The author initially installed a raised bed garden in their yard, which received plenty of sun. They found that the area had enough sunlight for their plants, but they needed to determine the optimal amount of sunlight for their plants. Most plants require at least 3 hours of sunlight per day, and depth is crucial for planting. Most herbs, vegetables, and annual flowers appreciate plenty of sun, so it’s essential to choose a site with approximately 8 hours of sunlight per day.
Vegetables need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily, especially from lunchtime onwards. Sufficient sunshine is at least six hours every day, preferably in the afternoon. Raised beds should be placed in sites with lots of sun, as most vegetables need 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
To add shade elements to a raised bed setup, follow these guidelines: shade beds from late morning to early. You don’t need a lot of space to build a raised bed garden; you need a spot that receives full sun for most of the day – at least 6 hours.
Sunlight exposure is the first and most important aspect to consider when building a raised bed garden. Your garden will need to receive six or more direct sunlight hours per day. Full sun plants require 6+ hours of direct sunlight, while part sun plants require 3-6 hours. Part shade plants prefer 3-6 hours of direct sunlight.
In summary, a well-designed raised bed garden requires a spot with ample sunlight, proper soil, and proper lighting.
📹 ☀️ How Much Sun Does My Garden Bed Get? ☀️ ::How to Determine Light Levels In Your Garden Bed!
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” -Anthony J. D’Angelo Welcome! Have you ever …
Do raised garden beds get too hot?
Metal raised beds are a popular choice for gardens due to their ability to withstand high temperatures even when exposed to full sun. The temperature near the bed wall can slightly increase on a hot day, but it is not warmer than planting plants against a hot brick wall.
To grow plants in metal raised beds during hot summers, it is recommended to use products like Birdies Raised Beds, Garden Grid™ Watering System, Gro-Well Raised Bed Soil and Nature’s Way Cactus and Patio Mix Soil, Midtown Swilt Umbrellas, and Fish in the Garden Sculptures. These products are coated galvanized steel with a powder-coated food-safe, non-toxic paint, and come with discounts of up to 10% off orders of $100+ with the “SHAWNA10” code.
In addition to these products, gardeners can also find metal fish sculptures, such as ceramic garden fish with metal fish stands, to add a touch of elegance to their garden. By using these metal raised beds, gardeners can create a beautiful and long-lasting garden.
When not to use raised beds?
If your yard has naturally deep, level, and well-drained soil, you don’t need raised garden beds. Instead, you should place your beds at ground level and create pathways around them. The soil in your pathways will become compressed over time, and your soft garden beds will remain slightly raised. Raised beds have several disadvantages, including higher heat and drying times, high costs for creating frames and soil, difficulty in using green manures or cover crops, and more work to change the layout compared to ground-level gardens.
Gardeners often find that their interests or needs change over time, making it more challenging to adapt to raised beds with or without framing. Therefore, it’s better to use ground-level gardens and create pathways around your garden beds.
Do raised beds get too hot?
Raised beds are naturally warmer due to their increased exposure to sunlight, yet they are not susceptible to overheating. They are optimal for individuals with limited space or paved backyards, high weed pressure, soil with high moisture content, difficulty bending or kneeling, or a desire for an aesthetically pleasing garden. The following recommendations are offered for those seeking to cultivate a successful raised-bed garden:
What should you not put in a raised bed?
Raised beds are ideal for growing a wide variety of edible plants, but not all plants can or should be grown in them. Some plants grow too large for raised beds, such as potatoes, asparagus, artichokes, rhubarb, corn, wheat, rice, and winter squash. Raised beds can be challenging to maintain due to the need for ladders, which can be dangerous for harvesting plants. It is essential to consider the specific needs of each plant when choosing a raised bed, as not all plants can thrive in raised beds. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider the type of plant and the space available for each plant to ensure the best growth and care.
How high does a raised garden bed need to be?
To adapt raised garden beds for accessibility, consider factors like height, width, and access paths. The beds should be 24-30 inches tall for comfortable gardening without bending or reaching too much, with a maximum width of four feet. Ensure wide, firm access paths between the beds, at least three feet wide, to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers comfortably. Consider adding comfortable seating areas near the garden beds for resting breaks while gardening. This will help ensure that all areas can be easily reached from either side.
What vegetables grow best with little sunlight?
The category of dark-tolerant vegetables and herbs encompasses a diverse range of leafy greens, including sage, lettuce, spinach, kale, and mustard greens. Additionally, it includes herbs such as mint, chervil, and chives.
What are the disadvantages of raised garden beds?
Raised beds have certain disadvantages, including a tendency to dry out more rapidly, the need for more frequent watering, and a greater initial investment of time and effort compared to conventional gardens. Furthermore, the height and volume of raised beds may result in increased costs and may not be suitable for overwintering crops, depending on the specific height and volume.
Do raised beds need to be watered more?
Raised beds are a more efficient method for watering vegetables than in-ground beds due to their good drainage. In-ground beds require 1 to 2 inches of water per week, while raised beds may require more. To determine when a raised bed needs watering, feel the soil frequently. To reduce watering needs, use a drip irrigation system that slowly waters the roots for a deeper, longer-lasting soak. This method delivers water directly to the roots of plants, reducing water loss due to evaporation and runoff.
Additionally, homeowners can turn individual sections on or off to ensure the vegetables receive the correct amount of water. Avoid overhead watering from a hose or sprinkler, as it can increase the occurrence of fungal and bacterial diseases and splash pathogens from the sick plant to the healthy ones.
What should you not grow in a raised bed?
Raised garden beds can be a helpful solution for home gardeners, but not all plants are suitable for them. Some plants, such as squash, melon, corn, blackberries, mint, apple trees, asparagus, and pumpkins, require more space for their roots to spread out due to their sprawling vines or complex root systems. Raised beds can help incorporate the right soil for your plants and extend the amount of garden space, but not all plants will thrive in a raised bed.
Horticulturalists and arborists have provided more information on which plants should never grow in a raised bed. Some plants, such as squash, melon, corn, blackberries, mint, apple trees, asparagus, and pumpkins, are better off directly in the ground.
