Creating microclimates

[Than]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any resources on how to alter/create microclimates in a garden. Some kind of a summary of all the things one can do to create a certain microclimate. Especially, obviously, to increase winter temperatures. Anyone knows of any websites, articles...? I searched but didn't find much. 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, ego said:

I was wondering if anyone knows of any resources on how to alter/create microclimates in a garden. Some kind of a summary of all the things one can do to create a certain microclimate. Especially, obviously, to increase winter temperatures. Anyone knows of any websites, articles...? I searched but didn't find much. 

Depends on what you're trying to do..  And what the " basic " lay out of your property is like.. IE property is flat vs. on a slope of some sort.. ( Cold air will always try to drain to the lowest point in a yard, neighborhood, etc..

A few things that can help w/ keeping things warmer in winter, esp. when it comes to weathering any abnormally cold nights include:

*Tree Canopy.. especially on the south or east side of a property, evergreen trees like Cork Oak / Avocado/ Olive, etc esp.. Will also reduce temperatures below them in summer ( so anything that is tender to hot sun will be less likely to suffer sun damage )

Deciduous trees work great for this as well, though not in winter for obvious reasons..

*Evergreen Wind breaks, particularly on the north / northwest side of a property to slow/ greatly diminish the effect of cool, northerly winds.. Also effective when placed on the west side of a yard ( to help reduce sun exposure in the summer ) Plants like traditional Myrtle, a variant ..what is sold here in the S.W. U.S. as  " Twisted Myrtle ", ..among numerous other tall shrubs, Bamboo.. even Bananas.. can work well as a screen..  Even better if you can create a layered effect ( Tall to short ) so that wind can't cut under taller things.

Fences / walls made of rock/ concrete blocks can also work as a wind break.. Block, esp the side of a block wall that faces south during the winter will stay pretty warm, even if the rest of the yard is cooler when you step away from that wall..

*Rock mulch / decorative Gravel.. works really well for absorbing / radiating heat on cold nights during the winter.. Esp on the south or west side of a yard / property. Only drawback is during the summer, dark colored stone will get hot / stay hot.. ( good for things that can handle lots of heat though )

*If your property is big enough, water features like a pond / pool can also help modify ambient temperatures.. to some degree at least..

 

[Than]

7 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Depends on what you're trying to do..  And what the " basic " lay out of your property is like.. IE property is flat vs. on a slope of some sort.. ( Cold air will always try to drain to the lowest point in a yard, neighborhood, etc..

A few things that can help w/ keeping things warmer in winter, esp. when it comes to weathering any abnormally cold nights include:

*Tree Canopy.. especially on the south or east side of a property, evergreen trees like Cork Oak / Avocado/ Olive, etc esp.. Will also reduce temperatures below them in summer ( so anything that is tender to hot sun will be less likely to suffer sun damage )

Deciduous trees work great for this as well, though not in winter for obvious reasons..

*Evergreen Wind breaks, particularly on the north / northwest side of a property to slow/ greatly diminish the effect of cool, northerly winds.. Also effective when placed on the west side of a yard ( to help reduce sun exposure in the summer ) Plants like traditional Myrtle, a variant ..what is sold here in the S.W. U.S. as  " Twisted Myrtle ", ..among numerous other tall shrubs, Bamboo.. even Bananas.. can work well as a screen..  Even better if you can create a layered effect ( Tall to short ) so that wind can't cut under taller things.

Fences / walls made of rock/ concrete blocks can also work as a wind break.. Block, esp the side of a block wall that faces south during the winter will stay pretty warm, even if the rest of the yard is cooler when you step away from that wall..

*Rock mulch / decorative Gravel.. works really well for absorbing / radiating heat on cold nights during the winter.. Esp on the south or west side of a yard / property. Only drawback is during the summer, dark colored stone will get hot / stay hot.. ( good for things that can handle lots of heat though )

*If your property is big enough, water features like a pond / pool can also help modify ambient temperatures.. to some degree at least..

 

How does a tree canopy on the southern side help? Won't it block the sun during the day thus stopping plants and surrounding surfaces from absorbing heat? If a south facing wall for instance doesn't get any sun due to the canopy on the opposite side, it won't radiate much heat in the night after. 

