Edibles and Shade

Hi all,

I am an avid gardener, but edibles--aside from herbs--have never really been my thing. Now I'm helping a 12-yr-old friend of mine grow an edible garden for the second year! Our sunny side is off to a great start, but his parents provided us with a shady section as well that has me a little stumped. I do plan to put in dill and maybe wintergreen, also parsley and cilantro and maybe leafy greens like lettuce, but does anyone have some suggestions? I'm in GA, so our summers are brutal--viciously humid but without rain and VERY very hot, which is why I don't plan to grow the leafies in the sun--but any ideas?

Margaret

Margaret - my hubby cleared out an area in our garden where running bamboo has been growing. This area is in shade all summer because of our neighbor's trees, but in winter the area receives full sun. Like you, I would like to plant this area with vegetables during the winter, so I've been giving thought to: broccoli, beets, peas, parsnips, carrots, and Brussels sprouts.

If your shaded area has deciduous trees, perhaps you could put a winter garden there.

My English thyme does well in the shade.

HoneybeeNC,
I'm growing some English Thyme and I've heard it can be used as a ground cover. Is your's contained or is it in the ground?

I have a corner where my garden hose usually curled up that won't grow any grass cause of the overhang and shade from a tree. You think the thyme would grow there? Should I just plant little plugs here and there to see if they'll take?

Thanks!

Linda

Gymgirl - The English Thyme is in the ground. Actually it's growing in straight "Carolina red clay". It has taken three years to get well established. A couple of days ago I took a cutting and put it in some water on the kitchen windowsill to see if I could get it to sprout roots. If it does, I'll pot it up and give it to my neighbor.

This Thyme only gets some sun in late summer when the days are longer, other than that it's in permanent shade, so I would think it would be worthwhile for you to try some plugs here and there under your tree. If you plant it under your overhang, you will have to water it. Mine gets rain, and the scrapings off the bottom of our shoes before we enter the house! The dogs pee on it, so I don't use it for culinary purposes - LOL

I did tranplant a few cuttings last spring to an area behind a short poultry wire fence (to keep the dogs off) - but hubby was overzealous with the water hose and it did not survive. Evidently it survives on absolute neglect!

I don't remember where I purchased it, but it was probably Wmart.

Thanks, BEE!

'Bee, have you tried those veggies in the shade previously? I'm helping a 12-yr-old with this, and he just about died last year when our carrots got eaten by the bunnies. I'd hate to plant something and disappoint him!!

Marsinger,
I grew all my cole crops in five-gallon eBuckets in a corner of our yard. DH wouldn't have veggies on the St. Augustine grass, so I grew in containers on the perimeter. I had a concrete pad back there. There were trees overhead. The area got bright but not direct sunlight, other than what could peep through those trees.

I conducted an experiment early on, placing some of my containers on the fenceline that did get direct sunlight most of the day. The cabbages grew ok, but the ones in the bright corner did better. Same for the cabbages and cauliflowers.

So, some bright light is ok for the cole crops if you don't have direct sunlight. Since then, I'm more inclined to plant my cabbages, cauliflowers, broccolis in a more shaded (albeit bright) area, rather than in head on direct sunlight all day.

These don't look any worse for wear!

Linda

marsinger4 - I've not tried growing vegetables in the shade. The area I'm thinking about gets full sun during the winter, but it's shady all summer.

After reading Gymgirl's experience, I might try some in-the-shade gardening this summer.

Remember: my area gets BRIGHT light, although it's not direct sunlight per se...

Good point, Gymgirl

I'm going to watch the area this summer to see what type of light it really gets. I'm spending about an hour each day just digging up bamboo shoots!

NEVER< NEVER< EVER plant running bamboo!

I didn't plant what I have, it came up the first spring we were here, and hubby wouldn't let me get rid of it.