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You're going to be drowning in zucchini. I hope you have lots of friends to share it with. Good for you though, looks like fun 
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Mar 19, 2009 23:15
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Slung Blade posted:You're going to be drowning in zucchini. I hope you have lots of friends to share it with. Hahaha, be prepared for an onslaught of zucchini--this has been said a few times but it is really true. Google 'too much zucchini'. It is the topic of some really bad humor. I've baked mass amounts of zucchini bread and forced it on random people like a twisted June Cleaver. I'm thinking of sticking with one plant or maybe two this year, unless I find a soup kitchen or something that accepts produce (or baked goods) donations. Oh, and Early Girl means just that, it will mature early. It will produce fruit before the others do, around 50-60 days instead of the normal 80ish for most tomatoes. Those leaves on the tomato plants are cotyledons. They will sort of wither and the true leaves will appear, on a tomato they have jagged edges and are more pointed. That is when you need to first start feeding.
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Mar 20, 2009 00:18
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HeatherChandler posted:Hahaha, be prepared for an onslaught of zucchini--this has been said a few times but it is really true. Google 'too much zucchini'. It is the topic of some really bad humor. I've baked mass amounts of zucchini bread and forced it on random people like a twisted June Cleaver. I'm thinking of sticking with one plant or maybe two this year, unless I find a soup kitchen or something that accepts produce (or baked goods) donations. Um... quote:I asked the woman how much zucchini she had. Eighteen bushels was her reply. After recovering from my shock, I asked why she had planted so much zucchini. She answered that it was her first year for a garden and she had planted 10 hills of zucchini. I have enough to make 20 or 25 hills assuming 3 plants per hill. Holy gently caress. Maybe I won't plant this other variety, although it looks cooler than the hybrid. I guess it technically doesn't matter, if I can't use it all or even give it away it'll just rot and go back in the ground. It wouldn't be there if I hadn't planted it. I'm still waiting to wake up one morning and all of these seedling to be dead or something. When do tomato seedlings really take off compared to these little bean sprout looking things they are now?
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Mar 20, 2009 00:40
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Well, apparantly August 8th is National Sneak Some Zucchini on your Neighbor's Porch Night, so you can always be that guy. You can always eat the blossoms; each blossom you eat a zucchini is never born. The winter squash gets planted at the same time, only harvested later once the rind is hardened. Those keep ages so they aren't as hard to get rid of, you can use them up during the winter. For the tomatoes, true leaves will start about two weeks from when they first come up , looks like they've been up for nearly a week?
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Mar 20, 2009 05:09
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They've been up for about 5 days I think. I was afraid the plants weren't getting enough light (In fact I know they weren't) so I went to Lowes and bought a couple cheap plug in shop lights and a case of not so cheap Sylvania "Sunstick" full spectrum bulbs. Also found a use for my HD-DVD's.
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Mar 20, 2009 05:57
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ChaoticSeven posted:green thumb you never knew you had You will have WAY too much zucchini, as already has been said. Apart from how much each plant produces, the plants themselves get huge! Imagine a bush 4 feet wide by 3 feet tall. Now multiply that by the 72 you started... You're right about kohlrabi being weird-looking. They kind of look like turnips if they grew above the ground. Has anyone ever seen a veggie that looks like Sputnik?  Click here for the full 1088x814 image. Also, either unplug those lights at night or put them on a timer. Plants need dark too to rest.
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Mar 20, 2009 06:22
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Things are sprouting, I'm so excited! I can see a few leek seedlings just peeking out, and my garlic is just starting too... although it looks like something (squirrel?) tried to dig it up.heather posted:You can always eat the blossoms; each blossom you eat a zucchini is never born.
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Mar 20, 2009 20:43
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madlilnerd posted:That sounds like something out of immensely creepy sci-fi regarding abortionist aliens. OK then, let's go for another flower bud you've probably eaten. You like broccoli, right? edit: should we start a new thread for planting non-crop plants, or keep this one? It is the time of year to be planting those too. I would gladly field those questions. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Mar 20, 2009 |
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Mar 20, 2009 22:25
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Got all my seeds planted in a float tray this afternoon. I started carrots, pole beans, snap peas, cucumbers, watermelon and honeydew melon. I'm waiting on my kohlrabi and onion starts to arrive. Strawberry plants should arrive mid-April. I still have to finish stacking the landscaping stones for my raised bed and put in the compost and lime. I'm also thinking about getting/building a weather station to broadcast data on the web, and maybe pair it with a webcam. It's probably not a practical tool for a home garden, but sounds like fun.