How much sun does a raised bed need?
A raised bed is a crucial component in any garden, providing optimal growth for vegetables and flowers. It should be in full sun for 6-8 hours, and should be located near a home and water source. Regular irrigation is essential for raised beds.
Materials for raised beds include old railroad ties, landscape timbers, wood planks, rock, concrete blocks, or decorative bricks. Wood products should be treated with wood preservatives to extend their lifespan.
Building a raised bed can be costly, with prices for framing materials and soil media increasing since 2020. The average cost for a 4′ x 4′ x 12″ raised bed is around $60 or several hundred dollars, while a 4′ x 8′ x 12″ raised bed with twice the growing space on average doubles in cost. Depending on the frame materials and growing media used, the cost of a raised bed can vary significantly.
What is the best sunlight for a vegetable garden?
To grow vegetables, choose a sunny spot with over 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, but consider crops that can tolerate some shade, such as herbs and greens like lettuce and spinach. Avoid low-lying areas, as plant roots need oxygen, and avoid placing a vegetable garden in a spot where water accumulates after a rainstorm. Avoid the perimeter of old houses, as lead paint may be present in the soil, making edible produce unsuitable. Test your soil for lead levels and consider convenience when choosing a location.
Choose a garden format, such as raised-bed gardens or in-ground gardens, depending on the soil’s suitability and ease of relocation. Raised-bed gardens use elevated frames for a manageable space, while in-ground gardens are less expensive and easier to move to. Test the soil for pH, calcium, and magnesium levels. Lime or wood ash are added to raise and maintain a high pH, and can be applied in the fall or spring before planting.
If the garden site is still grass, apply the lime or wood ash on top of the grass, or if the site is already tilled and prepared, incorporate or mix the lime or wood ash into the top 4-6 inches of soil to help it work sooner.
📹 12 Perfect Vegetables To Grow in a Shady Garden Space
On top of that, there are some plants that won’t LOVE being in shade, but will TOLERATE it, which allows you to squeeze out even …
What a great idea! I was in the work of planning a large border from scratch, when I found out I had to have a large wintergreen 7 meter high by 7 meters wide old tree-like Prunus bush cut down to about 3 meters high, that had put a large part of my garden in full shade for years. So all my plans were for FULL SHADE. Now… I have to start planning all over again, because I have absolutely no idea what I can put in those places now! I don’t know how much sun they will get, only that it will get a lot hot midday sun… I think. It’s been only two days since the drastic cut-down. Tomorrow wil be 19 august, so I think I will get a good idea of what these places, especially that big border I had just cleaned out, will be like if I try doing this tomorrow. Or maybe better the day after tomorrow, as the forecast is rain I realized just now. LOL Thanks for this idea! Found this article just in time! <3
I’ve done this in a few places in our yard, especially right after moving in. It helps so much. Looks like your Hibiscus might do much better planted behind your chair set under the Oak. And caladiums along the fence unless summertime sun reaches over there. I often check photos from past years to get more information (what gardener isn’t constantly taking pictures of their pretty plants 😄).
Hi Janey, I started doing this on the north side of my lawn too but forgot about it halfway through the day. The next few days were cloudy, so hoping to get back to it once the nice weather returns. I don’t know why I didn’t think of a timer, which i normally use for everything that needs remembering lol Thanks for the tips 👍🏻
That’s a good idea, especially if there’s some new trees growing your yard or the neighbors. I find it interesting just how the sun shines on my enclosed back porch over the course of a yr. Fabulous morning sun end to end over summer, just a peek on one end over winter. I had big plans to put a small greenhouse out there and try to grow tomatoes all yr, I was really shocked to see how little sun and such a short time it’s shining out there. Guess it’s obvious, I never paid any attention to it for decades.!
Hi Janey! Great article! I really like how you present info! Do you have a teaching background? I wanted to ask about the lupine you planted a while back, did you start those from seed? I have some seeds and wanted to plant them now, so they could get established over fall/winter and be ready to grow when spring gets here (September for us in Uruguay)
I have had to do this due to neighbor trees growing or being trimmed way back. Last fall I started this. Since I was doing multiple areas I took pictures, so I could create a sun/time map. For each bed. If someone isn’t able to do this every hour, there are sun calculators available. You place it at sunrise and finish at sunset. It will light up next to whichever amount of sun you have. The only thing it won’t tell you is am sun vs pm sun.
Hi Janie did I spell that right? Love the article! Where did you get your red twig dogwood ? I thought they are a zone 7 or lower, I want one. How is it doing? I have charted the sun and shade on paper never thought about article I will need to get busy, another Saturday with my phone going off every hour love it. I really enjoy your website it is nice to see good articles for our zone
I am a biologist and massive gardener. My daughter is a certified horticulturist. We want to give you kudos for your knowledge, your ability to convey it and your enthusiasm for small gardening! If you have a grow light and a container you can grow something. YOU my friend have maximized your yield in a small space and brought us all along for an awesome and educational ride! Many blessings on YOU and your garden as well!
Shade Garden & Cooler Weather Plants: 2:16 #1 Spinach 3:14 #2 Chard 4:29 #3 Lettuce 5:27 #4 Endive & Escarole 6:28 #5 Peas 8:07 #6 Radishes Shade Tolerant (11:24 Give as much sun as possible.): 9:26 #7 Potatoes 10:43 #8 Tomates fast-maturing, cold-tolerant, bush style determinate varieties, such as: Glacier Tomatoes, & any that have the name of a cold area such as Russia, New York, or Canada. 11:41 #9 Bush Beans Herbs: 12:37 #10 Basil These are: African Blue Basil (good pollinator plant), Greek Columnar, Thai Basil, Pesto Perpetuo, & Tulsi (aka Holy Basil) 13:57 #11 Cilantro & Parsley 14:40 #12 Green Onion 15:15 Shady Garden Tips (in addition to others peppered throughout the article): 15:30 #1 Will grow slower (add 15% to 25% longer to maturity date) 15:47 #2 Water a little less often (less evaporation) 16:06 #3 Transplant (start indoors instead of direct sowing) 16:37 #4 Give as much sun as you can give it 17:05 #5 Paint nearby walls & fences a light color to reflect more light 17:30 #6 Consider growing in containers
Another thing you do is for the elderly people like me.I am in my mid seventies.Hate to admit it but loneliness is the burden many of us have.I live in the country and no close neighbors, I mean like not many people to share things with. At my age I guess I have forgotten more than most folks know. Your website is a nice place where people like to share there gardening.My Daddy used to show me all his tricks. So in his memory I will share one of them for you all to try.He used to grow watermellons every year and a few he use to feed them a watery sugar syrups flavored with stawberry and vanilla sometimes by threading a heavy mop string right thru the vine about 6 inches from the mellon.The mellon would drink up the flavor.Dad used to get a real kick out of people asking him where he got the strawberry flavored water mellons from. SORRY Dad! It is time to pass the secret on now.
