Most of my veg plot gets decent sunlight, yet I have one bed that due to the size and shape of the plot lies in the lee of a boundary hedge (which is northeast facing) and gets far less sun than the rest of the plot. I have had some limited sucess in this bed in the past, particularly with potatoes and salad crops, but i know the light levels arent ideal for either. It restricts my crop rotation too, since i darent grow my beloved runner beans there.
Have any of you had sucess with any particular crop in a similar shady site? Are there any veg crops that do particularly well in partial shade? It doesnt matter if they are permanent/perennial.
Thanks
Richard, I am pretty sure there was a thread last year about this
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,3365.0.html
Don't know if it will help!
There is another one here:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,15496.0.html
Thanks for the links. Interesting stuff there. Not sure how i can apply it to my plot though, since some of the suggestions are for crops i dont partiularly like! Was intrigued by strawberies though. I always thought they wanted sun.
Might be an option for the future, but not now as i have in the last year started a new strawberry patch outside the veg garden (having previously had them growing in one of the veg beds). But when its time to renew the plants i shall think about it.
Since posting I have had a reevaluation of my veg plot as part of my planning for 2006. I found that with 4 other beds in the plot i can do without the problem one (which can either be used as a nursery for the ornamentals or sown with green manure as 'fallow ground').
If i can manage without it I can perhaps come up with some alternative plan/use for the bed in the long term. Permanent crops would be one option.
I've got some beds which are partly shaded by trees and/or hedges.
f you wanted something other than veg, gooseberries seem to do OK in the shade and plenty of herbs seem to like it. I have mint, angelica & parsley growing in the shadiest of my beds.
Would a tall plant still be in the shade? If not, what about runner beans or Jerusalem artichokes?
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on January 13, 2006, 19:31:36
Would a tall plant still be in the shade? If not, what about runner beans or Jerusalem artichokes?
I think they need sun to crop best Robert. I know for a fact that Runner beans need a minimum of 8 hours sunshine a day when actively grrowing and cropping to do best.
Dont know about artichokes though. ???
What about asparagus? ???
My only experience of growing Jerusalem Artichokes has always been to put them in full sun. Since they are related to sunflowers I can't imagine they would like partial shade very much. Hope that helps a bit. Mick. :)
Quote from: Larkspur on January 15, 2006, 13:21:17
My only experience of growing Jerusalem Artichokes has always been to put them in full sun. Since they are related to sunflowers I can't imagine they would like partial shade very much. Hope that helps a bit. Mick. :)
Thanks. It was just a thought I had.
It would appear then that 'leaf' crops (ie those where the harvested crops are the leaves rather than anything else) are the best for shade. Crops producing anything else prefer a bit more sun. ??? Is this right?