[Silas_Sancona]

35 minutes ago, ego said:

How does a tree canopy on the southern side help? Won't it block the sun during the day thus stopping plants and surrounding surfaces from absorbing heat? If a south facing wall for instance doesn't get any sun due to the canopy on the opposite side, it won't radiate much heat in the night after. 

Unless it is extremely dense, it should allow some light through it.. Have large Bougainvillea against a south facing wall here and that wall stayed warmer than a north facing wall on the opposite side of the yard, even though the Bougs provide a fairly dense canopy.

At my old house, south facing wall was fully exposed ..no canopy above or hanging over... Stayed warm during the day, but a good amount of that heat radiated away at night, even though the surface plants were sitting on was all concrete. That said, that wall was warmer, overall,  than areas further out in the yard that are exposed to the sky where canopy from a young tree in that area isn't established enough yet to provide good heat retention.. Have a large Mesquite in that yard ( Canopy is about 15ft above a north facing wall, and reaches out about 17ft in any direction ) that retains enough of it's canopy thru the winter, only dropping it right about now, as new foliage is pushed that provided an excellent micro climate below it. Wall on the neighbor's side where that tree is stayed pretty warm in winter, despite having canopy reach out over part of it..

[Than]

1 minute ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Unless it is extremely dense, it should allow some light through it.. Have large Bougainvillea against a south facing wall here and that wall stayed warmer than a north facing wall on the opposite side of the yard, even though the Bougs provide a fairly dense canopy.

At my old house, south facing wall was fully exposed ..no canopy above or hanging over... Stayed warm during the day, but a good amount of that heat radiated away at night, even though the surface plants were sitting on was all concrete. That said, that wall was warmer, overall,  than areas further out in the yard that are exposed to the sky where canopy from a young tree in that area isn't established enough yet to provide good heat retention.. Have a large Mesquite in that yard ( Canopy is about 15ft above a north facing wall, and reaches out about 17ft in any direction ) that retains enough of it's canopy thru the winter, only dropping it right about now, as new foliage is pushed that provided an excellent micro climate below it. Wall on the neighbor's side where that tree is stayed pretty warm in winter, despite having canopy reach out over part of it..

So basically the canopy will allow the wall to absorb heat during the day and stop the heat from "evaporating" quickly at night, right? Smth like what a greenhouse would do. 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, ego said:

So basically the canopy will allow the wall to absorb heat during the day and stop the heat from "evaporating" quickly at night, right? Smth like what a greenhouse would do. 

Similar.. Though a greenhouse will be fully enclosed, providing the best heat retention..  Tree canopy won't completely stop heat from radiating away on chilly nights, but will slow down that process..  That last part matters most on those nights it might go to or below 32F / 0C.

[Than]

I guess that only works if the plot is relatively small and the south side is near the north side. Or else the trees will be too far to stop the heat from radiating.

[Phoenikakias]

Mario Stähler αν ξερεις γερμάνικος, εχει ενδιαφέρον κεφάλαιο για την προστασία από τον αέρα.

[Than]

9 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Mario Stähler αν ξερεις γερμάνικος, εχει ενδιαφέρον κεφάλαιο για την προστασία από τον αέρα.

Ah shame I don't speak German

[Than]

On 3/27/2022 at 11:53 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Depends on what you're trying to do..  And what the " basic " lay out of your property is like.. IE property is flat vs. on a slope of some sort.. ( Cold air will always try to drain to the lowest point in a yard, neighborhood, etc..

A few things that can help w/ keeping things warmer in winter, esp. when it comes to weathering any abnormally cold nights include:

*Tree Canopy.. especially on the south or east side of a property, evergreen trees like Cork Oak / Avocado/ Olive, etc esp.. Will also reduce temperatures below them in summer ( so anything that is tender to hot sun will be less likely to suffer sun damage )

Deciduous trees work great for this as well, though not in winter for obvious reasons..

*Evergreen Wind breaks, particularly on the north / northwest side of a property to slow/ greatly diminish the effect of cool, northerly winds.. Also effective when placed on the west side of a yard ( to help reduce sun exposure in the summer ) Plants like traditional Myrtle, a variant ..what is sold here in the S.W. U.S. as  " Twisted Myrtle ", ..among numerous other tall shrubs, Bamboo.. even Bananas.. can work well as a screen..  Even better if you can create a layered effect ( Tall to short ) so that wind can't cut under taller things.