I have a shady bottom floor apartment patio in zone 9b, I’ve grown cherry tomatoes, eggplant, jalapenos, kale, basil, mint, onions, garlic, nasturtium, heaps of spinach, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, pomegranate, celery, a bunch of flowers like allysum and petunias, carrots, peas, beans, and squash. I’m trying out sweet potatoes this year. I’ve had good luck with starting from seed and fertilizing with worm castings from my kitchen worm bin. I also water a lot but that’s bc summers get crazy hot here. I highly recommend just going crazy and trying anything you want, it works out surprisingly well a lot of the timeXD
UnBElievable….I’ve just found your website dude, and I am blown away at the amount of information you’ve relayed on this one article….God is awesome in delivering directly to us the quality of individuals that have websites here on Youtube who are trying to reach the masses!!! Thank you honey for doing your homework, for being so eloquent, and for having the heart to share!!! You have helped me so much, but more importantly you need to know what a blessing you are to folks out here on the world wide web!
I just found you TODAY. April 2, 2024. I really enjoyed your matter-of-fact way that you gave your content. Most of the time if I find a website where I am trying really hard to learn something, I prefer a matter-0f-fact but sincere approach and you just hit all the right vibes with me and earned my sub. I see that 2.87M people think that same way. I am gardening this year and my yard is full of shade so I was desperately looking for information on what crops I should be considering for my little shady garden about 15X15 plot only. I can’t wait to learn more from your website.
My upstairs balcony gets about 5 hours of direct sun each day so I follow all the tips you’ve mentioned: growing from seed indoors ahead of time, planting many of the same veggies you mentioned, too. The cherry tomatoes are insanely abundant! But just for fun, I plant a few early corn seeds just because they are elegant additions to my garden and give me extreme joy to watch them cycle through their lifespan. To my surprise, I always harvest one to two ears per stalk, although I am reluctant to harvest them because they are the guardians of my garden. Thank you for this very helpful article, I see how much effort you put into it and know that your work is appreciated.
This is going to help me for this year. I decided last year when summer was changing to fall that I would convert my entire backyard into a garden. I ripped out all of the grass and weeds, set up my compost, annd mapped out the yards sunlight (with sticks and string) throughout the day to get the different degrees of sunlight. (This house is shaped like an L where the empty box of the L is the “back yard”) between the house itself and the trees at the back, I clocked hourly what portions of the yard was in direct sunlight – so I know by the marking what section of the yard receives sunlight for the whole day vs the deadzone. So yay time to get my notebook out and learn what I can plant in the deadzonnnne.
You can also grow mushrooms in the shade. Particularly, thats a great way to use full shade (which this article doesnt cover). It may seem intimidating at first, but a low tech solution on a bed of hay or wooden logs is not particularly high effort and not particularly complicated and can give high yields.
I’ve been growing oregano in a flowering pot for over a year. I live in the PNW and we moved just before the winter to our new home. I was able to leave it outside even though the temps dropped considerably. I just trimmed it down taking all the withered leaves off, and brought my baby inside upon the first snow. I was worried that it wouldn’t survive, but I recently had to cut it down again. I have a garden window in the east facing part of my home. It was in that window for weeks. I recently put it outside again in the shade under an awning, to protect it from all the rain, because it seemed like it needed to be outside again. Coincidentally, I planted some strawberries in a bin container that’s placed next to the oregano. Both are doing well currently, even though it is colder than I would like. My thing has been, since I’ve been gardening, is getting a feel for my plants and being able to read them, especially upon the season changing and erratic weather in my area. But yeah, oregano can do quite well in the shade as well.
Red chard is my favorite green. Just cut the stems seperate, steam them a minute or two, then add the sliced leaves. Cover, steam for a minute or two more until just tender. Dress with vinegar, butter, etc. I use filtered water for the steaming and the save it. it is loaded with vitamins and minerals, good to drink chilled or put in your pet’s food.
In 2020 I tried Glacier tomatoes and had great success with them in my shady gardens in the forest. In 2021 year I followed more of your cold-tomato advice and had good results with Sasha Altai, St. Pierre, Russian Red and Moskvitch among others (note — some of these are very indeterminate, but successful nevertheless). Thanks for the tip! I’m also finding that a lot of medium-sized peppers do just fine in part shade (not Bell Peppers or other huge ones). In fact over the years peppers have been my most reliable crop. For some reason Spinach, Chard, and Beets just never work for me — the only reliable greens that have been reliable are chenopods like huauzontle and lambs quarters. Cilantro and Basil have also worked well for me, as well as both bush and climbing beans, peas, and tomatillos.
One thing I am noticing about this list – it closely resembles what does best where I live – west coast of Scotland, so mild winters, not particularly hot in summer and rainy tendencies whatever time of year !! Thanks for this, interesting, and prompted some useful ideas in the comments ( extra uses for radish – yes!! Mine goes to seed so quickly. Plus Marian’s helpful reference timings, so I can watch the bits I need again. easily. Cheers !!
