Gardening in Shade and Solving Your Garden Maintenance Problems - Ep. 196

[00:00:00] I hear from a lot of frustrated would-be gardeners at the farmers market stand who say they just don't have enough sun in their yard to be able to grow anything.

[00:00:10] Of course, they can always go to maximum effort by growing in smaller containers and just moving them around the yard as the season progresses to catch the light as the sun shifts, but that's a lot of work.

[00:00:20] But it's also very possible that many of these potential gardeners have more sun than they think.

[00:00:26] And this goes for my gardeners who are apartment dwellers or who live in condos with only a patio or balcony space to grow on.

[00:00:33] You might be able to grow more than you think, and there actually are a selection of vegetables, fruits, and herbs that will do just fine in part sun and others that will tolerate it if you have a little patience with them.

[00:00:46] Today on Just Grow Something, we're going to define full sun, part sun, part shade, and shade.

[00:00:53] So you have a better idea of what is actually possible in some areas of your yard, and then we'll go over the choices available if you truly do have less than full sun.

[00:01:02] Plus, we'll go over your answers to the April question of the month and explore how we can solve some of the most common garden maintenance struggles you and I both have.

[00:01:12] Let's dig in!

[00:01:13] Hey, I'm Karen. I started gardening in a small corner of my suburban backyard, and now 18 years later, I've got a degree in horticulture and operate a 40-acre market farm.

[00:01:22] I believe there is power in food and that everyone should know how to grow at least a little bit of their own.

[00:01:28] On this podcast, I share evidence-based techniques to help you plant, grow, harvest, and store all your family's favorites.

[00:01:34] Consider me your friend in the garden. So grab your garden journal and a cup of coffee and get ready to just grow something.

[00:01:50] Let's jump into the answers to the April question of the month.

[00:01:54] What have you struggled with the most in terms of garden maintenance and did you find a solution?

[00:02:00] I think all but one of these answers came from the Facebook group, and we will start with the answer from Kelly Monahan.

[00:02:07] She says, plant nutrients are by far my biggest struggle.

[00:02:12] I'm hoping to find a way this year to help me remember what I need to do and when I need to do it.

[00:02:18] Thank you for sharing Kelly. That is a big one for a lot of gardeners.

[00:02:23] If I have a specific nutrient that needs to be fed at a specific interval,

[00:02:30] so for example, a nitrogen amendment for my onions where I'm supposed to feed them every three weeks until they start to bulb,

[00:02:37] well then I put it on the calendar when I plant that crop.

[00:02:41] That way it makes it onto my task list for the week regardless of what other craziness is going on in the gardens.

[00:02:49] But part of this too is knowing what to feed which plants.

[00:02:54] So in general terms, when we're trying to encourage leafy growth,

[00:02:59] we want the plants to have access to adequate nitrogen.

[00:03:02] When we're encouraging flowering and fruiting,

[00:03:06] we focus less on nitrogen and more on phosphorus and potassium.

[00:03:10] So some of the flowering and fruiting plants that we want to have nice foliage to protect the fruit like the tomatoes and the peppers

[00:03:18] are going to rely on nitrogen early on and then draw more on the phosphorus and the potassium later on in their growing cycle.

[00:03:27] So your best bet is to take a soil test in the spring to understand what is actually in the soil

[00:03:33] and what is lacking and then go from there.

[00:03:36] If the plants are going to need a boost of all three nutrients,

[00:03:39] then a balanced fertilizer with equal amounts of all three nutrients at the beginning of the season might be the best bet.

[00:03:46] And then supplementing later with specific amendments targeting the plant's stage of growth

[00:03:52] might be needed if you start to see some deficiencies.

[00:03:55] For those really heavy feeders of specific nutrients like nitrogen for garlic and onions early on,

[00:04:02] then marking that feeding schedule on your calendar at the time of planting is actually going to be more effective.

[00:04:11] Next up, Cody Ruth said,

[00:04:15] Why oh why doesn't my husband hop to it when I tell him to put more up LOL?

[00:04:21] We used the biggest tomato cages we could find last year and after an evening of 60 to 100 mile per hour straight line winds

[00:04:30] and then in parentheses she says, sing it with me.

[00:04:35] Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.

[00:04:40] Thanks Cody.

[00:04:42] She says we used six foot tall one by twos to hold each of those mangled cages upright for the rest of the season.

