Siting a Successful Vegetable Garden
SOIL AND MICROCLIMATES
The foundation of a successful organic garden is, literally, a fertile, well drained soil teeming with microorganisms. If yours doesn’t fill the bill in its present condition, this chapter details some reliable methods organic gardeners use to turn inferi or soil into a good growing medium. Climate, by contrast, the other variable critical to garden success, is far less amenable to manipulation and control. In this instance, your goal is to find the microclimate on your property with the sunlight, temperature range, and air circulation your vegetables need to flourish.
THE PRIMACY OF SUNLIGHT
Of the climatic variables, sunlight is the most important. Except for a handful of shade-tolerant crops—lettuce, for one—vegetables require at least 6 hours of direct sun per day for optimal growth; if you have a spot that is in full sun for 7 or 8 hours, so much the better. If a survey of your property turns up several places with ample sunlight, look for differences in their microclimates that can tip the balance in favor of one over the others. For gardeners in cold climates, an especially desirable location is a gentle, open slope that faces south and receives a full day of sun. Because the sunlight strikes the sur-face of the slope at an angle, the soil will warm up earlier in the spring and remain warm longer in the fall, making it more productive than it would be if the ground were level. A northern exposure has a very different set of conditions—fewer hours of direct sunlight, cooler soil temperatures, and, in many parts of North America, prevailing northwesterly winds that remove heat from the soil and shorten the growing season. 7