Greetings from Germany, we have a pretty cold and rainy climate where I live for at least 8 month of the year. So it gives me a pretty short vegetation period. And on top of this I have a pretty shady garden (north facing) with lots of shade-giving treas. Nevertheless I created last year a raised bed right under the treas with almost no sun and tried to find out if it is working. I planted a special kind of cabbage, a so called eternal cabbage, which can achieve 10 years of age and you only collect the oldest leaves of, like with chard. And it works fantastic 😊😊😊. It is thriving. In the same bed I grow garlic veeerrrryy slowly but great and lamb’s lettuce. This year I will experiment with zucchini and different kinds of squash in another bed under the treas. Until now it’s developing quite good, considered that we still have maximum 10°C end of may 🙈. Thanks for your great tips. I did find your articles only recently and now I am looking each and every one of it😊. Have a blessed day. Sonja
Living inland in San Fernando Valley, Ca., it gets quite hot/dry during the ‘traditional’ growing season. Consistently over 100°, up to 115° for long periods. To avoid heat killing catastrophes from late May up to November, I built my raised bed under the shade of my huge Mexican Ash Tree. Despite careful watering and branch trimming, I was caught between a “rock and a hard place” in this case, not enough hours of direct sun and still too hot. My garden struggled all season. Flowers dropped. Lots of tomato greenery but few tomatoes despite hand pollinating. Chard was flimsy, etc. Low and behold, once the leaves fell off my deciduous tree, giving more sun, and the weather was cooler, more moisture/rain, vegetables started taking off in the middle of winter. I finally got a good continuous crop of tomatoes, the Swiss chard suddenly grew huge, the orange bell peppers produced beautifully, basil thrived. All of these did poorly with summer heat. Now, my plan is to start seedlings late summer with planting seedlings in October my growing season starting in the fall throughout winter and spring. This shift is a surprise, having grown up in New York. This is the true reality. Shade is not enough when the temperatures are so high. Even though the days are short, fall/winter/spring is my growing season. Thanks for your tips, love your vids
I let my cilantro bolt, just because and just to see what happens. The flowers are quite flavorful and the “fruit” is coriander. I just cut the entire stalk and strip of any tender leaves and flowers and set aside the coriander to fully dry. So not all is lost if you ignored the cilantro or just couldn’t get to it before going away for a while. I love frost/cold-tolerant crops and ”huh”erbs, less competition with bugs and rabbits, and no heat exhaustion. I truly appreciate your ideas, tips, and tricks. Keep sowing and growing.
You can also use things like old mirrors to reflect the sun into shady areas. I like to staple aluminum foil to plywood and use that to direct the sunshine into the shaded area or even use a metallic paint on plywood to get that reflective outcome you’re looking for. Use a stick or stake to prop it up at the angle you want.Thanks for the tips on shade tolerant plants. Kudos!
Thanks for sharing this! One thing to remember is that perennial veg, if you can grow them where you are, also require less sun, are less work and require less compost. eg. My Canna Edulis – a potato substitute – went from 4 corms this season to at least 40 and I didn’t water them much at all. I have a lovely perennial vegetable patch. Mostly because I have too much to do to worry about cycling garden beds etc. and partly because, these days peoples veg patches are being raided by people in the night. Mine looks ornamental, so no one bothers with mine.
New gardener here in the southern Louisiana areaZone 9b, or so. This is my first year of growing in a partial shady spot. My home came with an OLD chicken coop area that I have been converting to my garden. I’m doing container and raised bed gardening. I have a gold mine of repurposed wood, tin, chicken wire, and other wires as well. I’m keeping the handmade chicken feeders for planters. Anyway, you’ve given a lot of wonderful advice AND ideas. Thank you.
Thanks for the tips about endives! As a Belgian abroad, I miss my Belgian endives, which are rarely homegrown. I’ve always been told the compact white vegetable is the same as the greener lettuce like crop, but the white compact thing is grown in the dark, often in cellars (in wooden crates), and the green crop is left to grow exposed outdoors. Always have been intimidated to grow it but might try this fall, in a bag on my balcony. If I find the seeds, they are rare to find here. Would love to see a article on the specifics of growing these veg, and thanks for the shout out about their taste! Even most Belgians don’t like Belgian endives, but it tastes great braised: much more tasty than spinach and pairs well with salty, umami or ‘heavy’ things (like halloumi). The white crop is lovely like this: chop in half, remove core, let it caramelise in butter really well, splash of water, turn heat down and let it soften for a while, add nutmeg: and it gets totally sweet, not bitter: you will not find it as nice as this in a restaurant, and it is the perfect food for when you’re recovering from illness and you’re body doesn’t feel like eating anything. Honestly!!!
I LOVE this article! I already sent it to my sister’s email. She lives on 125 acres and the front of her home, where she wants a, “kitchen,” garden is shaded. I want to grow peas, when I start my garden. I know they are a little labor intensive, but they are higher in protein than some vegetables and I prefer fresh vegetables whenever possible. I hope you understand that, YOU are the future of this country.
What about edible ornamentals? Young tightly curled Hosta shoots can be prepared as you would asparagus. I’ve found that they are g good way to curb back a plant that is getting a bit larger than you would like but you don’t have someone that wants the division at the moment. A friend of mine grills them and serves them cold with a thinned mayonnaise that is flavored like hollandaise.
Thank you so much. I live in a patio home that faces south. I have a small amount of north space and a semi blocked west side. I got a Greenstalk this year and have been experimenting. I bought another one for next year. I took notes on all of you tips so I am hoping to have a better crop next year! I have been eating kale and arugula all summer so I am happy about that!❤
Really learning new things. Grew up on farm and grandparents farmed, things have been made easier and fertilizing made easier, new varieties and your adding things I never knew. I’m 75 going on next year. But love learning new ways and easier. Thank you and bought the 6 in 1 bins and cannot wait for the green house to show up so can get beds going. medical issues made the choice for me to buy the bins for higth. easier on legs and back. Thank you all for your teaching even us older growers.
Great tips! I’m new in my place and the sun’s movement through the seasons is unexpected; I definitely need plants for full sun and for partial and for shade. By the way, small radishes are great sauteed, as is escarole (that’s how they eat it in Italy). Endive is great baked at high heat-you can stuff them, drizzle with balsamic, or char in a cast iron pan on med-high heat. I worked many years at a farm-to-table pioneer so learned a lot about different ways to use ALL the produce.
