IN THE SHADE
Even in shaded conditions, you can bask in great garden harvests if you choose the right crops and make a few easy adjustments.
For many gardeners, the optimum sunlight most vegetables prefer — eight to 10 hours of full sun — just isn’t possible. Whether it’s from trees or from nearby buildings, shade is commonly a fact of gardening life. Luckily, shade does not prohibit gardeners from abundant food. If you start with the most shade-tolerant crops, take extra care to provide fertile soil and ample ZDWHU DQG FRQVLGHU UHÀHFWLYH PXOFK \RX FDQ KDUYHVW D variety of veggies from your shady garden.
How Much Shade Is Too Much?
All shade is not equal. Some shady conditions will yield much more produce than others, while some areas are better left for hostas and moss. Gardeners must be aware that measuring how much shade your garden gets isn’t always easy. For instance, nearby trees may cast dappled shade on your garden for some or all of the day. If the tree canopy is high enough and the branches aren’t too dense, the conditions nearby can be shady but still fairly bright. Trimming any low-hanging branches can help let in more sunlight. More challenging than dappled shade is partial shade, which can range from only a couple of sunny hours to hours of ever-changing shade, and shadows from buildings can plunge a garden into deep shade. As a general rule, if you have a few hours of full sun but dark shade for the rest of the day, you can grow some crops, but the yields won’t be as high. Your garden may have areas with a little of everything. In addition, the amounts of shade will change VHDVRQDOO\ ,W FDQ EH GLI¿FXOW WR DGG XS WKH H[DFW DPRXQW of sun available within a potential gardening space. Keep an open mind and review the vegetables on our chart, Best Shade-Tolerant Vegetables (http://bit.ly/2IZdlU0), to decide what will grow best in your conditions.
Reflective Mulches and Surfaces
5HÀHFWLYH PXOFKHV LQFOXGLQJ PHWDOOLF PXOFKHV are great tools for shaded gardens. Studies have shown increased yields in crops such as peppers, tomatoes and strawberries with the use of specialized mulches. The red plastic mulch preferred by tomato growers, for example, UHÀHFWV ZDUP OLJKW XS RQWR WKH OHDYHV RI SODQWV 6WXGLHV UHSRUW WKDW XQGHU SDUWLDO VKDGLQJ UHÀHFWLYH mulches increase the amount of light, air temperature, and photosynthesis in the plant canopy while reducing incidence of certain insects (particularly aphids and thrips). These advantages increase yield and quality. 0HWDOOL]HG UHÀHFWLYH PXOFKHV ZKLFK ORRN OLNH DOXPLQXP IRLO DUH UHFRPPHQGHG EHFDXVH WKH\ UHÀHFW WKH HQWLUH light spectrum and will greatly impact plant growth. %ULJKW UHÀHFWLYH VXUIDFHV QHDU \RXU JDUGHQ ZLOO DOVR EHQH¿W SODQWV ,I \RX¶UH growing near a wall, try painting the wall white or another light color. Gardener and author R.J. Ruppenthal suggests that a south facing wall, for example, near your shade JDUGHQ FDQ UHÀHFW ZDUPWK and light to compensate for VKDGHG KRXUV 5HÀHFWHG light and heat speed growth. We encourage you WR WU\ UHÀHFWLYH PXOFKHV (simple aluminum foil) and surfaces in or around your shaded garden.
Soil Considerations
If you decide to plant in shade, make sure your soil is well-prepared. Amend your garden soil with plenty of mature compost, and loosen the soil to at least a foot before planting your crops. The roots of nearby shade trees present a challenge all their own. The roots will wick moisture and nutrients away from your crops, causing them to need more frequent watering and fertilizing, and the roots will eventually invade your well-prepared soil. Try building raised beds RU XVH FRQWDLQHUV ¿OOHG ZLWK JRRG TXDOLW\ SRWWLQJ VRLO If you’re building a raised bed, line the bottom with discarded carpet to help keep tree roots at bay. (Learn more about root systems: http://bit.ly/2HwdjWG)
Pests and Diseases in Shady Gardens
The key to successful pest and disease management in any garden is to deal with problems right away. This is doubly important in shady gardens, where some disease problems can be exacerbated by the low light levels, and pests such as slugs and snails — which thrive in damp, shady conditions — can decimate your OHWWXFH FURS LQ D ÀDVK &KHFN \RXU JDUGHQ GDLO\ IRU WKH ¿UVW VLJQV RI SHVWV Chewed leaves are most likely from slugs or snails. Handpick these pests whenever you see them. Also, a UHÀHFWLYH PXOFK EULJKWHQLQJ \RXU JDUGHQ ZLOO GR GRXEOH GXW\ DV D SHVW GHWHUUHQW 7KH UHÀHFWLYH VXUIDFH ZLOO confuse many pests, and they’ll tend to avoid the area.
Trial and Error
Shade gardening experts all suggest a trial-and-error approach to growing: Just try it and see! The quality of shade, your soil type and level of fertility, ambient temperature and how much moisture the plants get all play a role in determining the success of the crops. Regional conditions also play a part in how well your garden will handle shade. In the South and at high altitudes, some shade can be a good thing during summer to protect plants from the intense sunlight. ,Q OHVV VXQQ\ DUHDV VXFK DV WKH 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW growing in shade is a bigger challenge. Orientation can KDYH DQ HIIHFW RQ WKH JDUGHQ WRR 1RUWK IDFLQJ VORSHV are already cool and shady, but south-facing slopes tend to be hot and dry during the summer. South-facing JDUGHQV EHQH¿W IURP D ELW RI VKDGH WR FRQVHUYH PRLVWXUH and regulate temperatures. Rather than feel limited by less-than-perfect conditions, try to see shade as a fun challenge to overcome, and we’re betting you’ll enjoy plenty of delicious, homegrown food!