Important Weather Conditions

Most beginning gardeners think that the most important weather conditions are whether it is going to rain or not, and just how warm it is going to be. In the broadest of possible strokes this is correct; however, it is just a little bit more complicated than that. To understand the basics of important weather conditions you need to understand the importance of temperature, sunshine, and soil moisture. While there are other factors that can play a roll, these three items are the most important weather conditions that you need to pay attention to.

• Temperature. When talking about temperature, you are not just looking at what the reading on the thermometer. Rather this is the general temperature of everything that is around the plant, all the way down to its roots. Temperature is probably the single most important weather condition around, since it can deeply affect the development and growth of the plant. While not exact, looking at the thermometer can be a general guide to the temperature for your plant. If you want something more exact, then you will also need to get the temperature of the soil that you will be planting in, and averaging it out with the ambient temperature above ground.
• Sunshine. Plants work off of a very interesting process called photosynthesis. This is the process that allows your plant to receive sunshine, and convert it to energy for the plant. In addition, sunshine will also affect the temperature of the air and the soil around the plant. Typically, during the winter time there is less direct sunshine available for the plants you would like to grow, which leads to colder soil and air temperatures. During the summer time, there is more direct sunlight, which has the opposite effect. Take a good long look at the type of sunshine that you can get in your area, and what plants will work best in those conditions.
• Soil moisture. Let's face it everything gets thirsty, including plants. The way that plants drink is through their roots that are buried in the soil. If the soil isn't moist, then they aren't able to drink; whereas if there is too much moisture the plants can drown or begin to rot. This is why knowing the type of drainage that your plants need is such an important aspect of gardening, as well as being able to ensure that your plants get enough moisture to grow properly.