Hi all,
(my first post after being a lurker for a longish while)
this is something I have wondered about now and then (while quite happy that I have a good south facing slope on my land). I have wondered especially how valid this sort of comparison is, and the assumptions that are being made. For instance, after reading Elliot Coleman's Winter Harvest Handbook I have developed a deeper appreciation of the role of shelter from wind in affecting the hardiness and productivity of plants; A slope might give a boost in some aspects of solar energy received, but what about the importance of air temperature (which will depend on a lot of factors at the local site, but will surely not be equivalent to x hundred miles south by virtue of being above a south facing slope!) and how it is affected by wind (e.g., wind-chill).
If anyone knows of a good article/other source that explores this I would be keen to follow it up.
I am in the process of designing some shelter for veg beds on a south-facing slope that will allow me to offer protection from the wind while benefiting from the solar gain offered by the slope - and it can be quite a windy site! I guess it comes down to micro-climate!
Adrian
