"0tterbot" wrote in message
...
we discovered today via notes (left by an old owner) which we have
finally
received, that frosts are expected here 8-9 months of the year (!!!)
(average last frost is in november, and average earliest is in
march). i
understand from the locals taht the frosts are really thick too,
(i.e.
multiple centimetres - could they be exaggerating?) and one's
waterpipes on
the roof, etc, are commonly frozen.

we had a frost on christmas night, for heaven's sake,

We got one on Xmas Eve (or so I've been told). Didn't do a lot of
damage but nipped off the new growth on the tops of the cucumbers.

so i really need to
get informed about it, but i cannot seem to grasp how it works. i
realise
the basics (frost pockets, it travels downhill, you can cover your
stuff, &
whatnot) but is there a good site about it or a good explanation
anyone can
give (which isn't too patronisingly basic ;-)?

I suspect that you already know enough from what you've written in the
comments aboove and further on in your post. I think it's now more a
need for you to understand how it will impact on your own garden and
no site will tell you that - more a case of look and learn as time
goes on. IIRC you are only newly moved to that place but went there
from the ACT???? The ACT has ripper frosts in the more open areas but
if you were in a Canberra suburb the frosts there are much mitigated
by the microclimate formed by the suburbs and it's not like it used to
be in the 'old days'. I've even seen azaleas growing in Canberra now
and that was not possible about 30 years ago - it was Mollus Azaleas
or no Azaleas at all in those days.

There will be the odd spot in your garden that will be better than
others for frost protection, like under the eaves or on the south side
of the house but you'll find out where they are. One thing worth
remembering is that often it's not the frost that does the damage but
the thawing. By that I mean that a plant can be smothered in frost
but if it thaws out without the sun hitting it, it will often be OK
but if the sun hits it before about 10.00am then often it will be
badly damaged.

our yard generally slopes down to the east, and terminates at the
veggie
patch (i.e. all frosts lead to the veggie patch?)

Yep, and because it has that Easterly aspect, you'll need to be
careful about the sun hitting frozen plants, but then Eastern fall
land is better overall for plant growth.

the western side & centre
is reasonably flattish & at this point, reasonably bareish too.
there's a
swale between the yard & veggie patch, and some fruit trees. the
veggie
patch is much more sloped than the yard.

A good situation as you get frost drainage from the higher parts of
it.

when it frosted on christmas night,
a few bean plants (the last plants down the slope) were slightly
affected,
but the tomatoes at the top of the patch were not. what does this
mean?

A good demonstration for you about how frost drains downhill. In
future plant more frost tender things on the top of the veggie patch
(which we both know that you won't do - none of us ever do that given
that our space is usually limited by one factor or another:-))

in
the yard, some pumpkin & zucchini plants were slightly affected, but
most
were not. i can't fathom why some were affected & some not. the
affected
cucurbits were further down the slight slope than the others, but
really the
difference in that spot is minimal (to my eye) but is that the
reason?

Could be, but it could also be a factor of how advanced the plants
were. I suspect that zucchinis are tougher than cucumbers as my
cucumbers which are higher up my sloping veg bed were nipped whereas
my zucchinis weren't

is there anything i can do in terms of planting or construction to
limit
frost settling in the yard & in the veggie patch? we have lots of
rocks &
one thing i was thinking is that i can (and no doubt will) utilise
(more)
rocks for the bed edges, to break up the frost flow & create more
warmth &
protection for the beds.

The way to go might be to make more use of rock mulches, but make sure
the rocks are BIG rocks about the size of an adults head - not ****y
little things.

You could build walls or make hedges BUT they in themsleves can be
problematical. They can trap frost behind them and make the damage
even worse. For instance, I wouldn't build a stone wall at the bottom
of your veg patch unless you made it into a V shape with trhe bottom
of the V pointing downhill and with a break at the bottom of the V.
This should allow frost to be directed and drained through the break,
but also if the wall doesn't heat up well and get lots of solar intake
during the day, it could just be a further problem.

From what you've described, I think I'd plant a hedge that has good
growth right at the bottom of the hedge (to stop frost draing under
it) on the top of the downhill side of your swale ie the downhill side
of the U shape but at the top of the U - does that make sense? - I can
see it in my head but am having trouble putting it into English.

And collect and keep and scavenge old sheets, the bigger the better -
wonderfult hings for frost protection as can be old bits of shade
cloth. amazing what a few ofl tomatoe stakes and a bit of stuff
draped ont op of it can do to stop frost damage, but leave them on
well into the day till the frost has melted - about 10am before
removing them.

i was quite keen on permaculture cough style
kidney-shaped suntrap beds, made of rock walls, but at this point
the beds
are the ordinary rectangular kind, terraced with rocks & wood.
thanks for any thoughts or information!

I too have thought about the permi sun trap beds but in reality, I
realise that on country water supply (which I think you might also be
on????) they would be a pain in the arse to water efficiently and
effectively and also there is more of a problem for plants from being
too hot than needing the protection of the higher outer growing
plants. I've stuck with the rectangular shape for maincrops and put
other stuff under the edges of fruit trees round the edge of the veg
area. This has worked well for things like cutting greens and
strawberrys and things that don't like our nasty scorching sun or
which wilt at the drop of a hat.