Topic: Can you help - questions about height above sea level

[vjm63]

I know this sounds slightly odd - but I hope you folks can help! 

We are thinking about moving, partly to get somewhere with more gardening space - the OH recognises my obsession at last!  However, several places we have seen and like the look of are higher above sea level than we currently are - and I was wondering what sort of difference that makes for growing things.

So, silly questions - can you successfully grow pear trees that do produce pears above 1000 foot above sea level?  Are there any things you have found do not work above a height like 1000 feet - or even things that might do better?! Does it depend upon varieties? - in which case, how would I find out which ones are best? We are at about 100 foot now.

I know there is likely to be a (slightly) shorter growing season than I am used to, but in a bit of a balance we would have the space for polytunnel(s) I do not have now...

Any words of advice welcome...

Thanks.

[1066]

It's a question I've pondered on - and as yet don't really understand it all.
I'm at sea level here  ::) but my brother is several hundered feet up a hill or two, and his season is very different from mine, shorter and cooler - but that is also futher north. But I'm sure with a good polytunnel you could continue to grow some namby pamby southern stuff  :)  :D
So are you thinking of higher up in the UK or higher up in mainland Europe / elsewhere?

Be interested to hear what others have to say on the subject
1066  :)

[Old Central]

Hi VJM

From recollections of university climatology it gets about 2 degrees celsius cooler as you go up each 1000feet. So that will act as a good guide.

However, you will also need to consider the effects of hills/terrain creating localised climates as well as aspect (if it is south facing) and tree/vegetation protection.

As a general comment beware of frost hollows.

OC

[GrannieAnnie]

http://www.ncw.wsu.edu/treefruit/PNWTrees.htm
This site talks about fruit growing in the mountains of the pacific northwest- under the geography section it says they grow from 20m to 1000meters. There must be a site you could google for the UK with that data, an ag site maybe

[mat]

height will make a difference as has already been stated, but you also need to take into account other (as important) factors

Will you be further North, South, East or West from your current location?  If you are further North you will receive less light intensity (the light from the sun is spread over a wider area as it reaches the Earth- I would draw you a picture, but I couldn't post it here!)  Further East/West means early/later sun.  Mostly the West Coast benefits from the North Atlantic drift which helps warm the land.  

Will the land be south facing?  if you are higher up a hill, being South facing will make a BIG difference, as the sun rays will be spread over a narrower area.  being on a North facing slope will mean plants receive less intensity

Will the land be East facing?  East facing is BAD for frosts.  The sun rises, and ice on plants quickly thaws which causes severe damage - especially to fruit flowers

Although you state you may be 1000ft up (330m) will this be at the top of the hill, half way down, or at the bottom in a valley?   Ironically, frost pockets are worst in the valley, as the cold frost ahs no where to drop further (being slightly up the hill helps!)  fruit trees can suffer bady at pollination time in a frost pocket...

Will there be shelter or shading?

Polytunnels will help, but you know the limitations of the site, you can purchase tunnel film which will help improve what you have.  (e.g. do you need film which will provide as much light intensity to pass inside as possible, but reduces light being transmitted out of the film - this dramatically increases light intensity within the tunnel)  or if you are moving to the South, but on a South facing Dorset hill, you may need to get film which will actually reduce inside temperatures!!!

Let me know if you need more advice on tunnel films, as I had to do an assignment on them earlier this year...

Have fun  :) and I hope some of my post helped  :)

mat

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you told us where you are we'd have a better chance of finding an answer. If you're in South Wales, say, look for a pear that does well in Glasgow, and you're probably going to be perfectly safe. If you're in the north of Scotland, I'd wonder.

I used to live 600 feet up on the Cornish moors; the height didn't affect us, but wind and salt did, and it was a lot wetter than at sea level. We'd often be in cloud while all the rest of Cornwall basked in sunshine.

[vjm63]

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies - a lot of useful info there!   It would be twenty/thirty miles north of our current location that we are aiming at - so staying in South Wales - but the place we are thinking of at the moment would be West facing, near the top of a hill, and the North/South plane is flat. Possibly a 1in 9 gradient - so hopefully the frost would roll down past us...

I might well take you up on the offer of film advice if we do get this place, Mat... and i will try to find fruit trees that thrive in Glasgow!

Two positive points - I like raspberries a lot, and Welsh Valleys do have good rainfall!  ;D

[Spudbash]

One more point - if you're visiting the new site in the next few weeks, have a look in neighbours' gardens and see whether there are apples and pears fruiting. The absence of them doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to grow them, but the presence of them might be encouraging.

Also, see if you can find contact details for the local gardeners' club, ring up and see whether anyone can advise on local growing conditions - soil type and depth, as well as climatic tendencies.

Good luck finding the right site. I'm sure your research will pay off.  :)