Growing container veg in shady areas

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Growing container veg in shady areas
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Caz

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 22
Location: Mendips Somerset

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 1:50 pm Post subject: Growing container veg in shady areas

We have a very small garden, and we're attempting to grow veg in containers. We had limited success last year with tomatoes, peas, and spring onions, mainly due to the lack of water. We've got that sorted now so we thought we'd expand our veg empire by trying to grow stumpy carrots, beetroot, lettice, spinich, radish, courgettes and garlic.

I've read that spinich will grow ok in a shady spot, but I was unsure of the rest, has anyone had any success growing anything in the shade in containers?

I'm also growing peppers from the seeds of a pepper i had in the fridge, I'm hoping they will do okay on the window sill in large pots, like some chillies I've grown in that way. How big will the plants grow, and will they produce peppers?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 2:01 pm Post subject:
Lots of questions Caz Re the peppers there are loads of different varieties out there, I've grown one that reached over 6ft in height, you'll just have to see how it goes. If it gets too big you just pinch out the tops. not very good at shady plants though, my plot's in full sun.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 2:06 pm Post subject:

How shady is shady, Caz? Do you mean deep shade or do you get sun in the morning / afternoon?

If you get sun for at least half the day, then you can try most things, apart from the ones that really need full sun. I have grown broad beans, garlic, chives, shallots, parsley, spuds and gooseberries in partial shade. The yields aren't as great as with full sun, but it is certainly worth trying a few different things.

Edited to say that the "frilly knicker" type lettuces don't seem to mind a bit of shade either. Alpine strawberries do fine as well.

Last edited by judith on Tue Apr 05, 05 2:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 2:10 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

...Re the peppers ... I've grown one that reached over 6ft in height...

Now that's a BIG pepper!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 2:12 pm Post subject:
It was a chilli called Thailand, I thought it was a real duffer cos it just kept going up and up, but when it started producing it was prolific, my mum overwintered it in her conservatory and it's about to start flowering any minute. It's at least 6' 6".

Caz

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 22
Location: Mendips Somerset

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 3:23 pm Post subject: Thanks Judith

[quote="Judith"]How shady is shady, Caz? Do you mean deep shade or do you get sun in the morning / afternoon?

If you get sun for at least half the day, then you can try most things, apart from the ones that really need full sun. I have grown broad beans, garlic, chives, shallots, parsley, spuds and gooseberries in partial shade. The yields aren't as great as with full sun, but it is certainly worth trying a few different things.
[quote]

Thanks for your advice, I think i'll move the garlic to the shady spot to make room for other sun loving veg, I may even give th broad beans a go, thanks for your advice

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 3:52 pm Post subject:

Hey Caz,

Courgettes don't do too well in pots, we tried last year, they do produce something, but they were very small and I think we got 4 or 5 of them in total, so not worth it.

How about some small spuds? We're trying some in old compost bags rolled down at the moment, some little new tatties.

Sure we can sort out a cutting from our gooseberry/blackcurrant bush...assuming this is the Caz I think it is

Caz

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 22
Location: Mendips Somerset

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 05 6:10 pm Post subject:

Fee wrote:

That would be great, thanks Fee, I think i'll still try and grow courgettes in the shade and see what happens. I may give the tatties a go too!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 11:38 am Post subject:

I've had a lot of success with Swiss chard in containers in areas that only get four hours or so of sunlight a day. Not as big as they'd be in full sun, but you can pack them in a bit closer and still get a good yield of tasty leaves.

Sorrel also does fine; a bit slower than you'd hope, but again, it's so damned resilient that it doesn't really struggle.

And rocket seems to be a weed in areas with a bit of shade; I reccomend getting Turkish rocket for such a spot, and it'll do reasonably OK.

joker

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 188
Location: hiding

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 12:13 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

It was a chilli called Thailand, I thought it was a real duffer cos it just kept going up and up, but when it started producing it was prolific, my mum overwintered it in her conservatory and it's about to start flowering any minute. It's at least 6' 6".

Hmmm I think you may have missed Northern-lad's point here

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 9:20 pm Post subject:

Most of the salads seem to be Ok in shade - I grew all of my first veg in pots on a north facing wall (not knowing any better), and runner beans, small carrots, parsley, chives and salad leaves did fine. The courgette in a pot got a bit more sun, and was more prolific than I'd planned for, but I always put runners in the shade now, as they don't seem to mind at all, and I've limted sun to go round!

Good luck

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 10:21 pm Post subject:

Northern_Lad wrote:

tahir wrote:

...Re the peppers ... I've grown one that reached over 6ft in height...

Now that's a BIG pepper!

OMG are the ones you gave me going to grow into triffids, Tahir?

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 10:22 pm Post subject:
Oh I would second the Swiss chard. Mine's been producing in a shady spot for nine months. I keep waiting for it to go to seed but it seems very happy as it is!

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 05 8:48 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

I always put runners in the shade now, as they don't seem to mind at all, and I've limted sun to go round!

That's interesting - I always thought that runners were real sun lovers.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Apr 07, 05 8:54 am Post subject:
I've heard the'll do in the shade as well. I had over production last year in a sunny spot up at the allotment but this year I'm going to try the shady side of the back yard where they'll bring some welcome greenery.

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