What are the best veg for shady areas?
My allotment is overshaddowed by big trees in the summer - I'v only had it about 18 months, so I am still working out what works and what doesn't. last year it was incredibly wet, and not many of my crops did really well, and I'm not sure how much of this was due to the wet or the shade. Has anyone any ideas about what are the best things to plant in the shadier areas?
Thanks
Sue
hi sue , i had the same problem for a few years through the plot next door with two large hawthorn tree,s one of which had five trunks ,fortunatley i was able to remove them when the plot became vacant. well last year was the same for most sites due to the wet season it became worse when thw blight came wiping out all our spuds and tomato,s but most things are dependant on as much sunlight as possible so you are in a pickle ,there is always things that grow in shade but they are better in sunlight. if possible ask around on your plot if there is any way you can get help or info about pruning any overlapping branches in order to give you more light ,and remember large tree,s need heaps of water to survive so they will be helping to keep your soil from becomming waterlogged. hope this has been of some help to you best wishes for the comming season bob
I had the same problem as well. Veg you overwinter seems to do fine used to grow plenty of broad beans, onions and garlic. Shallots always done alright as well. We now just fill the whole garden with rhubarb which seems to thrive in a bit of shade. The sad thing is the soil in that part of the garden was always the best we had on our farm( most probs cause of all the leaves) but we wasn't allowed to cut any of the trees that surrounded and most of them were pratically bare at the bottom and and bushy at the top and there was no way im climbing up a giant ash tree to prune it. i did have a mag with a artical in it with the best varieties to grow in shaded positions i shall try to find it and write it in.