Fences / walls made of rock/ concrete blocks can also work as a wind break.. Block, esp the side of a block wall that faces south during the winter will stay pretty warm, even if the rest of the yard is cooler when you step away from that wall..

*Rock mulch / decorative Gravel.. works really well for absorbing / radiating heat on cold nights during the winter.. Esp on the south or west side of a yard / property. Only drawback is during the summer, dark colored stone will get hot / stay hot.. ( good for things that can handle lots of heat though )

*If your property is big enough, water features like a pond / pool can also help modify ambient temperatures.. to some degree at least..

 

You mentioned gravel. How about mulching using dead leaves, hay etc? On the one hand it insulates the soil underneath but doesn't at also stop it from absorbing heat? Also doesn't it keep the soil wet, when we know that cold + wet soil = dead roots?

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, ego said:

You mentioned gravel. How about mulching using dead leaves, hay etc? On the one hand it insulates the soil underneath but doesn't at also stop it from absorbing heat? Also doesn't it keep the soil wet, when we know that cold + wet soil = dead roots?

Stone or mulch.. all will absorb heat.  Mulch will also retain moisture longer than stone, at least closer to the surface which can pose more risk to the base of palms or trees.  After it rains, runoff will quickly move through stone, and through the soil below.. Yes, stone will also retain moisture, but, since it doesn't break down like Organic mulches, it will allow the ground below it to breather better while staying moist ( but not wet, ..in a majority of cases anyway )

The main disadvantages for using mulch, at least here, is weeds / tree seedlings will grow right through mulch pretty quickly ..Much less aggressive, weedy plant issues using stone, if laid correctly..  If it doesn't stay wet, mulch has a tendency to either blow away or be washed away over time here, Stone is stable and gradually get turned deeper into the soil over time.  Stone also won't break down quickly like organic materials do, even in the Desert.. which means less $$ replacing it.. In the case of Mulch, that can mean replacing each year. If laid correctly, stone only needs to be " topped " every few years.. Sometimes, maybe only once a decade..

 Stone will stay warmer in the winter which, in some places, can provide another degree of advantage when trying to push somewhat tender things.. ( Say trying to grow a Coconut in S. California where planting in stone would add a few degrees of warmth to the soil, but also quickly drain off any excess runoff )   In many cases, stone looks better as well..

As far as providing organics go, i myself will allow a certain amount of " Duff " < Duff = stuff like leaves that fall from any trees in my yard, or are blown in,  ..or a certain amount of dead material shed off any perennial or annual plants that i have planted in rock covered areas >  to remain and allow it to break down and sift through the rock itself, providing nutrients to the roots of  ..everything..  Stone itself will also provide pulses of various elements to roots each time it rains.  Is what nature does in habitat.

For anyone who might assume laying stone/ rock/ gravel ..whatever term someone might use..  creates barren or sterile areas ( where there is very little ..or limited microbial activity in the soil below )  Fully disagree..  Pictures below speak for themselves.. 





Simply put, when it rains enough here, i get all sorts of mushrooms popping up, even in seemingly barren areas where stone is laid. When i have dug below the stone to plant things / trim / or tear out unwanted weeds, or the dried out corpses of annual " cover crops "  that have died out for the season, i find tons of earthworms / other types of insect life that aids in recycling of organic material trapped in the rock back into the soil below.. Same thing occurs out in the desert, ..or any other habitat in nature itself.. 

 

[Than]

Thanks a lot for this detailed explanation. However, as we get heat waves of up to 43C here, I'm afraid stones will add to the heat stress for plants.

Edited March 29, 2022 by ego

[Silas_Sancona]

On 3/29/2022 at 10:44 AM, ego said:

Thanks a lot for this detailed explanation. However, as we get heat waves of up to 43C here, I'm afraid stones will add to the heat stress for plants.

