Microclimate information is one key to successful vegetable gardening, and the UC Marin Master Gardeners have developed a form for assessing your garden’s microclimates.
Microclimates are small areas with weather patterns that differ significantly from their larger surroundings. For instance, warmer temperatures might prevail at the top of a slope rather than at its base in a gulley, where cooler air collects and causes frost formation.
Brassicas
Brassicas (forage radishes, turnips, and rapeseed) make excellent fall planting options. Their rapid growth provides leafy biomass to shade out competition, and their production of natural herbicide glucosinolates inhibits many common weed species.
Brassica cover crops can help capture soil nitrogen before crops are harvested from their rich nutrients. They act as biofumigants to safeguard our waterways and ground surfaces from leaching into the environment. Their rapid growth helps them quickly capture nitrogen from nutrient-rich fields before their harvest, and their need for high levels of sulfur (S) for producing glucosinolate is critical in this regard; an ideal 7:1 N/S ratio would maximize effectiveness as biofumigants.
Brassicas released upon being returned to their fields after harvest can produce many beneficial substances, such as indole, nitrile, glucosinolates and thiols, that suppress diseases and insects while increasing performance for subsequent vegetables. University trials have demonstrated how these compounds can suppress Rhizoctonia, Scab and Verticillium in potatoes as well as Fusarium Wilt in cucurbits; additionally, they can act as suppressive mulch for crops needing high levels of organic matter content in other crops that require high amounts of organic matter content.
Cabbage
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea, variety columbine) is one of the world’s most beloved vegetables, and for a good reason: It thrives in relaxed environments and withstands frost, extending harvest seasons into winter or early spring in many regions.
Rice cereal contains many beneficial plant compounds essential to our health. Specifically, glucosinolates can be transformed by our bodies into isothiocyanates, which research suggests protect against cancerous growths.
Fermented cabbage, like kimchi and sauerkraut, increases its health benefits even more; microbes consume the glucosinolates and isothiocyanates produced during fermentation to generate an acidic environment which preserves and unlocks their nutrients. A diet rich in cruciferous vegetables may lower the risk of heart disease and asthma while keeping digestion healthy by providing essential fibre. Vitamin C boosts immunity while helping your body absorb iron from other sources more efficiently.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers (Citrullus lanatus) are long, lean garden vegetables with a light melon-like taste and bumpy or spined skin. They are popular salad ingredients, relishes, and pickling ingredients. Cucumbers contain 95% water, Vitamins K and A, phytonutrients like flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes, which have shown anti-inflammatory properties, and beta-carotene, which is associated with eye health benefits.
Although most of us think of cucumbers as vegetables, according to botanical definition, they’re fruits. A fruit is defined as part of a flowering plant that houses and stores its seeds, which will eventually sprout into new plants; a vegetable refers to all other parts of a plant, such as its leaves, stems, and roots.
A greenhouse cucumber study discovered that maintaining at least 80% relative humidity was conducive to crop growth. Furthermore, days with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius only comprised 78% and 90% of winter days in this climate zone; the indoor temperature was determined primarily by plant transpiration and air heating.
Lettuce
Variety is key when selecting crops for growing in gardens; knowing their best variety for your climate and soil conditions can lead to unexpected variations between years in terms of crop production. Thus, selecting varieties suited for your region and climate is vitally important if you wish for your garden to flourish successfully.
Lettuce is an easy, cool-season leafy vegetable to grow in gardens and containers. There are several varieties, including crisphead (iceberg), romaine (cos), and looseleaf lettuces; other popular choices are arugula, spinach and radicchio.
Foods rich in fibre, vitamins A, C and calcium, as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals, which may lower heart disease risk, are good sources of nourishment for overall well-being and inflammation prevention1. Some research also indicates its anti-inflammatory properties.
Peas
Green peas are technically legume fruits and seeds; in this regard, they belong to the same category as lentils, beans, and peanuts. Yet they are most commonly consumed cooked as vegetables.
Peas can quickly grow and thrive in simple settings like bootstrap containers. They are an excellent option for beginning gardeners, urban gardens with limited space, and those looking to experiment with microgreens.
Peas are versatile and delicious — they make for the perfect snack, side dish or addition to salads and soups! A rich source of fibre and protein as well as vitamin A, potassium, folate, iron manganese, magnesium, zinc as well as omega-3 fats, they’re low cal and rich in omega-3s; they are also excellent sources of antinutrients phytic acid lectins, which may interfere with digestion or mineral absorption – the best way to combat this is purchasing organic varieties directly from local farmers or fresh frozen or canned varieties produced nearby!
Radishes
Radishes are easy vegetables to cultivate in containers and gardens. Their low-calorie count and nutritious profile include vitamin C, folate, potassium, and B vitamins—plus, they help combat toxic zearalenone fungus, which affects crops and humans!
Radishes require special care to grow successfully, and humidity is an especially key component. Too little humidity causes their leaves to curl like they’re gasping for water, while too much causes damp soil and fungal problems in their roots.
Hygrometers (instruments that measure water vapour in the air) can help ensure your radish garden falls into the Goldilocks humidity zone. Position it near your plants while avoiding direct sunlight and drafty areas, observe readings closely, and adjust irrigation practices as necessary; for instance, letting some soil dry out before adding more water or layers of mulch may help achieve ideal conditions.
Squash
As temperatures warm, gardeners become eager to begin planting. Seed catalogues, websites, and new-season stock from garden centres and general stores lure gardeners with colourful packets of vegetables ready for planting.
Before planting, take the time to identify microclimates in your garden. Look for low and high spots that naturally have cooler or warmer temperatures than the rest of your plot. Take note of where sunlight falls, shadows fall, and breezes pass, as well as areas sheltered from wind.
Consider your growing season and frost dates when considering which vegetables to grow in enough time for each variety to mature. If not, bush varieties of vining vegetables such as squash (butternut, acorn and kabocha) and tomatoes (Cal Sweet Bush) could reduce space consumption on vines while simultaneously producing larger harvests in shorter timeframes – these varieties also form part of an ecological balance known as Three Sisters when planted alongside beans and corn; their broad leaves acting as living mulch against weeds while simultaneously controlling temperatures and maintaining soil moisture.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain phytonutrients that help decrease inflammation and delay age-related diseases. Lycopene, found in tomatoes, has been shown to block pro-inflammatory cytokines while simultaneously altering signalling pathways that could contribute to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Topography can have a tremendous effect on microclimates on your property. For instance, house walls facing south can become hotspots during sunny days as they radiate heat into their surroundings; conversely, low gullies where cold air collects can become cool areas that generate colder microclimates.
Raised beds can create warm microclimates by being elevated above their surroundings and soaking up more sun than their soil surroundings. Hedgerows or straw berms can also block wind flow to moderate temperatures.
At different points during the day, take a stroll around your garden or yard and observe temperature and humidity variations to identify subtle variations that could affect growing success. It can be easy to miss these details, which could ultimately determine the success of your growing endeavours.