Hi there Kevin from NZ. Great article with heaps of tips. I have had so much trouble growing Corriander (Cillantro) until I found out it bolts because of soil temperature and not air temperature. So, I tried putting down a thick mulch to try and keep the soil cooler. It worked. I grew the longest (1 ft/30cm) stalks I had ever grown and the stalks were very juicy! Thanks for a great gardening website.that is very informative.
Since I live at 7000 feet, I’d like to learn more about growing inside because of our extremely short growing season. My dream plant would be a Meyer Lemon tree (shrub?) but that may be more of a fantasy. A tip I discovered by accident is that skylights provide the perfect indirect bright light for things like orchids. My supermarket orchid has bloomed for five years on my bathroom vanity under a skylight. I would not have thought that that type of light would be sufficient, but it is.
Kevin, yours are the only gardening articles I will watch. I can’t tell you how good it is to watch someone explain as simply and thoroughly as you do, without all the damn small talk and long, looooong sequences of perusal the gardener shovel dirt in a container one spadeful at a time, etc., etc….as if we needed to learn how to transfer soil from one container to another. You speak clearly but fast, and you always seem to know the precise information and explanation we need in any given subject. THANK YOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU.
I’d love to see a couple articles, one on the best mechanisms for protecting a garden from rodents (lots of oak and fruit trees in my neighborhood so there are lots of rats, mice, and squirrels), and another about the best raised garden beds. Especially those that can be moved around the yard to follow the sun. Combine these two requests, and that would be amazing. Love your website! Thank you so much for sharing all your wisdom.
I hope this comment finds you on a day that has joy. Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge. First time gardener 2022. I was the chain saw and shovel girl until then. Your vids helped me so much with understanding, and confidence. I’m USDA zone 5, so yeah, stunning winter scenes of frozen landscape. I appreciate you taking the time to film and post so many articles. They made sure 36 of my 38 species were consumed by my family. Thanks Kevin for making my first gardening experience a wonderful situation. Cheers
I’m in Jersey and have started my plants in my huge bay window, all day sun in the winter and allot of shade in the summer when the trees come into full leaf. My zucchini plant is huge!! I’ve turned to an edible only garden and planting from here out. I still love my roses I always asked for rose bushes for Mother’s Day so I could enjoy them in perpetuity. My property has full shade in most spots so I appreciate this article so I know what to plant. Thank you
Well, that explains what happened with my peas. One year I through some seeds in an area by the house that doesn’t get much sun and pretty poor soil but produced a bunch of sweet peas. Totally to my surprise and I thought I just got lucky with a good batch of seeds. The next year I planted them in my generally full sun garden and they struggled and were woody.
Lots of great information. Thank you. Green Onions/Scallions: In the Spring I buy one bunch from the grocery store, cut about 1/2 inch off the bottom and plant root side down. Cook whatever I need with the rest. In the winter I cut them down to about 3″ above the root, and put them in a clear vase, root side down, with water about 1/2 way up the plant. They grow slower that way, but will still grow. Remember to change the water every day and to increase the amount of water as they grow. 🙂
I have under 6 hrs of sun a day in the sunniest part of my northwest/facing terrace, with a large fence and other buildings around it. Rhubarb that I planted a few years ago is doing really well now. We get a few freezing days here in Madrid, Spain, in the winter, but the rhubarb keeps coming back, stronger every year. Chard and celery does well, too. But what is very easy to grow in the shadiest part of my terrace is Arugula! I get continual leaves throughout almost all seasons.
When cilantro bolts, it becomes coriander. Take the fresh green and tender seeds and crush them with a touch of vinegar and some olive oil and coat chicken or pork before grilling. YUMMY! On little cilantro will produce a gazillion seeds and are great for planting next year and give the bees some food.
Great tips. Just what I’ve been looking for! I’ve had a couple of long brick planters/troughs built for me, to break up my garden and patio area. They’re mainly shaded and I’ve been wondering what I could grow in them. But, your advice on container gardening right at the end has given me food for thought, too. And thank you for using the correct pronunciation of the word ‘herbs’. My UK ears totally appreciated it 😄.
I just had you I’m my feed and decided to watch you. I’m impressed. I know a lot about landscaping, took 2 year classes years ago for my own yard hobby only. Now I’m into veggie herb gardening and wanting some fruit tress for our front yard along the 4’ hi aluminum fence. Could you look into what grows well in North Carolina south east of Raleigh? We have pretty fertile dark rich soil in our yard. The best is closer to the house in front and all of the back, but along the fence is not bad either, just not as loose and dark, some pebble in it at times, but we have evergreens that are thriving, only lost one out of 9 different varieties. I’m having trouble with my roses in the front flower ends now. I’ve lost 1 yellow, 1 coral peach, 1 pink, 1 red all knock out roses and I have lost one medium carnation pink rose that I received the great great grandchild from the original from, I had 7, now I only have 3 left of these. I got the original roses from my beloved Aunt in 1994. They are so fragrant and get very big if you let them. I would live more info on fruit bearing trees and shrubs for this area please? We have 1 blueberry Bush out of 2 that has survived 2 years, it is not producing much. We have not fertilized, not sure if we need to, but the plant itself is hardy, but kind of small still. Still learning. I’m good with most of our trees, plantings,perennials and shrubs, bulbs, but not sure about the blueberry busy on what to do. It’s at least healthy.
As an addition to your first tip, though it should be obvious: For plants where you harvest the whole plant, for example lettuce, plant half of your plants in full sun the other half in the shade. That way the harvest will stretch out over a longer period and you don’t have to sow new batches as often. Though it probably makes most sense for veggies where you only have a short window to harvest before they flower, get woody or are just to old and not enjoyable to eat.
I love your container garden. I’m happy that you mentioned tomatoes in a shady garden. I have been growing them in my garden, which is mostly bright indirect light. The yield is good and the tomatoes taste absolutely marvelous! I’m going to try the potatoes and green beans this year. Thanks for the good advice and I’ll be looking forward to your coming articles.
