Fruits and veggies for a shade garden

[Anew2013]

Hey guys!

I'm brand spanking new here, and to gardening, and would love some advice on what to grow in my new shade garden.

You see my mom has given me the side of the house as my own place to grow and garden in. Now the thing about that side of the house is that it is pretty shady. There are trees and a big privacy fence, plus the side of the house, it is facing the east so the only time it gets a good amount of light is in the morning. To my mind it seems like the perfect place for anything that can't stand a lot of sun but I'm just not sure what kind of fruits or veggies would do well there. Most of my research seems to indicate that anything you eat needs plenty of sun which has me kind of down considering I really wanted to plant something useful, not just beautiful.

Any advice or guidance?

I live between zones 9 and 8. Clay-ish soil, but that can be worked with. I plan on using rabbit manure as fertilizer.

Not sure if any other info is needed. *shrugs*

 

[catjac1975]

If Mom allows you can limb up the tree to let in a little more sun. The east side of my house is the worst for sun. I can only think that lettuce, radishes, spinach might do well. I also believe in experimentation. Put in a few tomato plants in large pots or in the ground in the sunniest part of what you are using. Add compost to your soil to break down the clay. After saying all of that you have a very warm zone so you may have better luck than I would have in zone 6 under such conditions. If you get some good veggies and keep it looking good perhaps Mom will give up some of the better locations.

 

[digitS']

Can you give us an idea of just how many hours the area will have sunlight each day, Anew?

 

[Anew2013]

Can you give us an idea of just how many hours the area will have sunlight each day, Anew?

Let me see, I haven't actually sat around and counted the hours of light but I'd say that the whole area only has direct light at about the middle of the day. 12 to 2, give or take. Before of after that the light is at an angle and only hitting one side or the other of the garden. Not sure if that is giving you a very clear picture but it's the best I can do right now.

I just looked outside, (around 4 or 5 pm ) and it looks like the shadow of the house is about to block out the last bit of the direct light. :/

 

[Anew2013]

If Mom allows you can limb up the tree to let in a little more sun. The east side of my house is the worst for sun. I can only think that lettuce, radishes, spinach might do well. I also believe in experimentation. Put in a few tomato plants in large pots or in the ground in the sunniest part of what you are using. Add compost to your soil to break down the clay. After saying all of that you have a very warm zone so you may have better luck than I would have in zone 6 under such conditions. If you get some good veggies and keep it looking good perhaps Mom will give up some of the better locations.

Thank you, Hmmmmm I have a few ideas of some things I can try. I've already marked down the one area that gets the most sun so I will try the tomatoes there. Maybe some spinach in the more shadier parts. I was wondering, do herbs do good in shade? I've always loved mint, basil, and rosemary...or possibly some lavender. I wonder...

That's kinda what I'm hoping, if I can prove to her that I'm handy in the garden she might give me some more room, or just send me to work in hers LOL BUT then I would still be gardening so that would be good all the same. There is just something special about "your own spot" to garden in, even if it's not perfect.

 

[digitS']

It IS special to have your own garden, Anew.

If the entire area has 2 hours of sun at mid-day, and some of it has, say, 6 hours, there may be several things you can grow out there. What you may have going for you is a really long season. However, if yours is a cool, maritime region with a zone 8 or 9 winter, enough warmth to grow the warm-season vegetables may be lacking.

Most university extension websites advise 6 hours of direct sun at a minimum for tomatoes.

Many of our culinary herbs are from the Mediterranean region. They appreciate a sunny, semi-arid climate. I realized that my oregano may be very much in the wrong location. Altho' the plant grows okay in a very shady place, it may have very limited ability to develop a pronounced flavor. This could account for my great preference for basil over the oregano.

Much of the basil I've grown in recent years has been where shade falls across it from mid-afternoon, on. It really seems to do best there rather than have too much afternoon sun.

Mint often does very well in quite a bit of shade - altho' it also may not be quite as flavorful. I don't know. There is a good deal of mint grown around here commercially. It is certainly in sunny locations in acres of farm fields and in a semi-arid climate.

My chives are in the shadiest part of my yard. They do very well there.

Steve

 

[Anew2013]

Thank you for all the advice DigitS' .

We are very far from a "cool maritime" region. It gets pretty hot out here and the temp doesn't start getting lower until around October, sometimes even later so I may have a chance with gardening there after all

I know at the very least Basil does well here, my mom grew a bunch of it last growing season and I adored the way it smelled. I also know a woman in my neighborhood who has mint that she didn't even mean to plant going wild near her garage, so I know for sure that will do good too, but then neither were in very shady spots either. I will just have to try and see. Chives are an awesome idea I didn't even think of, I absolutely adore chives, especially in soup.

Looks like this might work out better than I thought. Here's hoping.

 

[Carol Dee]

Hello Anew, Happy Gardening. :tools

 

[bj taylor]

i recently read a simplistic approach to gardening. if you are going to eat the leaves or stems - shade is acceptible to the plants. if you're going to eat the fruit or roots of the plant - lots of sun is needed. this may have some validity

 

[MontyJ]

Maybe I'm wrong here, and please correct me if I am but...you sound like a young person. Perhaps a teenager? Younger? If so, let me give you a piece of advice from a father of 5. I admire your drive to have your own garden, but you are missing a huge opportunity here. If I understand correctly, your mother already has a garden. If that's the case, you are golden! Just take hers over! Get out there and help, make suggestions, learn, show you are willing to do the work. Next thing you know, that garden is yours. Motivate yourself, and take it over!