<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In small gardens you don\u2019t\nusually have a great deal of choice as to where to put your garden – it goes\nwherever there is enough sunny space (or even not-so-sunny space) and you make\nthe best of it. If you are lucky enough to have a large garden, you may have\nseveral choices of location, in which case there are a number of factors to\nconsider. It is very important to choose the best possible location, as it will make your\ngardening activities easier and more successful. The wrong choice can simply\ninvite problems. When I put a garden at the wild edge of my land, close to a\ndense growth of poison oak bushes that provided excellent cover, it was plagued\nby quail who ate any succulent green leaf they could reach – I couldn\u2019t direct\nsow anything without using bird netting (and transplants often got shredded\ntoo). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In most situations the\nchoice of garden site is generally a compromise, you choose the place with the\nmost advantages and the fewest disadvantages. If you can\u2019t find a single site\nthat is large enough for your requirements, you might be able to create several\nsmaller gardens in suitable spots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When evaluating a potential\ngarden site, you first have to think about the natural benefits and\ndisadvantages it offers, especially the microclimate. These are the most\nimportant because they affect how your plants will grow. After you have thought\nabout these, you then have to consider the human aspects; how easy and pleasant\nit will be to work in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Natural criteria for the site<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunlight<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Plants grow on sunlight, so\nthis is by far the most significant factor when deciding where to put the\nvegetable garden. You need to put it where it will get the maximum amount of\nsunlight throughout the day. This is even more important for the vegetable\ngarden than it is for other types of gardening, because you can\u2019t choose your\nplants to match the amount of sun. If your vegetable plants don\u2019t get at least\n6 (and preferably 8) hours of direct sunlight a day, they will grow more slowly\nand won\u2019t be as productive. Sunlight is the one thing you can\u2019t afford to\ncompromise on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunlight doesn\u2019t just affect\nplant growth directly, it also has other significant effects: how quickly the\nsoil warms up, how hot it gets and how frequently you need to water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In urban gardens getting\nenough sunlight can be a problem because of the shade cast by neighboring\nbuildings, fences and trees. In such places you may have little choice about\nwhere to put your intensive vegetable crops and may have to make do with a\npartly shady spot. You can still have a vegetable garden with some shade, it\njust won\u2019t be as productive. In such places you should concentrate on the most\nshade tolerant crops, such as leaf crops, carrot, pea, onion, radish,\ncauliflower and cucumber. The operative word here is tolerant – they will all\ngrow more slowly and probably won\u2019t yield up to their full potential. However\nany harvest at all will be a gain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are ways to (slightly)\nincrease the amount of sunlight your vegetable garden receives. You might be\nable to judiciously trim the lower branches of trees (this is sometimes called\ncrown lifting), or even coppice them (which means cutting them to the ground\nand allowing them to sprout from suckers). Some gardeners have increased the\namount of light on their vegetables by painting surrounding surfaces white, or\nby using white gravel for pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Large trees are not very\ncompatible with vegetable gardens. They are most problematic when located to\nthe south and west of the garden, as they will block out essential sunlight.\nHowever the roots of any trees within 50 ft of the garden may compete for water\nand nutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Having spent most of my\nadult life in heavily wooded areas, I have frequently had to deal with trees. I\nlove trees and don\u2019t like to cut them down, but I also love growing things. I\nfind the best compromise is to coppice them when possible. This means cutting\nthe tree down to leave a low stump and then allowing the tree to send up\nsuckers and keep growing. In my present garden I have done this with chestnut,\noak, madrone and redwoods. If I ever stop gardening, the trees will be left to\ngrow back again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Though it is good to start with rich soil, this is actually one of\nthe least important considerations when choosing a garden site. You can\ncompletely transform the soil with good gardening practices, but you can\u2019t move\na building to get more sunlight. This is good, because the soil around houses\nis often fairly poor, due to construction activities when they were being\nbuilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drainage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In wetter climates you might have to think about drainage,\nespecially in early spring. A low lying garden can be problematic in heavy\nrain, in which case raised beds can help a lot (I have had my garden paths\ncompletely underwater, with the beds sticking up like little islands)).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In very dry climates you may want to put your garden in the place\nthat holds water longest, which will usually be the lowest spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microclimate<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Microclimate is the climate\non the ground in your particular garden and can be very different from the\nclimate (macroclimate) around about. Two gardens in the same area may have very\ndifferent growing conditions. In winter the bottom of a north facing hill may\nbe shady and frozen, while only a few hundred yards away the south facing top\nmay be sunny and mild (the equivalent to being a hundred miles or more to the\nsouth). <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have noticed that\nthe growing conditions in your garden vary from place to place. Some places may\nbe hard hit by frost while nearby spots may be completely untouched. This\noccurs because cold air is heavier than warm air and so moves downhill and\nsettles in low spots, close to the ground. This effect can be surprisingly\nlocal and the air four feet up may be significantly warmer than that at ground\nlevel. You can sometimes see this clearly