Examples of factors to consider include the following:
Elevation – A 300 foot rise in elevation accounts for approximately 1 ْ C drop intemperature.
Drainage – At night, cool air drains to low spots. Valley floors may be more than 10ْ C cooler than surrounding gardens on hillsides above the valley floor. That is why fruit orchards are typically located on the benches rather than on the valley floor.
Exposure – Southern exposures absorb more solar radiation than northern exposures. In mountain communities, northern exposures will have shorter growing seasons. In mountain communities, gardeners often place warm season plants, like tomatoes, on the south side of buildings to capture more heat.
Based on local topography, buildings, fences, plantings, and garden areasmay be protected from or exposed to cold and drying winds. They may also be exposed to or protected from warm and drying winds.
Thermal heat mass (surrounding rocks) – In many Colorado communities, the surrounding rock formations can form heat sinks creating wonderfulgardening spots for local gardeners. Nestled in among the mountains,some gardeners have growing seasons several weeks longer than neighbors only a half mile away.
In cooler locations, rock mulch may give some frost protection and
increase temperatures for enhanced crop growth. In warmer locations, a rock mulch can significantly increase summer temperatures and waterrequirements of landscape plants.
In Phoenix, Arizona, the urban heat island (with all their rock mulch
instead of grass and trees) has significantly raised day and night
temperatures. The upward convection of heat has become so strong that summer storms are going around the city and not raining on the urban heat island.
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