As you already know, my new garden has presented many, ahem, challenges. Some of the have nothing to do with actually growing the plants, but that’s not the point…today at least. The yard also has tons and tons of shade, which means I am going to have to adapt WHAT and HOW I grow my garden this year. If you are in the same shade boat, don’t give up on having a garden altogether.
Here’s a couple of ways to still grow a garden, without having to bring in yard-sized grow lights {meanwhile, there is nothing about giant grow lights in my HOA rules…hmmmm?}.
- Trim up trees. Make your shade canopy a little less dense by opening up the middle of shade trees. Filtered light is better than none at all.
- Embrace shade loving edibles. This is probably the biggest tip–you have to work with what you have. Hopefully, what you have is a taste palette for kale.
- Know your classifications. Part shade, shade, full sun. What the heck does that all mean? Partial shade is an area that gets about a 1/2 day of full sun. If that half is the second half of the day, you will have much better luck than if it is morning sun. Full shade means that the area really doesn’t get any sun at all. In those cases, plant a hammock and grow a relaxed attitude, because that’s about all your going to get out of the space. Full sun means that the area gets 8 or more areas of direct sunlight. Full sun is the gardeners Holy Grail. Knowing the terms helps you decide if the plant you want to grow will survive in the space.
- If you are dealing with partial shade, try laying down reflective mulch. It will reflect light onto plants, and keep a little heat {for peppers and tomatoes} close to the plants.
- Compensate for your lack of sun with really, really good dirt. Add compost. Make sure you have proper drainage. Ensure that tree roots won’t suffocate your veggies.
Have you grown a garden in a shady area? What worked for you? What didn’t?
~Mavis
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Erin says
Way down here in central Florida, in zone 9b, the shade is actually out friend. It gets so hot, and the sun is so strong, usually 8+ on the UV index, that even full sun plants need some protection. My tomatoes and peppers won’t set fruit if they have full sun all day. As it is, they are doing great getting the afternoon sun from about 1:30pm till 7:30. There are very few plants that won’t benefit from shade. I am growing kale and collards and some herbs in even less sun, maybe four hours a day.
The ones that like full sun, namely, cucurbits, okra, and beans, need lots of water to compensate for the heat and keep the soil from crusting over.
In winter though, it’s a different story. Full sun is fine in winter. This year, we didn’t even get a frost. I grew tomatoes in a pot straight through the winter. They were great on salads 🙂
I love how you are driving your HOA crazy. I drove my city crazy for a year until they allowed us to keep hens.
Mavis says
Year round tomatoes? I’m officially making plans to move to Florida!
Ashley says
About half to a third of our garden is partial shade. The shady side is great for things like lettuce and spinach. We’ve had a good crop of carrots and herbs too. We are still learning the way to grow things at the beach but it’s getting better each year.