illustrated, when the lower branches\nof a shrub or tree may be damaged by frost, while higher ones are unharmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best-known\nexamples of a useful beneficial microclimate is the south facing side of a\nstone wall. This traps the sun and stores heat, while sheltering the area from\ncooling winds, thus creating a microclimate that is considerably warmer than the\nsurrounding area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The value of a particular\nmicroclimate depends upon the climate and season. In a cool climates a south\nfacing wall will be prized for being warm and sunny, whereas in a very hot\nclimate it may be too hot and dry for most plants. Conversely a cool shady\nmoist spot may be a problem area in a cold climate, but just what you need in\nhotter areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microclimate isn\u2019t set in\nstone, it can often be altered to better suit your needs, for example by adding\na windbreak or pond. Careless activities can make the microclimate worse, for\nexample if you plant trees on the south side of the garden, or if a poorly\nsited building creates a wind funnel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Topography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The topography of the land\ncan be a significant factor in its suitability for a garden. Low lying land may\nhave good soil, but there is often the potential for flooding and if surrounded\nby higher ground, it can be prone to frost (as I mentioned under Frost Pockets). <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Flat land is convenient for\nthe gardener to work on, but sloping land can often provide a better\nmicroclimate. Some of the best garden sites can be found in the middle of\ngentle south facing slopes. Slopes also drain faster than flat land, which can\nsometimes be a significant advantage in rainy climates. Of course if the slope\nis too steep, there can be problems with getting around and creating growing\nbeds. It may also be prone to erosion in wet weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frost pockets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One microclimate you need to\nknow about is the frost pocket, which is caused when heavy cold air flows\ndownhill (rather like molasses) at night and collects in low lying valleys.\nThis effect makes low flat areas more vulnerable to frosts than somewhat higher\nelevations (contrary to what you might expect, as it is supposed to get colder\nat higher elevations). These low lying areas can suffer from severe frosts,\neven when higher areas nearby are frost free. If you have any choice in the\nmatter you should avoid putting your garden in a frost pocket. Put it a little\nup slope, so any cold air will move on through and continue its way downhill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frost pockets can also occur\nhigher up on a slope, if a solid barrier (wall, hillock, fence, hedge) blocks\nthe free downward flow of cold air. Such a barrier is known as a frost dam and\ncauses cold air to accumulate above it, creating an area that is much colder\nthan the slope around it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It may be possible to divert\nthe downhill flow of cold air around your garden, by putting a solid barrier on\nthe uphill side. This should be angled slightly, so the cold air keeps on\nmoving and so misses your garden area. If this isn\u2019t possible you should at\nleast avoid creating a frost dam on the downhill side of the garden, by using\nopen fences which allow cold air to pass through them. You might also raise\nthem up off of the ground slightly, or angle them downhill. All of these ploys\nkeep the cold air moving, rather than accumulating. Frost pockets can also be\ndissipated by wind, but of course too much cold wind can chill plants also. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Frost pockets aren\u2019t always\nbad, they are sometimes used in mild winter areas to ensure that fruit trees\nget sufficient chilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Slope orientation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The orientation of a slope\nhas a considerable effect on its\u2019 microclimate, because the maximum solar gain\nis received when the sun strikes the soil at right angles. The desirability of\na particular slope orientation will be determined by your climate. In temperate\nclimates you will usually be looking for warmer conditions, but in the desert\nyou might want cooler ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eastern slopes<\/strong>: These warm up fast\nbecause they receive morning sun, which is useful in spring and autumn (but not\ngood on cold mornings as it can increase frost damage). Such slopes are\ncommonly sheltered from prevailing westerly winds, which makes them somewhat\nwarmer and slower to dry out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Southeastern slopes<\/strong>: These are\nprobably the idealgarden sites. They warm up rapidly like eastern\nslopes, but get warmer. They aren\u2019t as hot and dry as south or western facing\nslopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Southern slopes<\/strong>: These\nhave the warmest growing <\/strong>climate, because the sun\nhits them more directly. If flat land gets 100 units of sun, then a\nsouth-facing slope may get 106. This is effectively like moving the land\nfurther south. These slopes warm up faster in spring and get hotter in summer.\nOn the negative side they also dry out more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Western slopes<\/strong>: These are exposed to\nthe afternoon sun, so get very hot and dry out rapidly. Prevailing westerly\nwinds can exacerbate this drying effect. These winds may also cool the soil in\nspring and fall and if very strong they can cause physical damage. On frosty\nmornings these slopes thaw out more slowly, which can mean less frost damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Northern slopes<\/strong>: These\nreceive sunlight at a very oblique angle and so get less solar gain than <\/strong>flat <\/strong>land. They may only receive 86\nunits of sunshine, as compared to 100 units for flat land. This means they have\na cooler and somewhat shorter growing climate, just as if the land was further\nnorth. This is most drastically illustrated in mountains, where snow stays on\nnorth facing slopes much longer than it does on south facing ones. In addition\nthese slopes are often exposed to cold northerly winds, which further lowers\nthe temperature. Like western slopes they thaw out slowly in winter, which can\nreduce frost damage. In temperate climates such slopes don\u2019t make very good\ngarden sites, but in very hot climates they may be preferred for growing