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Mar 20, 2009 22:44
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StoolBot posted:lime. Don't go overboard with that stuff, pure lime is VERY alkaline and can drastically raise soil pH. It will be a huge pain in the rear end to lower it again if you go too far. Basically, follow the instructions on the bag to the letter, i.e. figure out your current pH, measure out how big your garden is and do the math to figure out EXACTLY how much you need. You will be sorry if you just 'guess' how much you need, especially for how small most backyard gardens are.
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Mar 20, 2009 23:39
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kid sinister posted:Don't go overboard with that stuff, pure lime is VERY alkaline and can drastically raise soil pH. It will be a huge pain in the rear end to lower it again if you go too far. Basically, follow the instructions on the bag to the letter, i.e. figure out your current pH, measure out how big your garden is and do the math to figure out EXACTLY how much you need. You will be sorry if you just 'guess' how much you need, especially for how small most backyard gardens are. I haven't looked into how much I need yet. My dad and the guy at Southern States said that I needed the lime to balance out the pure compost. Is that right? Edit: For background, this compost is horse manure and straw from mucking stalls that's been sitting for about 6-7 years. GETCHA PAPER UP fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Mar 21, 2009 |
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Mar 21, 2009 00:30
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If it's been sitting for that long you probably shouldn't have to add anything with it, provided it was composted right... Also keep in mind that most plants prefer slightly acid soil. Testing your soil is a good idea, but bee careful with pH tests, homeowner/colorimetric tests can be inaccurate and misleading. You can send a soil sample to be tested for a small fee, usually via your state university, and it will be much more accurate, with recommendations included. You can also choose to test other aspects of the soil.
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Mar 21, 2009 02:48
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Grilled zuchini. Zuchini Gratin. Zuchini bread. Stuffed baked zuchini. Zuchini fries (batter french fry shaped strips of zuchini, deep fry) Zuchini onions and garlic stir fry. (you'll still have way too much zuchini) Just planted my two flats of 72 peat pots. Now, I need to see if the Freecycle people will come through with my requests for free poo poo for my square foot garden boxes. Come on now, some of you out there have some lumber you don't need...
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Mar 21, 2009 15:34
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kid sinister posted:edit: should we start a new thread for planting non-crop plants, or keep this one? It is the time of year to be planting those too. I would gladly field those questions. While I personally don't understand why you would want to grow something you can't eat, I'd say this tread is fine.
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Mar 21, 2009 18:01
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My tomatoes came up today, and I got so excited I made a chart in Excel to keep track of when each crop needs to be sown, hardened, and transplanted, including things I do successionally like bush beans and lettuce. I can hardly stop myself from constantly fussing and poking at them. I think I might go get another batch of compost and dig some more. I can't be the only one with really bad spring fever.
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Mar 21, 2009 20:02
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HeatherChandler posted:My tomatoes came up today, and I got so excited I made a chart in Excel to keep track of when each crop needs to be sown, hardened, and transplanted, including things I do successionally like bush beans and lettuce. I can hardly stop myself from constantly fussing and poking at them. I think I might go get another batch of compost and dig some more. I had it when I woke up this morning but hand tilling about 100 sq ft of rocky soil did it in for the day. Unfortunately, I'm sure the fever will be back tomorrow and I'll end up redoing the entire front garden with the intention of doing herbs or something. My poor back... 
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Mar 21, 2009 21:40
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Anubis posted:My poor back... Yeah, I hear that. I had to shovel all the dirt out of my 4'x 8' raised garden then back in again. Let this be a lesson to anyone using a weed barrier on a raised bet - wrap the barrier underneath the frame and up the outside, not the inside. Grass and weeds WILL come through between the barrier and the frame.
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Mar 22, 2009 00:25
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:: sigh :: Many of my starts have died. I placed some of them outside overnight, trusting the weather report, and a snap frost killed off a lot of my seedlings. And the lack of sunlight isn't helping any of the plants I kept inside. I think that, without a grow light, I won't be able to keep many of my plants going for too long. Sad sad. I may hunt around for a grow light, but that may end up meaning that I'll grow fewer plants at a time until our "actual" growing season starts... which isn't until May, pretty much.
