| If you have every heard of a micro climate you will | | | | However, there is often no need to do something |
| probably understand that it usually refers to an area | | | | like this as by planting your crops at a much higher |
| of land that has a different climate to the surrounding | | | | density than normal using a method like High Density |
| area. I have often visited the Vendee in France which | | | | Gardening they can help to create their own little |
| is in the north west of France on the Atlantic coast | | | | micro climate in a space as small as 12 inches by 12 |
| yet it has a Mediterranean climate, its own micro | | | | inches. Planting at close spacing helps the plants to |
| climate. You can also get a similar effect near a large | | | | alter the temperature underneath them as well as |
| lake where the lake will help to cool the air or on a | | | | helping to conserve moisture providing more shade |
| south facing slope of a valley side in the northern | | | | for the soil mix. |
| hemisphere as this gets a lot more sun than the | | | | When planting carrots for instance the e-book High |
| north facing slope. | | | | Density Gardening recommends spacing them at a 4 |
| You can also get a similar effect on a much smaller | | | | by 6 spacing in a 12 inch by 12 inch mini plot and this |
| space in your own back yard raised bed vegetable | | | | close growing distance helps the plants develop their |
| garden. If you built it near to a house wall which is | | | | micro climate underneath them. That gives you 24 |
| south facing towards the sun, (north facing in the | | | | plants from each mini plot. I have even planted |
| southern hemisphere), this wall will radiate stored | | | | carrots at a 6 by 6 spacing and grown 36 plants in a |
| heat especially if it is a brick or stone house wall. The | | | | mini plot. Guess what, I must have altered the micro |
| effect will not be as great from a timber wall. If your | | | | climate around the crops as I got 36 carrots from |
| raised bed garden is not near you house wall it is | | | | them and I routinely plant radishes at this spacing in |
| possible to recreate this effect using mirrors although | | | | my High Density Garden. It works and I guess a lot |
| these are heavy and costly. You can help combat | | | | of this must be down to the plants altering the tiny |
| this by using thin aluminum sheets or something | | | | space around them by creating a micro climate. |
| similar to ach as a mirror. | | | | |