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  • From: yarrow@sfo.com
  • To: evansdk@earthlink.net, permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] shady edibles, was Re: soil amending
  • Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 21:12:45 -0700

My new "plan" is to start leaving
compost around the edges of the yard, in case I ever learn what edible
perrenials might grow in clay soil/shade. Meanwhile, I love learning this
stuff for someday when I become a real farmer. Kathy in St. Louis

Kathy,
We're doing a shade edibles demo garden at the community garden, where we have grown -- in zone 9 -- arugula (annual, but reseeds easily), cilantro, parsley, celery, lettuces, and (for edible flowers) calendula, borage, and rose. This area is in high shade and gets a few hours of sun.

In my garden, I have lemon balm, strawberries, alpine strawberries, bolivian sunroot, currants, yerba buena, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, artichokes, cardoon, garlic chives, celery, parsley, red onion, mullein, calendula, nasturtium, and more in the shadier area (high shade, gets about 3-4 hours of direct sun). Last year 2 cherry tomato plants did well there, and a volunteer winter squash took over the whole area and produced a lot.

Here are a few more suggestions. Try a few things and see what does well! Some plants that are listed as "full sun" will still grow well in high shade or dappled shade, though they may produce less than they would in full sun.



http://www.rickharrison.com/texts/info/shade_tolerant.html
Shade Tolerant Vegetables (and Fruits)

It depends on your climate, soil, and what kind of shade you have. Is it solid shade cast by a large building, or dappled shade cast by trees? Few edibles will produce in all-day solid shade, but if you have broken shade, or direct sun for at least part of the day, there is hope of getting some vegetables to grow.

Shade is a blessing in hot climates. Areas that get 2 to 3 hours of sun in the morning followed by shade the rest of the day are ideal for growing leafy vegetables during the summer in hot climates.

Here is a list of the more shade-tolerant vegetables gleaned from previous discussions of this question in rec.gardens.edible

GREENS:
* arugula
* cabbage
* kale
* lettuce
* mustard greens
* pak choi
* parsley
* sorrel
* spinach

ALLIUMS:
* chives
* garlic chives
* onions

HERBS:
* cardamom
* mint

LEGUMES:
* peas
* bush beans

BERRIES:
* blackberry
* currants
* gooseberry
* strawberries


http://www.jackiefrench.com/tithe.html
Some Shade-Tolerant Edibles
Alpine strawberry; bamboo - some species are shade-tolerant but beware as they may become weed; blueberry varieties like Everbearer, Knoxfield Barbara, Fairview, Knoxfield Fiona; avocado - will grow in semi-shade, in fact needs semi-shade to establish, but fruits only with at least some light, establish at the dark side of the house and it'll fruit when it reaches the roof; bilberry - will fruit in semi-shade; cape gooseberry - will fruit in quite deep shade in temperate areas or in cool areas next to a warm wall; Chilean wineberry - like a raspberry with yellow berries, very hardy, fruits in temperate areas in medium shade; Chilacayote melon - will ramble up and down trees, grows in shade but needs sunlight to flower and fruit; feijoa - shade tolerant but won't fruit without some hours of direct sunlight (and often a pollinator too); hops - will twine happily through trees; Monstera deliciosa - frost free areas only; strawberries - hot to temperate areas only and they won't crop as well; rhubarb, grows tall and succulent in semi-shade, especially in hot areas; chives (Allium spp), garlic chives (Allium tuberosum); elder (Sambucus nigra); fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); garlic (Allium spp) will grow in the semi-shade under trees in temperate to hot areas, but may not flower; American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius); horseradish (Armoracia rusticana); parsley, curled parsley (Petroselinum crispum) - Common parsley will accept semi-shade in temperate to hot areas, Japanese or Perennial parsley (Cryptoaenia japonica) will also grow in semi-shade in temperate to hot areas or in a pot in cool areas on warm paving or patio; salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba); Sorrel (Rumex spp); watercress (Nasturtium officinale); artichokes - Jerusalem (semi-shade under decidous trees); asparagus (semi-shade); celery (in temperate to hot areas); leeks (hot summers only - good under deciduous trees); lettuce (hot summers only); mizuma (Japanese salad green or green veg); potato (hot summers in dappled light under trees or pergolas); silverbeet (dappled light in hot areas, ornamental chard and other chard varieties are more shade-tolerant than the common Fordhook Giant; spinach - English (dappled light in hot areas).


http://www.uvm.edu/mastergardener/help/tipsarchive2004.htm
EDIBLES FOR SHADE are mostly leafy, and can produce a decent harvest with five hours or less of direct sun per day. They can be used decoratively in the beds and borders. Parsley makes a great border, and so do colorful lettuces. A bright red stemmed Swiss chard was used at Longwood Gardens paired with a harmonizing red coleus. Other shade tolerant edibles include arugula, chervil, bee balm, cabbage, beet, borage, scallions, mint, chive, coriander, cress, escarole, kale, mustard, pansy, pea, sage, sorrel, spinach.



  • [permaculture] shady edibles, was Re: soil amending, yarrow, 06/01/2006

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