I also like websites like this because your audience and their input a lot of times is also really helpful and in the least, super interesting. Thank you people for your amazing ideals and generous information. I could spend days on each episode simply because there’s so much information in the comments. If and when my Garden gets going, I may share some of my experiences too.
HEY THANKS!!! Kevin!!! FYI: I just bought book, and, I ordered a lot of those “GROW BAGS”, and I’m intending to do a lot of “Patio Gardening”! Perhaps you could do a few articles on “Container Gardening”, and on “DRIP Irrigation”, etc.! Gardeners need to consider container gardening, because, (as you just stated), the plants can be literally moved into or away from a paricular location, as needed!… but for bigger containers, perhaps try to minimize the need to move it often, (because they can be very heavy!!!),… use a “hand-truck” to haul them!…
Starting a new garden…helped plant and harvest food with my dad when I was younger but so much I forgot or just don’t know…watched and saved a few of your articles…has really gave me a lot of info that I found to help me that I wouldn’t have got in just minutes of my time…thank you so much for incorporating all these plants into one article with so much information for growing in a shady spot…will definitely use the info…into growing healthy food for my family and know that fresh clean fruits and veggies are best…happy growing
I found celery to grow well in a shady garden. Mint absolutely loves shade, just plant it in a container to avoid taking over the garden. I am interested in full shade. You said you grow mostly ornamentals, which I interpret to mean you have some edible plants. What would those be? Would peas grow there? The fully edible type where we can use a branch in salads.
Hi, the way you said pronounce for Daiko—-n made me smile 😂 I fully understand Daikon and love them as I am originally from Japan, but living in North of UK. I am going to grow Daiko—-n 大根、だいこん this year better than last year. So yammy when you make Takuan Tukemono from Daikon. Also I have a Japanese Kabocha to grow. Nice for tempura or make coroquette.🇯🇵
I’m currently growing basil, cilantro, thyme and rosemary in my windows. The basil(sweet basil) was just at its early stages(about 3 sets of leaves) and the rest is still in the soil, still a seed. I live in a tropical country and is currently experiencing really cloudy days and rains a lot. IDK if its ideal to grow it right now but im trying.
Being raised on a farm, wasn’t small my Dad made use of every place except my mother’s garden lol. We faced east to west, so roses she used toward the beginning of fence going toward the beginning of the front porch were different plants last were tulips. west was different lettuce’s to peas then radishes and horseradish beans house tomatoes then corn sunflowers. We grow feed near the barn &stables some corn the rest was tomatoes. Revolving acres each season. Even moving in town we had an 1/2 acre back yard we grew crop to freeze or jar. Used the same way in Alaska . This was a good one on shade plants.
TIPS ON TERMS (like “part shade”) FOR GARDENING NEWBIES: Have you ever been to a zoo and notice that they keep the penguins in a contained environment that is cooler and filled with ice? They do this because the penguins need a certain environment to survive. Plants are the same way. The plants we cultivate in our gardens around the world originated in a particular climate. We can do different things to stretch that environment in one direction or another, but only so far. Which means that the terms “sun,” “part shade,” and “shade” are to be taken with a grain of salt. I moved from California where I studied horticulture to South Dakota, and have quickly learned that these terms do not mean the same thing in different areas. Plants that say “part shade” might actually need full sun in my area of South Dakota – I have a short growing season (and I’m also at elevation – yippee) we have cooler days and overnight lows in the 40s sometimes in the summer. Basil has a hard time in full sun here. This year, I’m trying it in my mudroom which is half glass and like a hothouse. (fingers crossed) In contrast, my father lives in the desert in California. Some plants that say “full sun” can take or even need “part shade” in his dry, sunny environment. My point is this, the recommendations here may or may not work in your particular environment and climate. Learning to care for plants, like everything else, takes time so don’t despair if you try these recommendations and they don’t work for you.
Great article! I was so surprised that my Sun Gold tomatoes did so well in the shade. The plants were super prolific (I couldn’t keep up with them!) and they are SO good. Just a warning though, the plants are not determinant and will keep growing throughout the summer. Mine ended up around 12-14ft long in an arch. Two plants were more than enough for our little family of 2.
Chard is just a superhero green – planted some on the backside of my house where it only gets full sun from noon until dusk. It did wonderful through our hot Texas summer with us picking away at it. Then I thought it died when we got our first real freeze but it came back to life! Rabbits got to it, caterpillars got to it, Texas heat and freezes….several plants are still giving us greens 🥗😋
Do plants growing in shade need more or less Fertilizer? How much for each of the top 12? For a delicious green, Purslane is great. It is full sun, considered a weed, but when sauted with some chopped onion and fresh tomato, it is a great, Nutritious, side dish. Also make burritos, use flour tortillas add refried beans, the stewed Purslane and if you have a Mexican market, some crumbles of Queso Fresco! OMG! So good! Thank you for All the information, this is the First time that l have had the pleasure of perusal one of your articles. Your friend and new subscriber from Kansas City, Tom 🌻
When I moved once I had a lot of shade in the yard at different times/places so one day from sun-up to sunset I went out there and took pics every hour. Helped me figure out exactly where I had sun, which wasn’t great– best spot was about 5 hrs per day. Still put in tomatoes, they grew slightly slower but still grew and actually appreciated some shade from the worst heat of the day.