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Mar 24, 2009 15:48
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jovial_cynic posted:And the lack of sunlight isn't helping any of the plants I kept inside. I think that, without a grow light, I won't be able to keep many of my plants going for too long. Sad sad. I may hunt around for a grow light, but that may end up meaning that I'll grow fewer plants at a time until our "actual" growing season starts... which isn't until May, pretty much. A big shop light is like $20 from home depot. The hardware to hang it above your plants should be less than $40 depending on what you have on hand. Florescent lamps grow seedlings just fine, in my limited experience. My tomatoes and peppers aren't dead yet, at any rate. The way electricity costs are out here, my lamps cost me less than $0.10 a day to run.
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Mar 24, 2009 17:05
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Zuph posted:A big shop light is like $20 from home depot. The hardware to hang it above your plants should be less than $40 depending on what you have on hand. Florescent lamps grow seedlings just fine, in my limited experience. My tomatoes and peppers aren't dead yet, at any rate. This is the right idea. Get yourself a simple 2 or 4 bulb florescent shop light on the cheap. Get a standalone one with a power cord and chains to hang it, not one to mount to a ceiling. Get one that takes 4 foot T12 bulbs. You should be able to find growing bulbs in 4 foot T12 in many hardware stores. I've seen grow bulbs in both of the big hardware stores: Home Depot and Lowes. You might also want to pick up an electric timer too if you're lazy, one that takes a 3 prong plug. Again, you can get these at hardware stores, but they might be considered a seasonal item as they're usually used for Christmas lights.
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Mar 24, 2009 17:54
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I got my lights from Lowes. Two bulb, 4 feet, $10 a pop. They didn't have bulbs labeled "grow bulb" or anything, and they only sold the Sylvania Sunstick full spectrum bulbs by the case (10) for $30. Still, it was worth it because they seem to be working great. I think I hosed up planting both my thyme and oregano. Example:  Not sure how to unfuck that mess. Also, the zucchini and squash continue to develop at an alarming rate. I'll be putting them out at the beginning of next week once the torrential rains stop and the ground dries out enough to work up an area.  Edit:Looking back at my post 4 days ago squash are some kind of crazy super mutant plant. I wish my tomato seedlings grew like that. Also I think I'm going to try and grow some giant pumpkins and squash and poo poo. The giant pumpkin seeds aren't difficult to find, but I don't see many or any references on how to grow or where to obtain giant strains of yellow or zucchini squash and the like. Google "world record squash" for a mind gently caress. I'd especially like to grow the horribly ugly warty phallic zucchini reminiscent the Asian lady is posing with. Another Edit: Also I now want to make a small knot garden thing with herbs but I'm not sure which herbs to use to get the best contrast and are also semi low growing and don't look like crap with you trim them, which is inevitable because it's all about the details. ChaoticSeven fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Mar 25, 2009 |
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Mar 25, 2009 03:55
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Well, I've had less than stellar success with my sprouts. There was a cold spell 2 days after I planted them and I think I left them too close to the kitchen window where it's kinda drafty. Well; 1 bean and 1 zucchini plant nutted up and sprouted anyway (along with many of the spices: chives, basil, and oregano in this pic, coriander a few days later):  I hear everyone talking about "hardening"... but all my plant pots are in use so I went with the more direct approach (I figure these are the Rambo from the seeds I planted so they can take it):  After my first failure I'm going to get another tray and try again on zucchini and beans; maybe also do tomatoes (texas has a long growing season right? I hope can get away with being late...). The spices I'm waiting to transplant till they get a little bigger; those will be occupying the south end of my little plot.
