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Different microclimate questions


Pee Dee Palms

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Alright, I know I've made a lot of posts about microclimates and what to plant there. But, since it is officially spring, I thought I'd do one more, and I don't think I have posted pictures of some of the microclimates I've talked about in the past, so here they are. So, in the picture of the Phoenix sylvestris, you can see more green grass underneath it as opposed to the surrounding area. No, that isn't green grass that was left over from the past summer, it actually emerged first. Could this be a little warmer microclimate or some other factor (obviously, I wouldn't plant anything there, I just want to know for fun)? Then, here is a few places I was thinking about planting some palms. The very bright wall is my south facing wall, which tends to be much more warm. As you can see, there is green grass on the very edge of the mulch, is this due to the mulch holding heat and releasing it? Or is it just coincidence? And if I were to plant something on the south facing wall, where should I? I am not sure the warmest place on my south facing wall, my guess would be the area near those small lilies and where the bush is (3rd picture, 4th picture is that same place, just from a different angle), but I'm not sure, what is your opinion? Another thing I wanted to ask is, by my driveway there is also green grass near the edges of that too. Is the concrete also holding heat? That wouldn't make much sense considering it is white. Is it some other factor? Please let me know if you spot any potential microclimates and maybe what I should zone-push there. Thanks.

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13 minutes ago, General Sylvester D. Palm said:

Alright, I know I've made a lot of posts about microclimates and what to plant there. But, since it is officially spring, I thought I'd do one more, and I don't think I have posted pictures of some of the microclimates I've talked about in the past, so here they are. So, in the picture of the Phoenix sylvestris, you can see more green grass underneath it as opposed to the surrounding area. No, that isn't green grass that was left over from the past summer, it actually emerged first. Could this be a little warmer microclimate or some other factor (obviously, I wouldn't plant anything there, I just want to know for fun)? Then, here is a few places I was thinking about planting some palms. The very bright wall is my south facing wall, which tends to be much more warm. As you can see, there is green grass on the very edge of the mulch, is this due to the mulch holding heat and releasing it? Or is it just coincidence? And if I were to plant something on the south facing wall, where should I? I am not sure the warmest place on my south facing wall, my guess would be the area near those small lilies and where the bush is (3rd picture, 4th picture is that same place, just from a different angle), but I'm not sure, what is your opinion? Another thing I wanted to ask is, by my driveway there is also green grass near the edges of that too. Is the concrete also holding heat? That wouldn't make much sense considering it is white. Is it some other factor? Please let me know if you spot any potential microclimates and maybe what I should zone-push there. Thanks.

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20220321_121512.jpg

20220321_121606.jpg

Area directly under the palm will be warmer, ..and stay moister longer, ..if only slightly.. compared to the more open areas of the Lawn, which is why grass will emerge there first. Overall though, that tiny, ground level micro climate will have little influence over anything that gets tall that is fully exposed to the weather.

Entire south facing wall will be the warmest " wall ". that said, center of it will be the warmest, since cold air wrapping around the western, or eastern sides will be a little less effective at cutting into any temperature gain that side of a building provides.

Assuming the fence in one of the pictures is the east side of that wall, you could plant something there that will get tall enough to block any easterly wind that might cut across that area, which would keep that wall even warmer.

Mulch will always absorb / radiate heat from below, ..and retain moisture longer than other, more open areas that are bare / lack something that covers the soil. Is the main reason anything growing in / next to it greens up quicker when temperatures start to climb.

Light colored Driveways / concrete surfaces absorb and retain plenty of heat, and also radiate away heat from the soil below. They also provide a surface where water runs off of, thus, adding moisture to the immediate area alongside them, which is why the grass is greening up there first.. Same effect can be seen along roadsides, particularly when it is quite dry, w/ just enough rainfall to stimulate growth next to the roadway... Plants that grow directly next to them green up before anything else.

Once whatever you plant gets taller, the benefits of that micro climate will be less effective at retaining heat, though the soil will stay warmer,  but only out to a certain distance from the driveway..  That said, as things get taller, they create their own beneficial micro climate beneath their canopy.

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Maybe this is foolish, but it occurred to me that most of the places with greener grass might have more moisture in the soil, which would retain some heat. Moisture retained by the mulch; from wet soil under the concrete; etc. 

If that is the case, I don't think it would make much of a difference to anything that was more than a few inches above the ground.

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