I found this article very informative, thankyou. I am renovating my house, and miraculously have managed to carve a 4.5 x 7.5 foot room to dedicate to growing plants indoors. I know I will have to waterprooof it, but it used to be a bathroom so has running water, and a floor drain, and a heat vent, even a window and a concrete floor, so good start. It will take me a couple of years to be able to afford all of the grow lights that it will need. My space is pretty tight, but I am hoping to line one long wall with shelves to grow salad greens (mesclun and spinach), herbs, and perhaps start seedlings for my outdoor beds. The other long wall (please don’t snicker at my 7.5 feet – I am excited about every last inch!) wall I want to build a planter on the floor, and grow indeterminate tomatoes up to the ceiling, and two or three kinds of cherry/grape tomatoes, perhaps one above the other). I have heard tomatoes are actually perennials, and will crop for several years before needing to be replaced. Also, I am hoping that various diseases that commonly affect tomatoes outdoors won’t be able to infect them. (I think the rain carries some of them to plants.) I am going to seal the window with remay to try to keep nasties from blowing in with the wind. So I would really like to see a article on growing inside. I am not going hydroponic, seems a bit unnatural/mad scientist – I hope I don’t regret growing in soil indoors. With the plants I want to grow all on your shade garden list, I am wondering how many lights and how many hours they should be on – maybe I won’t need so many.
From London and veggie seeds are as rare a toilet paper and Flour! We finally have some germination from last years crop of tomatoes. Also deseeded some cherry tomatoes from the store and it looks like we have some sprouts! I chopped off some leek and garlic buds. Can you grow carrots from carrot tops? My son brought back from school another broad bean plant before the lockdown. Its about 12″ now. last year the wind and snails got it. How thick should the stalk be before planting outside? Our environment changes so much. His sunflower seeds from 3 years ago have already germinated outside after a week. they were mutant last year several heads on one stalk – is that normal? Our herbs – sage, chives and rosemary so far have survived the winter. My basil never makes it. Mint will probably survive an apocalypse! lol Some of my cauliflower and broccoli survived winter. can this regrow? I think we need to eat up our frozen rhubarb as the big boy is starting to sprout again. Is the yield bad if you dont chop/separate the roots after 3 years? 2 strawberry planters. now only have one surviving. do we bring it indoors over winter?
This is wonderful. I just moved to a smaller place with lots of shade and i thought i was going to have to give up on gardening 😢 apearantly not! Yay! Exciting 🙏 Edit: Just to add, we lived out in the forest in a tropical environment so lots of sun, humidity and rain, so we could grow anything we wanted. Now I’m learning a whole new way of gardening that is working with what you’ve got!
Shady Garden Crop & Cold Tolerant 2:22 Spinach (start with seed indoors, takes 2 weeks to germinate) 3:18 Chard (direct sow or grow indoors) 4:33 Leaf Lettuce (matures 35-45 days) 5:38 Endive & Escarole (start indoors, slow germinator) 6:32 Peas (soak and direct sow) 8:11 Radish (slow maturity, more variety) 9:39 Potatoes 10:49 Tomatoes (early spring planting, glacier tomatoes) 11:45 Bush Beans (vertical tower garden*) HERBS SECTION 12:57 Basil (Pollination or ornamental – African Blue Basil Bush) 14:02 Cilantro and Parsley 14:47 Green Onion 15:33 SHADY GARDEN TIPS 1. Slower maturity 2. Water less often 3. Transplant in instead of direct sowing 4. Lighter walls reflect more light 5. Use containers
Radish also make decent alternatives to potatoes for those that are trying to limit carbs and starches. Clean the radish and either steam or add to stir frys, chop up like home fries and fry them, enjoy in many ways you would potatoes. NO they do NOT taste like potatoes but they are delish cooked. Cooking kicks out most of the heat too.
I’m in the UK and have a quiet shady garden because of a garage and fencing gets around 2/4 hours of sunlight a day in various movements iv not really calculated but I will at some point I found your article really usefull because of that so thanks I like the American way of prounoincing Erbs too but I do like my British way so that made me chuckle I know you said pretty much all herbs but I found my thyme survived even through the winter and my mint and parsley and chives but thank for good content and tips Happy Gardening from across the Pond 🌞
Ran across your articles recently. My yard where I have my garden is basically on the south of the house, but angled NW to SE, fence along the property line where my garden sits. Half my garden gets sun from about 9/9:30 AM (thanks to a line of pine trees on the eastern edge of the property, I get later every year) to shortly after 12. And yes, it does tend to need far less watering than the other half which gets the hot sun until about 5 PM. I have been growing lettuce, spinach, chard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and even yellow/red onions in the cool half of the garden. I think the cabbage and such do well because it still gets warm enough to make them happy, they just don’t get 5 plus hours of direct sun. Wish I could do something about the pine trees but they are on some one else’s property. Might look into putting something light colored on the fence to help increase the sun exposure.
Radishes I have found I enjoy more letting them go to flower and then to pod the pods taste very much so like radish they are tasty and delicious and grow pods in such an abundance you wont even be able to keep up. The flowers are absolutely delicious as well. I enjoy the radish root but, most seasons I wont even harvest the root at all ill eat everything else throughout the season. That has also allowed me to grow the same radishes year after year as the pods bring em back over and over again year after year. The pods are so good its a wonder ive never seen it for sale.
Hello Kevin, I have been perusal you for a few years. my son actually introduced me to your website. I have a lot of questions and I watch you literally every day no joke! I picked up gardening slightly before my mom passed away and it keeps me happy and my mind on change. I want to know the only thing that does turn me away from Gardening is SPIDERS EWWWWWW!! What can I spray around my Garden have I usiually have someone spray every 3 months but I worry about what I spray does to my garden and is it safe . Thank you! I love your youtube website I’ve learned a lot from you within the past two years.
