winter snow water in the Sierras - but we are in big trouble when there is very little winter snow...
Interesting comments on how long range climate predictions
are determined: National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140213-california-drought-record-agriculture-pdo-climate/
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| Plant assemblage in Southern Mexico |
Several years ago we were in Southern Mexico – a reagon
about as dry as Freemont… and I marveled at the beauty and productivity of the
gardens… Then it dawned on me – since early times those local people had
refined the art of growing plants suitable for that climate. I saw no pansies or petunias… no lawns or
thirsty vegetable plants… but plants naturally adapted to the available water and climate…and they
were beautiful – just different from the classic English and European garden
plants that most of us associate with “garden “. Those local people have also developed methods of
focusing water into the root zone of the plants, and used mulch to slow drying.
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| A plant largely unknown to most Europeans - this is the Chayote - found in Central America - grows well in Fremont too...It has squash like fruit... |
So I thought – "what plants are suitable to the climate of Fremont?" I came home and started doing my
research. I discovered that the Fremont
climate is a classic Mediterranean biome climate – distinguished by moderate temperatures, and minimal
rainfall – which all comes in one brief rainy season. This same biome is also found in the European
Mediterranean countries, parts of South Africa, Chile, parts of New Zealand and
Australia… Plants that have evolved in these locations generally do well
here. I also found a great wealth of
native California plants – but beware the term ‘native’ … almost everything is
native to somewhere – so I am only interested in plants native to my region…
After a lot of trial and error, success and failure, I have developed the maxim
– "If it can't live here with the water I give it, I let it die and I replace it
with something that can adapt."
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| One of my cactus in bloom |
If our climate truly continues to be dry for years ahead, as predicted – I
am shifting from Mediterranean plants to plants adapted to very low water. Among some enduring Mediterranean plants, I have a growing collection of cactus and other drought resistant succulents. When the plants are small they require extra
water support – but once established they thrive with littler water.
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| Garden cactus |
Now, the Kansas farm boy in me can't go completely away and I
have some raised planter boxes where I add extra water and can grow excellent tomoatoes,
green beans, fava beans, kale ( 3 varieties ), potatoes, beets, and squash. We also have a variety of fruit trees with deep roots that do OK!
Now I come to a pet peeve of mine – Why do local nurseries and local garden groups encourage new gardeners to attempt growing plants just not suitable for our climate?I suspect that they try to grow them here because their relatives in warmer summer climates " always' grew them in their gardens.
Now I come to a pet peeve of mine – Why do local nurseries and local garden groups encourage new gardeners to attempt growing plants just not suitable for our climate?I suspect that they try to grow them here because their relatives in warmer summer climates " always' grew them in their gardens.
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| Beets |
We have cold nighttime temps in the summer
due to air movement off of the cold Pacific ocean. That limits us in important ways – Both the
Alameda Master Gardening association and the Davis UC Farm extension program recommend not attempting to grow peppers, eggplant, okra, or
large fruiting tomatoes (like Heirloom types)… we simply don't have the
climate for it… The plants will ’grow’ in many cases – but produce poor quality
or little fruits. Why keep doing that which is impossible - grow varieties that are
suited to do well our climate!
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| Zucchini |
