Let The Sunshine In

As we drift into October, a lot has happened in the garden already this Spring. There is about to be a whole lot more to do and more daylight hours do it in. Exciting times as soil temps climb. It’s almost Summer in most gardens. Unless your garden microclimate still has you in Winter. 

The aspect, or outlook of your vegetable garden is the key to experiencing early Spring on your patch of earth. Placement for optimum solar access, is one of the Four Pillars to successful gardening in our Unpredictable Highland Climate. Place your garden in the wrong spot or a semi ok spot, and your gardening experience will be very different than if you noticed the subtle changes of Spring and put your garden in the optimum spot.

To plant Tomatoes early, even Cucumbers, Zucchinis or Pumpkins is a joy, and the bounty in December is welcomed rather than waiting for February to harvest. I want Summer tucker as long as possible, and I want as much as possible to get me through the winter. Storing Summer delights for Winter makes my early Spring efforts last the whole year.

Where is that Sun?

At this time of year, as the sun climbs higher, the angle may be less favourable than 4 weeks ago. Deciduous trees on the east or north side of the garden, that once filtered light through empty limbs, now create walls of shade as the leaf fills in. This shade may disappear in a few weeks as the sun continues to climb in the sky, so paying attention at this time is crucial. As is planning for next seasons early planting to account for what you have observed.

Solar access to your garden beds is the key to increasing soil temp in Spring There is a lot of change to monitor and manage, but each year you can improve early soil temps in some areas of your garden, maybe not all. A bit of paying attention, planning and adjustments will go a long way to early plantings and ultimately early harvests.

Enhance Your Microclimate with Sun

Morning sun is required to raise soil temp in Spring. This will get the soil temp moving immediately after frosts and overnight lows. Early sun will also get the ambient temp in the garden above 5C, which is about the temp I’m happy to unbox my Tomato seedlings. 

The sun through midday is crucial to increasing your soil temp in conjunction with early morning sun. This will setup the bed temp for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Some folk scrape back the mulch in the morning to expose their soil to the sun, hoping to increase soil temp. Then scrape it back over in the afternoon. I don’t have the time and I don’t need to.

I find the sun shining on the garden paths heats the soil in the beds adjacent, so I keep the grass on the paths short in Spring. Once Summer arrives and soil temps are higher, I keep the grass longer to reduce water loss and lower soil temps. The soil heating occurs in my whole garden as the sun is exposed to its entirety. Monitoring soil temp daily or weekly shows a rise throughout the garden, with some areas climbing faster than others based on sun exposure. Some areas may maintain or drop temp as the suns arc changes and is deflected.

The afternoon sun in Winter/early Spring is welcome to the garden and will assist in maintaining overnight temps in your soil. Unfortunately for me, the setting sun at this time of year is from the same direction as the prevailing wind, but not for long. I dare not leave it exposed, so the leafy trees slowing down the wind in the garden, also prevent the setting sun coming in. It’s a trade off.

Tree Plantings

I grow trees throughout my garden as part of my Ecosystem Philosophy. The trees create Summer canopy, that slows wind and provides safe perches for tiny birds to hunt bugs. These trees also provide a leaf litter mulch in Autumn, right on top of the gardens beds no effort to move them. 

I plant them at the western side of each bed to protect from the setting Summer sun. The setting sun at 700m in Summer is so harsh, it can crack the paint off a car if left in it too long, so I don’t want to subject my veggies to that. This shade provides a cooling effect in Summer after the scorching heat of the day is over. It also saves me water.

Afternoon shade can keep Summer veggies in the sweet spot for growing. Most Summer vegetables, in fact most plants, slow down function after 30C+ ambient temps to conserve water. The afternoon reprieve shows marked growth over vegetables exposed to the afternoon harshness. 

If you are about to establish a new vegetable garden, look for things already existing to assist with western protection. A house is great protection from the western sun, as can be a hedge or stand of trees. Watch the sun as it changes its arc, and monitor your soil temp.

And remember, every day is a school day.

Stay Awesome.

The Gordon Gnohm