It’s all good Kevin! Its like tomatoe tamoto. lol Thanks for sharingi your kInowledge with us!! This year I started a companion garden, so i am hopeful that my editable and medicinal garden will be more successful then last year! It took me three months to come up with a plan and so far I stuck with most of it, but a few changes here and there. I will send you photos in the summer once everything takes off. I live in the heart of Baltimore City and have enjoyed gardening now for the last three years since the pandemic started. My neighbors are always loving my garden space which of course makes me proud!!…………. Gardening is my happy place ………
Speaking of painting stuff – I have had great success painting yard art with acrylics. They’re very cheap, and you can rinse out your brushes with water If you want your paint to last longer, you can clear coat it with Krylon, or poly or spar urethane. But even if you don’t, acrylic is waterproof once it dries. I’ve painted a few rocks to use as labels for the garden and they last a few years before I have to touch them up because they faded a bit
Q: What is your best strategy and/or best remedies for shady area diseases, such as powdery mildew and black spot? The biggest problem I’ve noticed, is that, with the daily, sudden change from full to sun to full shade, as happens in the beds that are closest to our 2-story home, this seems to be the very best conditions for evaporation to moisten the underside of the leaves! Moisture condenses on the underside of the leaves, which are cooler. The spores from molds and fungus in the air then stick to the moisture on the underside of the leaves, and thrive. Soon the plant dies, from bottom up under those conditions. I heard a partial answer.. When you said to be careful not to over-water shady garden plants, that reminded me that this is why it is so crucial NOT to overwater in shady gardens. Watering in the early morning will give the evaporation on the leaves time to dry. Any other tips? How do you treat powdery mildew, or other fungus/spots growing on the leaves or fruit? What is safe to eat, if produce develop spots? Tomatoes are very susceptible to mold, spots, and powdery mildew -the rot that turns the lowest leaves brown, and works its way up the vine and the tomatoes. Help!
I have a shady backyard with a tall building blocking our sunlight and giving us just about 2-3 hours of direct sunlight around noon. But, I live in India where the temperatures are mostly hot, some cool winter days with almost no sun and a lot of rainy days too during the monsoons. Watering depends upon the season but I’ve learned to let the raised beds go bare during our scorching summer. Have been considering a shade cloth but it’ll have to be just for three months. Question is: will a shade cloth also trap the hot air beneath it? I’d love to grow my winter crop of tomatoes for a little longer before they get burned!
I can vouch for the cold heartiness of spinach. Here in the southern Ohio area where it gets down to single digits during the winter. Had some spinach I planted during the fall in the more sunny section of my backyard against a fence. It lasted all the way through the winter. At one point it was covered in ice and it came right out of it. Have also had decent luck with potatoes and onions in shady sections during the summer although, as stated, the yields were not as great.
That was really helpful I’m in the UK Cornwall to be exact, there are neighbouring trees in the farmers field that take my late afternoon sun so I only get around 4 hours a day in summer. I have sunnier beds and shadier beds and sometimes feel a bit defeated, but now if I plant more thoughtfully I will increase my overall food production, so thanks for those tips.
Thank you so much for this nice, energetic article. I’m in a situation where my neighbour put up a huge fence, and blocked the afternoon sun. It was her right. There was no disagreement. The problem is, neighbours trees surrounding being said that section of the yard that was for food production, gets no direct sunlight at all once the foliage comes in. I’m a bit gutted about it, Because it means that the vegetables that I’ve always grown, like the ones you’re talking about there, probably not gonna grow for me anymore, except at the exposed northern edge of the garden which gets very little sunlight. Everything else is Now heavily shaded. I do have a few ideas for technological work arounds, But I still wanna be able to use so much of that garden if I can only find crop plants that will thrive in the shade.Any suggestions would be so appreciated.
Partial shade veggies 1) Spinach 2) Chard (seeds are compound so you can have more than one plant in one seed 3) Most varieties of leaf lettuce (30-45 day maturity kinds, transplanting helps) 4) Endive & Escarole 5) Peas 6) Radishes Getting into shade tolerant 7) Potatoes 8) Tomatoes 9) Bush bean Herbs 10) Basil (African blue basil bush) 11) Cilantro & Parsley 12) Green Onion 6 Shady Garden Tips: 1) Remember it’s going to grow slower 2) You’re going to have to remember to water less often 3) Because they are growing slower it makes sense to transplant in rather than direct sow 4) Make sure to give as much sun as you can 5) If you have a fence or wall, lighter colors will help boost light levels 6) Consider growing in containers
Hello, great article. I am just starting my garden journey and have extremely limited space and choice on where I can plant. I have not placed my beds yet but have a spot on the eastern side of the building with part of it in the south west, when the sun comes around the building. I have a question on how would a shady garden work in colder climate, I am in Alberta, Canada. It can go down to 10C(50F sometimes lower) at night or when raining. Not the greatest start but I would like to make a go of it. I would appreciate anything you could to help me decide what is best to do with my lot in life. Thank you and keep on making these articles they are well done and informative.
Subscribed! I’ve dreamed of having a garden my whole life and had my sights set on an herb garden, but sadly have a north facing balcony. It will get north facing light but our summer temperatures range from lower to upper 90s (Fahrenheit). So, I was unsure if it’d be too hot and too shady for anything to work here ): After perusal your article, I think I’m going to try cilantro, parsley, basil, and maybe green onion. I so hope it works out!!! Thank you so much for the content and advice, your gardens are so amazing!!
I just want to Thank for all for your articles . lol for educating me on growing everything 😅 and I only listen to the pros and that’s why I watch only you😅and for the very first time I am growing my own vegetables and plants.🪴 now my whole family thinks lol nuts. I JUST LOVE 💕 perusal EVERYTHING GROW😅THANK YOU💪🏽🪴.
Great article. I’ve never met you before. The first guy I’ve heard from the US who knows how we pronounce ‘herbs’ here in the UK. You may be aware that there are many plants and foods we pronounce differently than you guys. I do like the way languages change over time in different parts of the world. My back yard gets very little sun so you’ve inspired me to give it a go with some of these plants. Thanks.
I love your website and like most of the folks who follow your website, I am grateful to you for sharing your knowledge. I had a question. I’m growing lettuce that are supposed to be sweet tasting but I find that they aren’t as sweet as they’re supposed to be. Is there a nutrient I can use to sweeten my yield?
These were so interesting to watch while recovering from covid. I am interested in raised beds because of a bad back, and want so much to garden. Armchair gardening is fine, but doesn’t put food on your table. We live in Mississippi in a shady yard. Heat is a problem here, even in the shade. Anyway, I appreciated your articles so much.
Wow now I know why my peas died and my spinach had struggled. Too much South FL sun. The peas didn’t even sprout! But the spinach popped up and then it’s been sort of stagnant. I don’t want to bring the pot inside now since it’s got some tiny mites or something living in there. But I’ve moved it to a shadier spot.