The season certainly has changed- leaves turning colors, rains falling, and weeds sprouting everywhere! Now is an ideal time to start weeding- get them while they are small and easy to pull. In our gardens we've harvested the pumpkins and planted fava beans. Favas are a hardy crop for winter- ready to harvest in early spring or to turn under as a cover crop after they flower but before they make seedpods. We grow ours to eat! Tomatoes are still ripening, although with the rains I think that will end soon and it will be time to clean out the old vines. We also planted garlic in October for harvest next June and sowed a few beds with a cover crop to add nutrients to the soil. Unfortunately the rodents have decided it makes a great dinner for them :( We're all suffering from rodents- the gardens, the residents, the businesses. My neighbors even have them in their cars! Let's hope the population crashes soon and we can get back to work growing food for our own consumption!
Our last special event of the year is coming up on December 9- winter wreath making at the Presidio Native Plant Nursery. If you have a wreath form from last year, we love to reuse them! RSVP here so we make sure to have enough supplies
Blog Post #3: Microclimates
Hey community gardeners of the Presidio, this is Taylor,
Jean’s intern, and this week I’ve got some info for you all about SF
microclimates and garden microclimates. I’m hoping this post will help you guys
to decide what to plant in your beds
and when to plant it for the
2017-2018 season. Keep reading to find out more and to be an informed gardener!
San Francisco’s maritime climate produces a variety of microclimates
throughout the Bay area. A microclimate can be described as a local set of
atmospheric conditions that differ from those in surrounding areas. You know
how on some days it can be 57 degrees Fahrenheit in the Presidio and 67 degrees
a few miles away in SOMA? This is a perfect example of San Francisco
microclimates. San Francisco microclimates are very important for urban
gardeners to be aware of because they help to guide our planting calendars and
give us clues about how best to take care of our gardens.
Our microclimate here in the Presidio is a part of San
Francisco’s “fog belt.” The fog belt is characterized by cool to moderate
temperatures, foggy to clear days, and light winds. Summers in the fog belt are
foggier and colder than elsewhere in the city and the winters are generally
wetter. Vegetables and other plants that thrive in the Presidio’s fog belt
microclimate have specific times of year that they need to be planted in order
to produce a bountiful yield.
There are different planting times and plant lists that
gardeners in the Presidio’s foggy microclimate need to pay attention to. There
is a fantastic plant list and calendar specifically for foggier SF
microclimates created by local gardening LEGEND Pam Pierce featured in her book
“Golden Gate Gardening.” I believe that Jean included this planting
list/calendar in your garden orientation packets but in case you’ve misplaced
your packet or just want a refresher, I’ve created an interpretation of Pam’s
calendar with this blog post so that you can check out what grows best in SF’s
foggier microclimates. This attachment also tells you whether to use seeds or
transplants to start the crop that you are trying to grow. (we're working on posting this-look to the right where there are pages to click on.)
There are also some factors that affect microclimate on an
even smaller scale within the
Presidio. It can be very helpful to go out to your garden plot and assess your
“backyard microclimate” by examining the following factors:
- What is the aspect of your
garden plot (the direction of the slope of the land)? An ideal site for a
vegetable garden is one with a gentle slope facing south or southwest.
- Are there any buildings,
trees, fences, tall shrubs, etc. that create shade? Shading objects will
cover the most area in the garden if they are located on its south side.
Typically vegetable gardens are sun loving and need at least 6-8 hours of
solid sunlight every day.
- Are there any buildings,
trees, fences, tall shrubs, etc. that help protect plants from wind
exposure? In the Presidio, winds typically come in from the west or
northwest so tall objects in the immediate west/northwest will do a good
job of protecting your gardens from strong winds.
- Are there concrete
surfaces or heated buildings close to your garden plot? Heat radiates from
heated buildings and from concrete surfaces. Your garden plot will
appreciate the extra warmth.
- Are there any water
features or heavy vegetation nearby? Water features and heavy vegetation
increase humidity and can help to moderate climate. Seedlings (in
particular) appreciate the increased humidity levels that water features
and heavy vegetation produce.
- Do you have any light
colored or dark colored buildings close to your garden plot? The color of
a building affects plants growing in front of it (especially in the case
of a southern facing wall). Light colored buildings encourage flowering
and fruiting, while dark colored buildings encourage leafy growth.
These factors don’t make or break a garden plot, but it is
helpful to understand your garden plot’s microclimate so that you can plant
accordingly and get the greatest yield from whatever you decide to plant. Right
plant, right place! There are many vegetables that do well in sun, but there
are also quite a few vegetables that don’t mind shade. Most leafy vegetables
(lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, kale) will tolerate shade with no problem. So
if your garden plot has a large tree on the south side, don’t panic! Instead
plant shade tolerant veggies and research other plants that will thrive in your
shady microclimate.
That’s all I’ve got on microclimates, happy gardening- Taylor
(Feel free to email me with any questions-
tjais@presidiotrust.gov)