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Mar 25, 2009 04:39
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^^^ The way they fell over, it looks like it could be damping off. How much have you been watering, and do they get any air circulation? A drafty window shouldn't kill seedlings, once they have germinated it is safe to keep them cooler as long as it is indoors and no below 50 or so in your house. Edit again, I reread, if they haven't germinated at all yet they need to be warmer. It would be wise to keep seperate types of plant seperate so that you can put them in different places. Stuff that takes longer will need to be kept warm longer, while stuff that is quick needs it cooler and sunny. Plus then you can harden plants off without using another pot, you shouldnt have to. I'd probably just take some heavy scissors and cut that flat into four. And yes, Texas (especially further south) has an enviable growing season. jovial_cynic posted::: sigh :: Like everyone said, you can do it a lot cheaper with just an all-purpose flourescent fixture. From what I've read you can either use just cool flourescents or a combination of warm and cool, instead of even shelling out for the full spectrums (if it is just for seedlings, and not for an all-year indoor garden). I am the real cheapskate, I keep my seedlings on a table that gets filtered sunlight most of the day, and have some cfls in reflector clamp worklights on them. I just bury the stems of my spindly tomatoes. I keep saying I'll rig something proper up one day but I honestly wouldn't trust myself to put together an Ikea spice rack. It works as long as I edit myself, and stop trying to support 60 tomato seedlings when I only have room to transplant 10 anyway. Unrelated, I am retarded and bought a mixed pack of hot pepper seeds, only to realize that they are identical and I couldn't tell them apart. So my master plan was to plant a bunch, and then write down the dates that they sprouted. I've always heard that the hotter the variety the longer it takes to germinate--I figured I'd keep one plant from each time period that they sprouted. I woke up this morning and they were all up at once. Other than waiting for fruit to set, is there any way to tell the difference? From pictures the leaves all seem identical, I was wondering if there was any subtle differences in the flowers to look for, maybe? I'd just plant them all and dry what I don't use, but gently caress this space issue. I've been making little drawings obsessively trying to shoehorn everything I know I can't fit. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Mar 25, 2009 |
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Mar 25, 2009 05:03
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I wouldn't give up on the rest of the zucchini or beans. I pulled several out that hadn't done anything since I planted. The rest were all gigantic and those hadn't even sprouted. Today out of the dozen or so I pulled out of the trays for better spacing, 10 had broken ground even though the peat things were bone dry and light as a feather. Throw some heat at them.
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Mar 25, 2009 05:03
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Goddammit, I finally sowed my courgette and pumpkin seeds in a seed tray outdoors, and something dug them up 3 or 4 hours later. I'm so cross, they didn't even eat the seeds, just moved them around and muddled them all up. I bet it was my brother. In other news, I think I might have planted my garlic too close together. The leeks have continued to germinate, but no sign from the peas. I think I'll have to try again with the pumpkin and courgette indoors, but my mum's junk is all over the place so I can't get to the windowsill easily downstairs.
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Mar 25, 2009 09:56
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A note about lights: You may be able to find some cheap metal halide fixtures with bulbs from businesses closing down/updating their lighting. They can be had for like $20 (including bulb) where I live.
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Mar 25, 2009 13:50
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A notice to those in the midwest with failed tomato plant germination like me. Your local hardware store likely either got their first shipment or will receive their first shipment of plants this week. I just picked up 5 tomato plants in 3 varieties, unfortunately the store I went to didn't have any roma plants yet so I guess I'm making a 2nd trip next week. Of course if you check out my attached picture I'm not going to be able to put them outside for close to a month, but I always like extra large tomato plants since you can bury them so deep and give them a solid root system.
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Mar 25, 2009 19:32
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I posted this in the gardening megathread, but maybe you all have some other advice: Hey guys! I need some advice on my new garden I have a pretty large yard for a rented place. I plan on living there for several years, so I figured I'll just plant stuff right in the soil. The yard was horribly overgrown with weeds, so I spend all yesterday tearing them out (and I am insanely sore today). This morning I started tilling. I found some worms and grubs in the dirt which I think it a good sign it's fairly fertile. I was afraid living in Tucson Arizona (Zone 8?) that it would be all clay or sand. The guy who lived here before me had been trying to make a lawn and apparently fertilized the heck out of it, so maybe that helped (his lawn failed because he didn't bury his grass seed and birds ate it, not because the soil sucks). I did buy a big bag of organic compost to stir in for good measure. Here is my yard as it stands:  Click here for the full 750x669 image. and here is my plan for the garden setup:  Click here for the full 750x669 image. The back of the house (where the sliding glass door and cement slab are) has a little overhang and I thought I could hang tomato plants from one side and put a little green house for starting seeds under the other side. I was hoping that would keep it from getting too much direct sun. It get's really hot here and I don't want the sun to bake them! Any advice/critique of my layout would be highly appreciated. Along with AZ growing advice in general and what plants are more likely to thrive or need extra help to grow. Thanks!
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Mar 25, 2009 19:47
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Alright, those hanging tomato plants need full sun, so putting them on the west side of your house isn't going to work. If you are even a little unsure about your soil just remove the corn, it takes an insane amount of nutrients to grow corn so while it is kind of fun, you won't actually produce much of anything if you don't have black Nebraska soil. Just for reference, my dark black rich (but slightly rocky) soil in Kansas only got me half a dozen decent sized ears out of 20+ full grown plants. Be careful about what you plant to the west of the house, use only partial sun plants there. Other then that, your mini green house likely will need some artificial light to help out nature, depending on what you are doing with it, see the discussion above on cheap florescent lighting.
