Knowledge from Olle Garden Bed: What Is Microclimate?

The microclimate is critical to how your garden is produced. The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.

Look at any forest and you will notice that different kinds of trees grow in different places. Of course, some of them are random, but many of them are attributed to microclimate.

What is microclimate?

Microclimate may sound like a daunting word, but in fact it is just a way to describe the environmental differences that occur in specific regions. Have you noticed that the garden under the tree will snow in spring? Or does the place near the wall keep warm longer in autumn? These are microclimates. They have a long way to go in determining plant growth, and you may have several in your garden.

Basic knowledge of growing in microclimate

Many microclimates occur naturally, and you may have remembered them without realizing it. Here are three very common ones:

Light

Temperature

Moisture

Use the natural microclimate in the landscape

Using these microclimates for sustainable agriculture means planting plants under the conditions they like. For example, wet plants should grow in places where the soil is usually wet. They should also be planted near water sources, so that they can be easily watered without spending a lot of energy and resources.

Artificial microclimate

Microclimate can also be man-made, creating ideal conditions for plants by changing the surrounding space. For example, if you have a plant that cannot tolerate strong winds, you can put it behind another plant that can tolerate strong winds. This stronger plant will act as a windbreak, allowing you to plant delicate plants where you may not be able to.

Microclimate can also make use of structures such as buildings and walls. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere (you may live in the Northern Hemisphere), the space facing the south wall will receive more sunlight, and will maintain the ambient heat even after the sun disappears. This means that the microclimate facing the south wall is slightly warmer than the surrounding environment, and the sun is slightly sufficient, so you can plant plants that are not so cold resistant.

How to use microclimate for sustainable cultivation

The best way to incorporate microclimate into a garden is to consider how plants grow in nature. We are used to thinking that plants grow alone in fields or orchards, but the fact is that most plants actually grow in forests, in other plants. If you understand the microclimate in the garden and the needs of plants, you can plant them in a natural and healthy way, so as to save your hard work and make your garden grow into a permanent and self-sufficient environment.

Finding microclimate in the garden

Experienced gardeners know that the conditions of each garden can vary greatly. Even people in the same city may experience different temperatures and growth conditions. This can be attributed to the different microclimates in the garden. The microclimate varies with the location of the garden, the nearby structures or building materials, and even the direction the garden faces. Learning how to determine your microclimate will help you better understand how to meet the needs of garden plants.

How to determine your microclimate

The key to finding microclimate in the garden is to be a keen observer. Throughout the year, growers need to pay special attention to temperature. Note that the temperature range can be quite large to help identify microclimates.

The temperature is greatly affected by the amount of sunlight the garden receives. Finding the yard will help growers determine which areas of the yard will receive the most direct sunlight. The sun can affect your home through concrete sidewalks, roads, and even your own.

Many aspects of the yard can also help cool the planting space. Mature trees, shrubs or other structures that produce dense shadows will affect the way plants grow. Although these microclimates are cooler in summer, they may also be more prone to frost and cold in winter. This may affect the difficulty of perennial plants to survive the winter successfully.

Identifying the microclimate in the garden goes beyond the structure in the yard. The altitude is in the garden climate. Those gardening in high altitude areas often notice that the temperature is lower than that in low altitude gardens. The gardener living in the valley may also notice these colder temperatures, because the cold air can often settle in these places. Familiarity with the terrain of your area will help you better understand the garden in planning.

Like temperature, soil properties and rainfall patterns, it will have a great impact on the microclimate of the garden. These aspects will be affected by the terrain and regional differences within the planting area. Collecting information about rainfall and the quality of soil in your own garden can help growers gain greater benefits by understanding the needs of their plants.