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Improving your garden's microclimate

greatnorthernexoticgreatnorthernexotic Posts: 119
in Problem solving
I'm just wondering if anyone has successfully tried improving the microclimate in their gardens, either through windbreaks or harnessing thermal mass? Will laying paving stones versus wooden decking make much difference to hold the heat of the sun and keeping frosts off at night? I'm even wondering if putting plastic bottles (painted black) around my more tender plants will be enough to keep light frosts off? 

There are lots of suggestions online, so what has actually worked for you?
Growing tropical and desert plants outdoors in West Yorkshire
INSTAGRAM/ YOUTUBE

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Concrete ( looked up thermal mass harnessing)  and plastic bottles isn't really a look that appeals. I think I'll go with what I've got.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    I think you need to consider exactly what you want to achieve.  Laying solid surfaces such as paving slabs may well reflect some heat from the sun when we get it on a consistent basis but can also cause a problem when the rain falls - as it tends to in the UK.
    You can create a micro climate in your own garden simply by using the correct plants in the right site. Protecting all plants against risk of frost is a bit hit and miss but doesn't require permanent solutions such as paving and decking.  These 2 are more for your convenience/enjoyment than any environmental advantage.    
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I just grow stuff that copes with my climate. Much easier. 
    If they can't cope with regular frost, and everything else,  for five or 6 months, they're no use to me. Anything small goes in the greenhouse until it's big enough to plant out  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    hedges and trellis can work as windbreaks. Trellis is quite often wind broken though, so there are limits. Hard to beat a decent hedge.

    Paving slabs work well in a green house or cold frame to stabilise the night time temperature by storing heat in the day and releasing it at night. In the open air, they tend to lose heat too fast to be effective as a frost protection. It does happen that you get a grass frost without a ground frost - but I doubt a plant near paving would gain enough benefit to help it survive. I do mulch some of my lightly tender plants with grit or gravel to keep a little warmth on their roots

    Frost falls, so generally if you can give plants cover over head, it'll keep a light frost off. It won't protect them from a hard freeze. You might be better using your plastic bottles as temporary cloches
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I have the opposite problem, so need shade from the sun and shelter from drying winds, both provided by tall hedges. In summer, plants need to be insulated from the heat. My sandstone walls absorb heat during the day and then you can feel the heat releasing in the evening, but you do need sufficiently strong sun in the first place, so, like @raisingirl  I don’t think paving and such like will be particularly effective in Yorkshire. My climate is one of extremes, in winter I pile mulch high around the odd tender plant for frost protection. Whether preserving moisture/protecting roots from excess heat in summer or protecting from frost in winter, thick mulch is your best friend.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    Another vote for hedges as being the most effective.
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I havn't improved anything that way in my garden but I did get a (very short) Bay tree through -18C it's protected on two sides by walls, one is south facing and surrounded by large amounts of concrete and granite boulders. It did lose a few leaves but the stems and growing points survived.
    I have a fig tree that also made it and fruited in a pretty appalling summer that is planted against a SE facing wall surrounded by paving stones and gravel.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited March 2022
    carletonexotic said:
     I'm even wondering if putting plastic bottles (painted black) around my more tender plants will be enough to keep light frosts off? 


    This certainly works well hyperlocally in cloches, polytunnels and greenhouses. For fruit and veg that like the warmth, large plastic bottles absorb heat through the day and let it out at night.

    Bruce at the RED gardens project in Ireland is experimenting with creating microclimates. He uses water tubs for thermal mass consistently. It works really well.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXn334xrN4I



  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Since starting to grow plants here I have consistently planted hardy trees and shrubs to help protect more delicate plants from wind. I have tried to avoid blocking the passage of cold air down hill and creating frost pockets by not planting too densely on this side of the garden. I also have taken note of where heat seems to get stored from the sun during the day and used some of these more sheltered spots (at the front of the house for example) as the best place to get seedlings established and help other plants make it through winter.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
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