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Mar 25, 2009 20:28
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Also, corn does better planted in large squares because it is wind pollinated, unless you want to have a go at hand pollination. You could save a small spot on the west side of the house where it is partially shaded for having a go at lettuce and spinach in the summer when it can't withstand the heat (otherwise you are restricted to spring and fall, especially somewhere as hot as AZ). I think Tucson is actually zone 9. If you are planning on doing English/Garden peas and not like a southern pea or something scrap it until fall or next year. In zone 8 and 9 they need to be started in January. You might be able to do a fall crop of them though, not sure. They can withstand light frost, but won't produce over 75 degrees, so they need to be mature and harvested before that. I do love how you designed it landscaped and worked in more like a modern potager than just a patch. With a design like that you could look into companion planting in the borders and really make it beautiful with stuff like Marigolds that are supposed to be all natural pest control. I'm jealous. Anubis, how early do you set out your tomatoes? It seems so early for zone 5/6. I am in 6 and haven't planned to set out tomatoes until early May, preferably with no reliable dips below 50. I'm just curious, am I overly cautious? HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Mar 25, 2009 |
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Mar 25, 2009 21:22
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HeatherChandler posted:Anubis, how early do you set out your tomatoes? It seems so early for zone 5/6. I am in 6 and haven't planned to set out tomatoes until early May, preferably with no reliable dips below 50. I'm just curious, am I overly cautious? April 15th is my counties average last frost date. So, if the 10 day forecast looks good I try and plant on the weekend of or following the 15th. If worse comes to worst you can always use black plastic to prevent frosting overnight.
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Mar 25, 2009 21:57
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Becktastic posted:layout advice? How tall is that fence? What kind is it? Does it let much light through? Unless you needed a forklift to move that one bag of compost, you'll need more than one bag to really make a difference with a garden that big.
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Mar 25, 2009 22:53
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kid sinister posted:Uhh, this is the gardening megathread... It's like 6-7' I think (not at home to measure) and wooden. The wood slats are butted up together so little light comes through. How many bags do you think I should buy? Do you think my current ground is that unacceptable? I'm also starting a worm bin for my own compost, but obviously I won't have anything usable for a while. Anubis, My hanging tomatoes will get afternoon sun. I figured that would be better. Full sun is like standing at the gates of hell. In the words of a friend (who was mostly joking but still...) "You are gardening in Arizona, so you need to make adjustments. If it says it likes sun, you are going to have to put it in the shade. If it says it likes shade, grow it in complete darkness." If they look unhealthy hanging from the eave, I can move them to full sun, but I would need to find something to hang them from. Yeah, I already bought my corn before reading all the horror stories. At least now I can condition myself to accept failure and be thrilled if I get even one ear. I got a good amount of my seeds from these people: http://www.nativeseeds.org/ so hopefully they will grow well, this being their homeland.
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Mar 25, 2009 23:19
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A 40 lb bag of compost typically covers about 9 sq ft an inch high. Most guides say to dig in 2-4 inches in. Depends on your soil though. Everything won't neccessarily die, just might not thrive and give maximum production. I don't do that much, I ended up doing 800 lb for my 100 sq footish plot and called it a day. I feel like I should have done twice that. What I did last year is dig holes about 4 times the size of my transplant, throw in half garden soil and half compost to fill 3/4 then the transplant, like a pot dug into the ground. My mother-in-law taught me that, not sure how 'correct' it is but it seems to work ok. I don't know much about gardening in a really hot area, but mulching helps with water retention. It might be worth looking into light shade cloth for the hottest part of the summer. Tomato pollen goes sterile in the 90s so it doesn't hurt to have some protection for them available--being able to move them seems ideal. Just hang them in full sun untill it gets to those temperatures and then move them. When you buy greens seeds look out for bolt resistant varieties unless you want to be limited to spring and fall. I bought local seed for the first time this year. I used https://www.localharvest.org. The farm closest so me that had what I was looking for was really wonderful and prompt and gave me awesome advice on varieties and how they perform in the area and stuff, which was really cool for what amounts to a 10 dollar sale.
