Tuesday 26 October 2021

Climate crisis and harvest

Jay

In looping flight on rounded wings, jays busy themselves. Our garden is a woodland clearing. The jays are especially active now, each bird searching out and hiding away up to 5,000 acorns during the season.  They are a wonder of the bird world growing their hypocampus to enable them to remember where each nugget of food is hidden. Nature’s white-rumped, piece-working tree planters. The more food they can ‘cache’ the more they’ll have to eat when times get tough. In spring, tiny oaks emerge where jays have ‘planted’ them.

I recently saw a clip of a jay vocalising: not the usual fingernails-down-the-blackboard squark but quiet, subtle, mesmerising sub-chatter indicating a lively intelligence that is confirmed in their eyes.

They are usually far too clever to be caught by our ringing nets. But, on those rare occasions when they are in the hand, the dusky pink of their plumage and the electric blue wing flash are truly beautiful.


This has been a poor apple crop - affected by the late spring and the prolonged dry spell: one fifth of last year’s harvest. Stored apples lasted well into spring last year tricking us into thinking that each year would see a similar abundance of apple juice, compote, cakes and puddings.

Fly agaric


A smaller harvest too of our favourite pale blue winter Crown Prince squash. The fruits are so well armoured that it can be hazardous chopping off chunks for kitchen use. Thankfully no fingers lost or serious abdominal injuries as I carve into the 6 kg monster. The rich orange, oven-roasted flesh has already contributed to velvety soups flavoured with rosemary and bay. I served our first squash soup of the season with mountainous cheese scones. My public expressed approval. With luck the few squash we have will last well into the new year.


Although some harvests have been below our expectations, others have exceeded them: our best ever swede and calabrese (broccoli) for instance.


Of course, this health above ground is only achieved by nourishing the soil - the soul of the garden. By applying thick coats of our own compost to the soil surface we enable the essential soil invertebrates and mycorrhizal fungi to flourish and they are the reason our plants grow with vigour on Nottinghamshire sand.


The dampness of the autumn has probably contributed to the diversity of toadstools in the garden. Scarlet, spotted fly agarics have flourished. Shaggy ink caps have been abundant in the lawn.




This winter I intend to ‘re-skin’ the polytunnel. The old plastic is held together with tape and has lost its’ tension. This time I’ll refine the design to allow greater ventilation during the heat of the summer when the polytunnel frequently becomes too hot for ripening.

Crown Prince squash and Beefmaster tomatoes 

Tomatoes ripen at 21-24C (70-75F) but ripening stops above 29.4C (85F) when carotene & lycopene pigments cannot be produced. Improved  ventilation should allow us to better regulate the polytunnel temperature. 


Now, the last tomatoes hang from the naked plants - all leaves removed to increase airflow around the fruits. They are still ripening and we continue to harvest when they show first signs of colouring then store at room temperature. Their flavour is intensified by oven roasting. Beans have been reluctant to dry.


There is a holistic connection between working to nourish the natural world and the growing of food that is within everyone’s grasp. As well as those of us blessed with gardens, allotments, balconies, community gardens all give the opportunities to grow our own wonderful nutritious, organic food cheaply and to nurture what is natural. 

The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. We certainly feel that connection after time in our green world and the healing power of the natural world has entered the national consciousness.


Another benefit of growing one’s own food is that food miles and waste are eliminated. Up to 30% of all vegetables are rejected by the supermarkets as crops are not the right shape or appearance. This waste contributes directly to climate change through the breakdown of food in landfill and the production of harmful methane and wasteful and unnecessary use of fertilisers and transport.


We can all take small steps like reducing food waste to contribute to combatting climate crisis.


As we enjoy the harvest at the end of this growing season, like all gardeners and growers we are already planning for the next.

This time we hope to move beyond our established organic and no-dig methods - we will be trialling biodynamic ideas. These include much more attention to the moon and cosmos and extend to the use of the biodynamic preparations used to give extra health to soil and plants.

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