Micro-managing

There’s not a lot we gardeners can do about the climate. If you’re in the far north, you probably dread the summer droughts just as much as I, down in South Otago, dread the endless spring and early summer rain.

Some gardeners deal with frosts that come early and linger late. Others fight the wind day in and day out. These are the regional realities we all learn to work with. But no matter where you live, every garden has its own mini-weather zones. These microclimates can make all the difference to how well your crops grow. I wish I’d paid more attention to mine earlier. If I had, my shallots wouldn’t be rotting, my rhubarb would be thriving longer, and my apple tree might actually have some fruit on it.

Wet Summers and Poor Drainage

It’s been an especially wet spring and summer in my garden, even for the Catlins. My shallots were given the best spot in terms of soil and sunlight, but I made a crucial mistake. The raised bed they’re in sits on a flat part of the property. With all this rain, the bulbs are rotting because there’s nowhere for the water to drain. If I had planted them on one of the sloping beds, the water would have run off, and the shallots would likely have survived the season. In a dry year, I could have watered them. But in a wet year, there’s nothing I can do to help that bed drain.

Rhubarb in the Wrong Spot

My rhubarb went into a prime north-facing garden that gets sun from dawn to dusk. It makes for early picking in October, which is lovely. But by midsummer, even with mulch around the crowns, the plants are wilting. Rhubarb doesn’t like to dry out. Ironically, the few plants I tucked into a slightly shaded, cooler spot are doing far better.

Wind Woes and Apple Blossoms

My newest apple tree also went into a sunny north-facing spot. What I didn’t factor in was the strong winds we get in November. For weeks, they roar through and strip every last blossom from the branches. The tree is now fruitless. In contrast, the tree on the shadier, more sheltered side of the house is covered in small developing apples. Sheltered by a hedge and nearby buildings, it kept its flowers through the stormy weeks.

Success in the Shade

This year’s standout performers are the peas. They’re sown on the shaded side of the house, where they’re protected from intense sun and drying winds. While peas dislike wet feet, I’ve planted them on a sloped bed so water drains away quickly. They’re growing better than ever. The silver beet in a nearby sheltered bed is also thriving, unfazed by the cooler location.

Learn to Read Your Garden

Yes, we all have ‘climate’ to contend with but each of has within our own (even small) garden spaces, areas of shade, shelter, sun, dry, damp, slope and flat, and providing we have an idea of what grows best where, we can maximise the situation and micro-manage to produce the best harvest.