Wind, Fog and Frost

Certain geographical areas, even within densely settled communities, can be very windy. Some parts of individual gardens may be wind-buffeted while others are tranquil. High or swirling winds are especially destructive to young vines before they are anchored securely to supports, and to mature plants that are heavy with fruit.

In extremely windy areas, such as the Great Plains or in gaps between hills or mountains, gardeners should avoid planting tall-growing varieties because they tend to blow over or break apart. Such difficult sites are improved by planting windbreaks or by erecting walls, fences, or deflecting panels (which also serve to reflect and intensify sunlight). Tree or shrub windbreaks are suitable only for large plots where root competition won't become a problem.

Salt-tolerant shrubs are often planted as windbreaks for shoreline gardens. They trap salt spray before it can damage the foliage of fruits and vegetables.

Corridors between structures are rarely satisfactory for growing vegetables. The wind is concentrated while moving between buildings. Buildings shade the site. The effect of shade can be reduced by painting the adjacent walls white for maximum reflectiveness. In some cases, clear fiberglass windscreens can be erected to deflect the wind without reducing the available sunlight.

Fog causes few problems over much of the United States because it forms only occasionally and for short time periods. Fog can substantially modify the climate and affect Plant growth in some low-lying waterside communities and along coastal slopes. In the California and Pacific Northwest fog belts, for example, early maturing vegetable and fruit varieties are advised, and warmth-loving species should be planted near south- or west-facing walls where they can benefit from the heat and reflected light.

Peculiarities in air movement can make certain areas of your garden susceptible to frost damage. Several seasons of observation may be required to confirm the safest site. The garden should be away from fences or other air traps and on a hillside rather than on the hill top or at the bottom of a knoll. Frost occurs in low areas while the hillside allows cold air to drain and warm air to rise past the garden site.

Fortunately, poorly drained soil can be improved by adding organic matter, raising the level of beds above the surrounding ground, or installing drainage tile. However, if you have a choice in sites, select a plot that doesn't flood even after heavy rains. Fruits and vegetables can withstand brief periods of flooding. However, wet, poorly aerated soil promotes the growth of harmful organisms and kills fragile root hairs.

Flood plains of creeks and rivers should be approached with caution as potential garden sites. Inquire of older residents if flooding is a problem. A lot of work can go down the drain or be covered with a layer of mud from flash floods.

Strange and unpredictable changes can occur in drainage patterns when developers build new communities. If you have just moved into a new tract or subdivision, look all around you to determine if your lot is in a Swale or low corner. If so, plant small gardens until you can be sure your garden plot will not become a pond or a waterway after heavy rains. If a problem is present, raise the level of your garden to keep it high and dry or select a better site.

Erosion can remove topsoil from the garden. The erosion can occur so gradually that it escapes detection or so suddenly that whole rows of plants are washed out. On sites where the slope is steeper than a gentle grade, vegetable garden or orchard rows should follow the contour to minimize erosion.

Occasionally certain sites make poor gardens because of former uses that compacted the soil, fouled it with weed seeds, or loaded it with feedlot salts. This is especially true of suburban lots that were stripped of topsoil before being developed. With a lot of work, such areas can be improved enough to grow vegetables but they should be avoided if one has other options. Under no circumstances should vegetables be planted on old orchard land where trees were sprayed for decades with lead arsenate.

In urban situations, do not garden on old rights of way where long lasting herbicides were sprayed, or on recently abandoned sanitary landfills. Sanitary landfills generate methane gas that can filter through the usual shallow covering of soil and interfere with plant growth.

Nearby Tree Roots

Roots of nearby trees and shrubs compete for water and soil nutrients. Shallow-rooted annual vegetable plants suffer greatly because the perennial roots quickly invade the fertile soil of the garden. Watering the garden increases soil moisture, which further attracts the tree and shrub roots. Root barriers are generally of little value.

Bamboo and mints are aggressive root-spreading perennials that should never be planted near vegetable or fruit plantings. Be sure to look over the fence or speak to your neighbor before planting near your property line.

Consider the size of existing perennials and their potential for increase over several years.

Container Gardens

The new techniques and materials for growing plants in containers have elevated this method from an expensive hobby to a valid and dependable source of fresh vegetables for apartment and mobile home residents. And, as backyards become increasingly shaded by maturing trees, many suburbanites are moving their vegetables into containers and onto the remaining sunny spots on their patios, sidewalks, balconies, or porches.

Growing berries and bush fruits in small containers is not difficult, but fruit trees are another matter. In areas where winters are extremely cold the pressures caused by freezing and thawing can destroy the large containers necessary to support trees. An alternative is to plant only true dwarf, ultra-compact varieties in portable containers that can be moved into an unheated shelter for protection during winter.

Container gardens of citrus and deciduous fruits, berries and vegetables can be extremely decorative. Wooden barrels or rustic boxes can be treated with copper napthenate which will not harm plants or animals. Much less expensive, and almost as durable, containers can be made from plastic garbage cans, foot tubs, pickle buckets and plastic laundry baskets.

To reduce watering frequency, containers for vegetables should be of minimum 4-gallon capacity. Tomatoes, 2 large vines per container, can be planted in 20- to 30-gallon plastic garbage cans. Berry and fruit tree plantings call for sturdier containers to support the weight of the root ball. Half-barrels of 20-gallon capacity work well. Avoid small pots; they dry out quickly, are a nuisance to water, and will blow over in a stiff breeze.

Window boxes occasionally are used to grow strawberries and small varieties of leaf or root vegetables. These boxes present a large evaporative area and dry out quickly. Spring and fall crops are the most successful Is rain and cool weather reduce the stress on plants. Recently introduced midget varieties of cucumbers, tomatoes and melons can be grown in window boxes that provide about 1 1/2 cubic feet of soil for each plant.

Commercial growers cannot afford crop failures and many have switched almost entirely to artificial soil mixes for growing container crops. Some garden soils are dense and extremely heavy, slow to drain, apt to shrink and pull away from container walls, full of weed seeds and disease-carrying bacteria and fungi, and occasionally contaminated with herbicides. The two advantages of garden soil are its buffering effect that minimizes damage from overfeeding, and its natural component of micro-nutrients which can be partially duplicated in artificial soil mixes by using additives.

Lightweight, near-sterile artificial soil is made by mixing slow-to-decay organic matter and inorganic particles graded to uniform size to promote drainage and to add a little weight.

Such mixtures contain little or no plant nutrients or lime, and require either frequent applications of liquid plant food or feeding with the recently perfected long lasting controlled release fertilizers. Artificial soil mixes drain rapidly; plants grown in them need to be watered daily during dry or windy weather. The slowly decomposing woody matter creates substances that retard growth of organisms which cause plant diseases. Excellent soil mixes can be made by combining either coarse sphagnum peat moss and graded fine sand or pulverized pine or fir bark, composted sawdust, graded fine sand, and steam-sterilized manure.

Garden soil can be substituted for the fine sand, but it should be pasteurized at 140 F for 30 minutes. Allow an additional 30 minutes for warmup and for cool down. (This can be a smelly, messy procedure.)

Your county Extension office may have bulletins on preparing and maintaining artificial soil mixes for container crops.