[00:04:50] This year I purchased some old security screens for trellises but we have yet to get them installed where I need them

[00:04:57] and my tomatoes are currently hardening off.

[00:05:00] So being prepared ahead of time is absolutely key when it comes to trellising

[00:05:06] and a lot of the time it really is trial and error.

[00:05:09] We totally underestimated the necessity for solid trellises twice with our luffa plants.

[00:05:15] We're growing round three of the luffa this year and we still have yet to get the appropriate trellises secured and in place for the season.

[00:05:22] Trellises can be tricky, especially if you face those types of winds on a regular basis.

[00:05:28] That's what pulled our trellises for the luffa down the first year and we didn't even get them back up again.

[00:05:33] The plants just had to continue growing on the ground because they were just too darn heavy to heave back up into place.

[00:05:40] So for things like sweet potatoes and pole beans that need trellises but maybe aren't as heavy as the fruiting plants,

[00:05:50] almost anything is going to serve as a trellis.

[00:05:52] So long as it's secured into the ground and then maybe secured to each other, then it's usually fine.

[00:05:58] But when we get to things like tomatoes or cucumbers or winter squashes that bear heavy fruit

[00:06:05] and that continue to grow and produce all season long, my favorite trellis is hands down cattle panel or hog panel.

[00:06:14] So if you've not seen what these look like, they are five foot tall by 16 foot long panels

[00:06:21] and they're made of galvanized wire welded together in sort of a woven pattern where the wires are spaced about four to six inches apart.

[00:06:28] They're very sturdy because, duh, they're used to contain cattle.

[00:06:32] Hog panels are designed in the same way but they're shorter, they're usually only about three to four foot tall.

[00:06:38] You can use these in a couple of different ways.

[00:06:41] You can use tea posts driven into the ground to hold the panels up just like a section of fence as intended

[00:06:48] and then just plant your tomatoes or cucumbers or squash or whatever in front of them

[00:06:52] and then just tie them to the panels as they grow.

[00:06:55] Eventually the plants going to go up and over the panel and it's going to come down the other side.

[00:07:00] The alternative to this is to create a sort of a tunnel out of the panel

[00:07:05] by securing the short side to the ground with the tea posts and then bending the panel over

[00:07:09] so the long side creates a half moon shape or a tunnel shape

[00:07:14] and then securing the other short side of the panel to the ground.

[00:07:17] I hope I'm explaining that correctly.

[00:07:18] Do an internet search, you'll see what I mean.

[00:07:20] Both methods are very sturdy once they are secure.

[00:07:24] Now of course these panels aren't necessarily cheap but they are a one-time investment that is going to last for decades.

[00:07:30] Right now I think one panel in our area runs about $28 US.

[00:07:35] So if that's too rich for your budget or you're just starting out

[00:07:39] just using the tea posts as a stake and then tying the plant to it also works.

[00:07:45] Tomato cages work well for smaller plants, maybe not actually for tomatoes

[00:07:51] unless they are like a determinate tomato that doesn't put on a ton of foliage all season long.

[00:07:57] I have seen people create their own cages out of concrete mesh or reinforcement mesh

[00:08:03] which is definitely sturdier than your regular tomato cage.

[00:08:07] You can get creative but one of the keys to all of this is no matter what you're using to trellis your plants with

[00:08:14] you need to be ready early.

[00:08:16] It is very difficult to add cages later on once your plants get growing

[00:08:21] and if you're using stakes and trellising with string using one of those methods

[00:08:27] if you don't start early and keep up with it you can actually damage the plants when you're stringing them up.

[00:08:32] So whatever your trellising method is decide on it early, get your supplies gathered before you are ready to plant

[00:08:39] so that your plants don't suffer later on and you don't get frustrated with it.

[00:08:43] Thank you for sharing your frustration Cody and no more trying to get me to sing on air okay?

[00:08:48] Rich Flint said, I was struggling with keeping a good gardening journal.

[00:08:54] I tried a notebook with tabs for fruit trees, the food forest as well as the traditional vegetable garden

[00:09:00] but never actually logged anything in it.

[00:09:03] Then I tried an electronic journal on my phone, still failed to keep up with it.

[00:09:09] Then I tried the iPhone journal, nothing.

[00:09:12] Lastly I bought an 18 month business planner and has a space to list everything I planned at the beginning of each month

[00:09:20] as well as space to log important details on a daily basis.

