How climate shifts are reshaping gardens, crops and food production — and how we can grow with them.
As prairie people, we are attuned to signs. Receding snow and sluggish ground thaw under the intensifying warmth of the spring sun. Newly fresh, still frigid air that carries a whiff of promise. Flecks of green slowly assembling in ditches and treetops.
The first signs of spring now arrive a little earlier than they once did.
And frequently, they don’t last. Rather than a gentle rise in temperature giving way to gradual budding and blossoming, there may be wide weekly (and sometimes daily) fluctuations between highs and lows.
Once the growing season is established, instead of gentle summer rains that foster greenery and growth, there can be long periods without precipitation, and even drought.
UM’s Dr. Henrique Da Ros Carvalho notes that across Southern Canada, minimum and maximum temperatures have steadily increased over recent decades. These changes, highlighted in the Sixth Assessment Report by UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are especially pronounced in winter and spring.
A subtle but important shift: the frost-free season is lengthening.
For gardeners, farmers and researchers alike, that means new challenges and possibilities. Plants that once struggled to complete their life cycles may now succeed (sometimes, along with pests or invasive species). Trees and shrubs better suited to a longer growing season may thrive, provided they accumulate enough “growing degree days” — a measure of heat needed for growth — within this extended window.
Yet, as Carvalho, who is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Meteorology in the Department of Soil Science, points out, Manitoba’s climate story isn’t identical to Alberta’s or Ontario’s. The effect to crops and gardens is shaped by the meteorological shifts, cadences and patterns of a particular place and time.
Temperature tells only half the story.
Precipitation isn’t necessarily increasing or decreasing overall, but it is becoming less predictable and more volatile. Instead of moderate, consistent rainfall, regions may receive the same total amount of water in a few intense storms. These bursts overwhelm soil, leading to runoff and flooding rather than steady absorption.
Then come the gaps. long stretches without rain leave soil parched. For plants, the consequences are stark: too much water, too quickly, followed by not enough when it matters most.
Carvalho and his grad students Emily Robb and Julia Beechinor installed sampling intakes at a height of ~100 on this CBC broadcast tower in Yorkton, SK, to measure concentrations of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. The tower, the first of its kind in Canada, is operated by Carvalho’s Micrometeorology Lab as part of the NSERC funded project CanN2ONet .
“In my view, the issue for gardening, and food production in general,” says Carvalho, “is a potentially longer growing season with the same amount of precipitation that is now poorly distributed.”
Carvalho teaches the course SOIL 3060, Introduction to Agrometeorology, which covers weather and climate interaction with plants, and how climate influences plant growth and development.
Success in gardening and food production will hinge increasingly on water management. In fact, he notes, excess water and drought account for over 70 per cent of insurance claims.
Prairie farmers are always working to improve crop conditions. The research done by Carvalho and his graduate students includes testing approaches such as staggering crops (annual and cover crop rotation) and alternating perennial and annual crops, for carbon sequestration to improve soil nutrition health and water retention, strengthen climate resilience and boost yields.
Gardeners should also consider how water moves through their soil, including how it is captured, retained and used.
Tip #1: Water deeply and less frequently. This encourages strong root systems and helps plants withstand heat and drought.
Tip #2: Capture excess rainfall water. Use a barrel or design a rain garden, a shallow depression with deep-root perennials to capture water that would otherwise run off.
Tip #3: Add mulch on top of your soil. “It essentially creates a ‘protective layer’ that slows down soil water evaporation,” Carvalho says.
In combination with mulching, he suggests adding drip irrigation such as drip tapes. The combination improves water efficiency and reduces evaporation by up to 70%. It also helps to control weeds, and boosts yields.
The climate shift challenge offers a discreet gift. Tending to moisture and plant conditions deepens our connection to the natural world. Doing the work of monitoring soil moisture, adjusting irrigation, observing plant stress draws us into a slower, more mindful rhythm.
Gardening can become an act of cultivation — and listening.
Nature, wonder, wellness: This series draws on perspectives of UM researchers and experts. The observations, tips and takeaways focus on our environment and the abundant plant life that surrounds us.
We pursue sustainability in its many forms—societal, cultural, economic, environmental. Building a sustainable future is among the commitments you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.
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