many\ncrops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wind<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Plants don\u2019t like strong\nwinds for a variety of reasons, but the most significant one is that it can\nincrease the amount of water they lose by transpiration. In dry conditions this\nmay occur to the point where plants have to shut down and stop growing to\nconserve moisture. In extreme cases this has been known to cut total crop\nyields in half. Wind can also increase\nevaporation from the soil, which means more water is required for irrigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wind also lowers air\ntemperature (exposed areas may be 5\u00b0F cooler than sheltered ones), inflicts\nphysical damage to the plants, causes erosion of dry topsoil and blows heat out\nof cloches and cold frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your area is particularly\nwindy, you might be able to site the garden where the topography of the land\nwill protect it. If this isn\u2019t possible you will have to create a windbreak,\nwhich can be expensive and time consuming<\/p>\n\n\n\n Windbreaks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A good windbreak should be\nfairlypermeable (only about 50% solid), so that it slows the wind,\nrather than merely deflecting it over the top and causing increased turbulence\non the other side. It is said that a windbreak will block the wind for a\ndistance of about four times its height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hedgerows and trees make\ngood semi-permeable windbreaks (and also provide habitat for predators), but\nthey take a while to get established. A problem with using living plants is\nthat they send out roots towards your beds, where <\/p>\n\n\n\n they compete for nutrients\nand water. They may also reduce rainfall immediately around them by as much as\n75%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wire\nfences with wooden or plastic laths attached can make good and inexpensive\nwindbreaks. Open wooden fences are a quick and fairly attractive windbreak\nsolution (even a 3\u2019 tall one will help) and don\u2019t create too much unwanted\nshade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some crops make good\nwindbreaks (fava beans, sunflowers), but you will probably have to reinforce\nthem with stakes if you want them to withstand strong wind. Blackberries\ntrained on a trellis make a great windbreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In very windy areas it may\nhelp to orient your beds to act as windbreaks and plant vulnerable crops\ndownwind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Human criteria for the site<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance from your living space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This may seem like a trivial\nmatter, but the further the vegetable garden is from your house, the less you\nwill take care of it and use it. Someone once estimated (don\u2019t ask me how) that\nthe amount of food harvested declined by 30% when the garden was over 100 feet\naway. You might think this doesn\u2019t really apply to you, because you are so\nenthusiastic and one hundred feet really isn\u2019t that far, but it will make a\ndifference as to how often you enter your garden. Ideally the garden would be\nlocated right outside the kitchen door (if this isn\u2019t possible you might have a\nsmall salad and herb garden there).<\/p>\n\n\n\n A garden that is close to\nthe house gets tended more conscientiously, not only because it is more\nconvenient, but because it is so visible. You make more effort to keep it\nlooking good because otherwise it would be embarrassing every time someone\ncomes to visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a good idea to have\nthe garden as a dead end, rather than a thoroughfare. If it is en route to\nsomewhere else, plants may get damaged by passing children, dogs, wheelbarrows\nand more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pollution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contamination of the soil\nfrom human made chemical pollutants is an increasing problem for gardeners and\none you should be aware of. Though the possibility of serious problems is\nfairly remote in most places, once a toxic substances gets into the soil it may\nbe impossible to remove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure the garden is a\nminimum of 100 feet away from well traveled roads, as they are a source of many\ndangerous pollutants. The soil around old buildings may contain high levels of\nlead, leached from old paint. Heavy metals such as lead and cadmium have been\nfound in composted sewage sludge. Wood that has been pressure treated with\nchromated copper arsenate (or other highly toxic preservatives) will slowly\nleach toxins into the soil (it may also have been burned). Anywhere people have\nworked on cars or heavy machinery can contain waste oil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a farm, or your\ngarden was once farmland (this includes most suburban areas) the soil may\ncontain the residues of persistent pesticides such as DDT, chlordane, dieldrin\nor lead arsenate. If these are a potential concern you can test for these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n View<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t exactly a\nnecessity, but it is good if your vegetable garden has a view, simply because\nyou will be spending quite a bit of time there. It\u2019s nice to have something\npretty to look at when you look up from your turnips (not that they aren\u2019t\nbeautiful).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternative garden spots<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If your garden simply\ndoesn\u2019t have a good spot for a vegetable garden, or you don\u2019t have any garden\nspace at all, you don\u2019t necessarily have to give up on vegetable gardening. You\nmight find a relative, friend or\nneighbor who doesn\u2019t garden for themselves, but would be happy to have you do\nit (perhaps for a share of the produce). This can also help you to get to know\nyour neighbors and encourage people to share a little more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also find a plot\nin a community garden. This will not only give you a place to garden, but comes\nwith a whole community of gardeners too. They can be of enormous help when you\nare first starting out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want a bigger plot,\nor a commercial market garden, you could try renting a piece of land. There are\nlandowners who would like to have the tax advantages that come from having\ntheir land farmed. I recently heard of a couple who created a small urban farm\nout of a number of other peoples gardens! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"