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Mar 26, 2009 06:01
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Becktastic posted:This thread will fight you for the title: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3081101 Oh, we'll take that bitch out like a freak late spring freeze. quote:How many bags do you think I should buy? Do you think my current ground is that unacceptable? Without some kind of soil analysis there really isn't any way to know if and how much help it needs. If it does need a lot of work you might need as much as an inch or two across all your beds. quote:Anubis, My hanging tomatoes will get afternoon sun. I figured that would be better. Full sun is like standing at the gates of hell. In the words of a friend (who was mostly joking but still...) "You are gardening in Arizona, so you need to make adjustments. If it says it likes sun, you are going to have to put it in the shade. If it says it likes shade, grow it in complete darkness." If they look unhealthy hanging from the eave, I can move them to full sun, but I would need to find something to hang them from. I've never lived in a zone 8 so it's possible. I guess just be aware of it and be ready to make adjustments as necessary. I'd guess that they would likely be better off with the morning sun and shade from the afternoon heat, but like I said never done it in your area before. quote:Yeah, I already bought my corn before reading all the horror stories. At least now I can condition myself to accept failure and be thrilled if I get even one ear. I got a good amount of my seeds from these people: http://www.nativeseeds.org/ so hopefully they will grow well, this being their homeland. You might have some luck with that corn but I'm going to guess that unless you are grinding it to make home made tortillas it will end up making better bird food then anything else. Honestly, since you already have the seed it won't do any harm to try it out, just be sure that next planting season you remember to use some organic fertilizer and mulch in that area since a lot of the nutrients will likely be sucked up.
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Mar 26, 2009 07:19
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What is this zone witchcraft you speak of? I can't find my courgette seeds. I'll have to buy some more.
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Mar 26, 2009 07:56
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Okay guys, horrible shady area next to a massive conifer tree and my neighbours 4ft fence. I've dug out most of the brambles and removed a ton of roots, and will finish this at the weekend. There were lots of bulbs (most likely bluebell) that I've removed to replant later. The problem is, it's very rocky soil. It's where the builders dumped some rubble after they did our extension. 1) What can I grow there apart from replanted bulbs? 2) Will anything edible grow in shade. I have a feeling I'm going to have to shimmy up that conifer with a folding saw at the weekend. See you in The Goon Doctor when this all goes horribly wrong.
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Mar 26, 2009 12:09
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I've always been interested in having a large veg and herb garden but have been stuck in an apartment my whole adult life. I just purchased a house with an acre or so of land and I was hoping to set aside a 500 sqft or so patch for these purposes. The land gets lots of sun, but it is also quite exposed to the elements. I am pretty much on the ocean, about 500 meters from the actual shore though and quite a bit higher (not good with measurements but I'd guess the lot is about 100ft above sea level). There isn't a lot of topsoil as the area is mostly rocky with alders all over, but I was going to have a bunch trucked in for this. Is there any point in this endeavor or am I destined for failure due to my proximity to the ocean?
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Mar 26, 2009 14:36
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Cakefool posted:What is this zone witchcraft you speak of? http://www.garden.org/zipzone/ We use zones to determine which plants and specific breeds work best in our area and it also determines how long your growing season is. Obviously what works in Texas may not work as well in Minnesota. Most store bought seeds will also tell you when to plant based on your zone, which is that weird looking map on the back. madlilnerd posted:Okay guys, horrible shady area next to a massive conifer tree and my neighbours 4ft fence. I've dug out most of the brambles and removed a ton of roots, and will finish this at the weekend. There were lots of bulbs (most likely bluebell) that I've removed to replant later. First off, be willing to put in some work with a bow rake to get some of those rocks out. It will take you awhile and you'll likely always have slightly rocky soil but if you work it into your garden prep schedule every year you can eventually win out. Now, how shady are we talking here? No light ever or do they get a little during the morning/evening? If they get absolutely no sun I'm at a loss for edible things that can grow. If they get at lest a couple hours a day you do have some options. What zone are you in? (see above link) Spinach could work but it will need a few inches of compost and a nitrogen rich soil, so some organic/food safe garden fertilizer might also need to be applied depending on the soil. Leaf variety lettuce and salad greens might work as well, if you get at least a few hours a day of full and a few as partial. That's all I can come up with right now, hopefully someone else has some ideas that is a little more exciting.
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Mar 26, 2009 14:42
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I'm in south east England so zoning doesn't apply. We have a temperate climate, similar to Seattle. It rains a lot. The soil is very fertile. Highs of about 25 degrees C in summer. And it's really really shading. All that's been growing there for the past 5 years is ivy and brambles and bluebells (which act as carpeting in woodland, so really don't need much light). I'm definitely going to have to shimmy up that tree with a saw, but it's scheduled to rain for the next 2 weeks 
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Mar 26, 2009 20:07
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