Hi There, Have just moved to a townhome that has a private backyard, and I am wanting to try planting parsnips, beets, chives, parsley etc. Having not been here over the summer I am unsure as to the number of hours of sunlight the yard will actually recieve. The yard faces southeast, but mostly east, and we have lots of mature trees around us. So I would guess we have partial shade? I am hoping to achieve veggies for the fall/winter that store well in the soil. I was thinking of using my flowerboxes that I currently have (We brought them from our condo) but don't know if they will be deep enough. (6 inches?) Or perhaps some of my larger pots. Does anyone have any tips/advise on what might work well??? I am living in the Richmond BC area.
SW exposure is best for veggie gardening, your pots/planters should be at least 18 inches or 45cm deep. Can you selectively prune the shade limbs in your yard/complex? The more direct sunlight, the better results for your vegetable production. I would also have a yard of manure or compost tilled into your plot anytime that you can work the soil, if it isn't saturated...living on the delta...
Dear K Baron, Thank you for the info...I have been doing some "selective" pruning around our yard. The Backyard is quite bright even on overcast days, and sunny for a couple of hours in the mornings (when the sun makes an appearance!). I am hoping that once spring/summer arrives and the sun is situated higher in the sky. that we might get even more sunshine!
The veggies you list (excepting, of course, 'etc.') will all produce reasonably well in part shade. Same too for leafy greens.
Root veggies need fairly deep soil. You will probably have more success if you make some small raised beds in the sunniest part of the yard. I wouldn't think that 6 inches would be deep enough for any root vegetables. You could certainly grow chives and parsley though in pots.
Dear Woodschmoe and JanR, Thank you for your information, it is greatly appreciated. Any suggestions on specific root veggie varieties and/or other veggie varieties that do well in shadier gardens. I am planning on making raised beds,( I hope it won't be too costly) and putting in topsoil. I just started a composter in our backyard and am hoping I can add some later in the summer once it has had time to develop some good compost. We also have a fish tank and were hoping to add the water from when we change the tank to the garden as a natural source of nitrogen. Are we on the right track here??? Oh and one more thing...I read somewhere that raspberries and blueberries can do well in shadier areas...is this true? Any suggestions?
Most vegetables prefer full sun, but there are some that will tolerate some shade. Some that will tolerate some shade are lettuce, peas, spinach, strawberries, and swiss chard. If you can pick a spot that gets a least a half day of sun, you could try growing almost anything. They may not do as well as if they were in full sun, but you would still get a crop. I have grown tomatoes on my deck in pots and it only gets morning sun and they have done quite well.
I have a shade area on my patio. Over the last few years I tried growing vegetables but the only edibles that seem to tolerate the shade are the herbs. They are in pots about 8-12 inches deep. Chives, parsley, thyme, oregano and rosemary are all doing fine.
