OT: Microclimates

Celia was asking:

As I understand and use the term "microclimates" now - at this stage of my
ignorance - it's a vague way of explaining that you ought to study the
different corners of your yard before planting. But I want it to come with
a system of predictions and explanations. Is there one? Please educate me.

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Dealing with microclimates is one of the most fascinating aspects of learning 
about landscaping, but it's one of the most elusive, also.  What you might 
term your macroclimate (or just climate) is determined by your latitude, with 
temperatures generally getting cooler the further you are from the equator, 
elevation, with temps usually cooler with increasing height due to the 
thinning of the atmosphere, and your nearness (or not) to large bodies of 
water--also by the prevailing wind direction and where you are relative to 
mountain chains.  In my case, 7000 feet of elevation gives us a USDA zone 
equivalent to southern Maine, even though Santa Fe is much further south.  But 
it's dry because the prevailing wind has crossed a lot of dry continent and 
several water-stealing mountain ranges on its way from the moist Pacific.

Microclimates, on the other hand, depend on much smaller features or your 
surroundings.  If I had an effective windbreak to the west I would have much 
less extreme conditions in my iris beds, but I would also have more insects to 
contend with--the wind does cut down on aphids and no-see-ums.  The front of 
my house faces south and is somewhat protected from the western winds, so my 
front garden stays warm enough that I have had dahlias survive the winters for 
years--pretty good for a zone 5 garden--but iris in that bed tend to try to 
bloom too early and then get frozen in the inevitable spring snow storms.  I 
learn. 

Frost pockets--definitely cool.  Remember that cold air is heavier than warm 
air, so cold air falls to the lowest spots in an area, just like water.  If 
you have a low dell on your property, that's where it will tend to get 
coldest, especially during the changes of seasons, and especially on still 
nights when the wind isn't mixing the air.  This can be a good thing if you're 
trying to grow something that doesn't usually grow in a warmer climate, like 
apple trees.  Sloping land often doesn't get get hit as hard by frosts, as the 
cold air is just passing through instead of sitting.

So it is indeed a matter of figuring out what to do with the various corners 
of your lot.  I can grow lovely lettuces and kale on the north side of my back 
wall, but I leave that hot front bed to the dahlias and hollyhocks in the 
summers.

Hope this helps--I've rambled enough for one night.

Barb, in Santa Fe the dry, hot, and high.
IrisMaven@msn.com
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