Worth's Octopuses Garden in the Shade.

[Worth1]

Just so I dont break the rules by not putting tomato and pepper plants in it later I will.
But for now I have a little shady area that gets pretty good sun in the mild winter and spring.
As the summer comes on the leaves come out and shade it more.
I have no idea how well this is going to work but if I even get sub par plants out of it I will be happy.
I think the tree cutting is going to help some.
Besides it is wasted space.
In this area I have planted lettuce, carrots, radishes, beets, cabbage, cilantro, parsnips and soon to be radicchio.
The area is about 12X23.
One thing I have noticed it the wild varieties of plants the grow here do very well without me even watering them.
This includes Queen Ann's Lace (kin to the carrot) and wild lettuce.'
The clover also does well in the area and has grown here for years.
It is a thick layer of decomposed leaves and sandy loam on top of clay.

So far the radishes have sprouted and today I planted the cabbage beets and cilantro seeds
I might even stick a New Big Dwarf plant in there and see how it does.
I can protect one plant from freezing if need be.
Worth

[Worth1]

Pictures.
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[cjp1953]

That's bigger than my garden.Mine is 12"X 14".Great looking spot next to the house.Not to mention that my water spicket is on the opposite side of my house.I need two fifty foot hoses.

[AlittleSalt]

Worth, I've read that rhubarb grows well in shaded areas. I have never eaten rhubarb, but I've read that people make pies with it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by cjp1953

That's bigger than my garden.Mine is 12"X 14".Great looking spot next to the house.Not to mention that my water spicket is on the opposite side of my house.I need two fifty foot hoses.

Thanks I have a spigot in the fenced in area plus just around the corner of the house is my main line for my under ground sprinkler system coming from the back flow preventer along with the conduit and wires for valves and so on I installed for future use.
The reason the soil looks so weed free is it always has a deep layer of leaves on it.
I dont have to put them there the trees do it for me.
To the left of the pictuer is the compost pile everything goes in.
The soil is so loose you dont need to till.

Worth

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Worth, I've read that rhubarb grows well in shaded areas. I have never eaten rhubarb, but I've read that people make pies with it.

Salt from my experience with the pepper patch and how well it did it was in a shady area a lot of the time too.
I grew up on rhubarb and dont care for it to me it is too sour.
I know you like sour stuff you might give it a try it is very easy to grow.
This place gets sun all winter long till about 3 in the after noon.
I just haven't been around to take care of it and deal with everything else I had going on in my life.
Right bellow this are two terraces that need mending and utilized I need to get the Irises out of them.


Worth

[Dutch]

"Worth's Octopuses Garden in the Shade" Cool name Worth!
I like rhubarb fresh, sprinkled with a little salt. It sometimes makes the hair on my fore arms stand up. I wish I had some now. The bottom 2/3 is the best. The top 1/3 and leave gets thrown in the compost pile.
Dutch

[Spike2]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Worth, I've read that rhubarb grows well in shaded areas. I have never eaten rhubarb, but I've read that people make pies with it.

Be glad! Nasty stuff. Now I have family that love the stuff. Strawberry rhubarb pie is a biggie. Perfectly good way to ruin strawberries. Mom would boil the nasty stuff in water with a bit of sugar. You would get a bowl of soupy glop for dessert. bleh! Sorry mini rant there.

My one Old Uncle used to grow it against the side of his garage. It got the morning sun and grew like crazy! Seemed to like morning sun and slightly moist ground. (Once he passed my cousin came and dug it all out . . . he hated the stuff also lol.)

[KarenO]

Rhubarb is a northern garden staple. A sure sign of spring up here and one of the first usable garden treats each year. Hardy and reliable, you would like my rhubarb meringue pie, it's awesome

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Spike2

Be glad! Nasty stuff. Now I have family that love the stuff. Strawberry rhubarb pie is a biggie. Perfectly good way to ruin strawberries. Mom would boil the nasty stuff in water with a bit of sugar. You would get a bowl of soupy glop for dessert. bleh! Sorry mini rant there.

My one Old Uncle used to grow it against the side of his garage. It got the morning sun and grew like crazy! Seemed to like morning sun and slightly moist ground. (Once he passed my cousin came and dug it all out . . . he hated the stuff also lol.)

Yep! Grows great on the east side of my house. The boiled stuff in water with a bit of sugar that my mom made was great in the morning on cereal. Strawberry rhubarb pies, tortes, and cakes are all great, but upside down strawberry rhubarb cake without the strawberries is my favorite.
Dutch

[Dutch]

A common saying around here in the spring is, "Do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb".
Dutch

[Gardeneer]

That is a big garden by ny standard. Make a walkway in the middle and beds on the side.
Good location for cool/shade crops. Lots of possibilities.

Gardeneer

[cjp1953]

[QUOTE=Worth1;525412]Thanks I have a spigot in the fenced in area plus just around the corner of the house is my main line for my under ground sprinkler system coming from the back flow preventer along with the conduit and wires for valves and so on I installed for future use.
The reason the soil looks so weed free is it always has a deep layer of leaves on it.
I dont have to put them there the trees do it for me.
To the left of the pictuer is the compost pile everything goes in.
The soil is so loose you dont need to till.

Worth[/Looks like you mulched the leaves,I don't till but use a garden fork to turn my soil.It getting hard on me as I get older with my bad knees but I have so many fat worms that I don't want to harm.I thought about putting leaves on that I would mow first and spread 5 or 6 inches thick this past fall but ended putting hairy vetch in and now I have a thick crop in that I will mow and turn over in the spring.Maybe in the fall I'll try the leaves.

[Worth1]

The area is kind of a hit or miss spot.
Sometimes the leaves dont fall until late in the winter.
The leaves have to fall before I can plant anything.
At about the same time the leaves fall millions of seeds come showering down out of the trees.
In the spring there are millions of baby trees sprouting.
Then there are the millions of snails that live under the leaves.
I found out the hard way last spring to not mulch with leaves as crazy as that may sound.
Not knowing it I hauled hundreds of snails and slugs into my raised beds and gave them a home to live under.
At night in the spring here every step you take is crunch crunch crunch stepping on snails.

If the garden spot turns into a slug and snail factory and wont grow anything I will just have to go with plan B and put in a screened in covered deck to sit on.
Worth

[Gardeneer]

Slugs, Snails ?? Bad news. They love shade and wetness.
We have perfect weather for them slugs. Fighting them is an uphill battle. Especially with veggies, when they are small. You have to kill them (one way or the other) to reduce population ;
bait, bamboo skewer, salt shaker, beer(that is fancy ), nylon tulle...
I will try some bread yeast in water, to see if they are attracted to its smell.
Gardeneer