110F ( 43C ) is a  teetering on a " cool " day  during the summer here.. Can reach 120F ( 48.8C ) and is above 95F ( 35C ) pretty much every day from mid/ late May < sometimes starting as early as late April > until mid/ late September ( ..or into October ) Last year, we were above 80 until about the 2nd week in December ( Not every December is that hot, lol )

If you look at google maps, over 70% of yards here, esp in newer housing developments / Commercial landscapes have stone " mulch ".. instead of extensive areas of Grass, ..which is a a big no no and quickly being banned in more areas in a climate where water resources are limited..  Trees, lots of them, and crossing your fingers for a wet summer monsoon season are your friend in the subtropical Sonoran Desert.

[Than]

44 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

110F ( 43C ) is a  teetering on a " cool " day  during the summer here.. Can reach 120F ( 48.8C ) and is above 95F ( 35C ) pretty much every day from mid/ late May < sometimes starting as early as late April > until mid/ late September ( ..or into October ) Last year, we were above 80 until about the 2nd week in December ( Not every December is that hot, lol )

If you look at google maps, over 70% of yards here, esp in newer housing developments / Commercial landscapes have stone " mulch ".. instead of extensive areas of Grass, ..which is a a big no no and quickly being banned in more areas in a climate where water resources are limited..  Trees, lots of them, and crossing your fingers for a wet summer monsoon season are your friend in the subtropical Sonoran Desert.

Wow, that's hotter than here. Here a normal summer tmperature is 95F. Sometimes goes up to 100F. Then we have 2-3 heatwaves every summer where it goes up to 110F. In my yard it never goes above 92F, I'm lucky.

What kind of palms do you grow there? Not kentias I suppose.

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, ego said:

Wow, that's hotter than here. Here a normal summer tmperature is 95F. Sometimes goes up to 100F. Then we have 2-3 heatwaves every summer where it goes up to 110F. In my yard it never goes above 92F, I'm lucky.

What kind of palms do you grow there? Not kentias I suppose.

Wayy too hot / dry for Kentias ..or a majority of sun tender Pinnate- type palms, esp. the nice stuff like ..Kentias, Flamethrowers, or Veitchia ( though you might be able to grow some of them, if you have a nice, tall grove of big trees that provide shade through the summer on your property ) Numerous non desert-type Palmate -type palms do well here though. Royals and Mules ..and potentially Beccarriophoenix can do good though, if started off on the right foot.. Queen Palms, forget it, 98% look awful. Oddly enough, Pygmy Dates will tolerate our sun, if irrigated and fed.. ( will look fuller w/ some shade though )

If you get a chance, look through a thread in the main discussion section titled " Local Arizona Thread " to see some of the really neat stuff that seems to tolerate our heat, esp. Palms from the Caribbean / Cuba. Coconuts could be grown in warmer parts of town here, but would need careful placement / extra care to look really good.. I have some non palmy stuff in pots i'd  brought w/ me from Florida when i moved here that has done alright here.. though i do keep that stuff in some shade thru our summers.

As mentioned, if your property has lots of shade,  your tender palm / large, leafy tropicals pushing options rise.. Have seen Alocasia growing in full sun, next to ponds here ..with very little sunburn..



Yes, we are a desert, but, we are considered a " tropical desert ' that sits right on the northern edge of the subtropics.. Similar to say Egypt, or parts of the Middle East.  Head ~roughly~ 350 miles south of Arizona into neighboring Mexico and while the passing landscape might look dry and rather boring while driving down the highway, if you explore more, especially when it starts raining during the summer, you'll find stuff like large, native Ficus / some other " leafy " trees from tropical families,  Orchids in trees ..or growing on rocks,  Parrots ( native species ) and even " Leaf " Frogs ( ..A specific genus of New world Tree Frogs that lay their eggs on leaves, instead of directly in water ) plus 90% of the same plants you'd see growing here..

In places closer to the coast of the Sea of Cortez / Gulf of California in Sonora ( Mainland Mexico ) or Baja ( Peninsula west of mainland Mexico )  you'll see Coconuts, tons of Royals ..even though that area gets about as much rainfall as i do where i am located ( which isn't much to begin with ) ..or less ( Baja esp. )  and is about as hot ( ..or hotter since it is often more humid down there during the summer )

..and yet if you head a couple hours north of Phoenix, you're in Pine forests where it can snow quite a bit, and drop below 0F in the winter.. Cold hardy Sabals, Trachycarpus and Chamaerhops would be about the only palms that might survive up there