Since fruit tree crops and small fruit are perennial crops which should last for years, selection of the correct site is really the basis on which you should build your management program. Even the best management cannot make up for choosing a site which is subject to freezes or has the wrong soil type, inadequate drainage, or low quality water. It is important to know the climate of your region, as this helps you to choose the appropriate species and cultivars. Microclimate can be affected by the surrounding landscape and the slope of the land. Slide 3 Orchard placement can make the difference between harvesting a crop or losing it.
Most frosts involve cooling by radiation.
Trees planted at the bottom of a slope are usually exposed to colder temperatures than those planted on the slope. Slide 4 Trees can act as a windbreak but should not be so close as to shade the orchard or to compete for water and nutrients. Insects and diseases are also affected by adjoining ecosystems. Slide 5 Try to obtain as much information as possible about the weather history of the potential site. If you have a choice of sites, try to monitor temperatures in several on a potential over a year or more, before making a decision.