[00:09:24] I keep it beside my chair and write in it almost daily with such things as rain, watering, fertilizing, when I planted

[00:09:33] and when said planting should be ready to harvest etc.

[00:09:37] I'm not sure why this worked where the others didn't.

[00:09:40] I'm just pleased I found a system that works for me.

[00:09:43] Today I was happy to write that I harvested the first of my green beans, four pounds, four ounces.

[00:09:49] Okay this makes my garden planning heart really happy to hear.

[00:09:53] I also struggled with how to keep track of what I needed to track

[00:09:57] and I also found that electronic means just weren't the way to go for me.

[00:10:02] It's not to say that I don't use my phone for notes while I'm outside, I do.

[00:10:06] I just use my notes app to annotate really quickly what it is that I'm observing

[00:10:11] or if I made a change of where something was planted versus where I'd originally mapped out for it to be planted

[00:10:18] but a paper version is where everything lives permanently and that is what I finally landed on.

[00:10:25] Now my garden journal is also my garden planner.

[00:10:29] I've kind of rolled it all into one and I'm going to age myself here.

[00:10:33] Does anybody remember Trapper Keepers?

[00:10:35] I don't know, I think I was in junior high maybe when these things were really popular.

[00:10:40] They're these big zippered binders that had all of these folders

[00:10:45] and all kinds of little cubbies in them and it was just the perfect place to literally keep all of your school papers.

[00:10:51] I went looking specifically for a Trapper Keeper when I finally sort of came up with how I wanted to keep my garden journal and my garden plan.

[00:11:01] I didn't find that particular brand but I did find something from,

[00:11:05] I'm looking at it now to see who makes it.

[00:11:08] Five Star is the brand and it is a zippered binder that has a spot for where I keep my graph paper

[00:11:17] which is what I use to create my garden maps.

[00:11:20] It's got a spot for a calendar.

[00:11:22] It has all my notations for what seeds I am running out of.

[00:11:27] My seed inventory is in there.

[00:11:29] All of my planting dates and everything is in there.

[00:11:32] Information about maybe things that I want to plant for next year.

[00:11:34] It's also got sheets in there for me to annotate things about the weather or bugs or whatever else it is that I'm seeing.

[00:11:39] It zips closed so I can take it out into the garden with me if I want to.

[00:11:44] Most time it just resides in my office right there next to my desk

[00:11:48] and I will take my notes on my phone while I'm outside and then come inside

[00:11:53] and sort of transfer it over into that permanent home.

[00:11:56] That has worked really, really well for me with the exception of the calendar.

[00:12:00] My calendar actually is larger than that.

[00:12:03] I use one of those desktop blotter ones so I have plenty of room to write things

[00:12:09] which just sits right there on my desk for constant reference.

[00:12:11] So kudos Rich for not giving up until you found something that works for you

[00:12:17] and hopefully this inspires everybody else to sort of keep looking

[00:12:20] if you haven't found a way that does work for you.

[00:12:23] One method doesn't necessarily have to be the end all be all.

[00:12:26] You don't have to be I'm only using my iPhone notes thing or whatever.

[00:12:32] I'm only using this online planner.

[00:12:34] Play around with different options and see if a combination of options might work for you.

[00:13:02] Next up we have Brittany McCormick.

[00:13:16] She said,

[00:13:17] Weeding, Fertilizing and Praying that I can keep up with my first garden journal this year.

[00:13:22] Using straw and leaves this year to cut down Weeding, fingers crossed, fertilizing.

[00:13:28] I'm still figuring that out but with the notes I've taken during your specific vegetable podcast

[00:13:34] and putting it on a spreadsheet, I'm hoping it will just click.

[00:13:38] Thanks for all that you've taught us listeners.

[00:13:41] Okay, yes, spreadsheets that makes my heart happy.

[00:13:44] Okay, this is a great idea for keeping track of the specific needs of the plant that you're growing

[00:13:50] especially if it needs a certain type of nutrient early on

[00:13:54] and then a change in the nutrients later.

[00:13:57] So sort of like the garlic and the onions we talked about.

[00:14:00] Now keep in mind though that most of our garden plants will do just fine

[00:14:05] with something that is balanced with an equal availability of all three major nutrients,

[00:14:10] nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

[00:14:12] Unless there is a real overabundance of a nutrient

[00:14:16] and the plant starts taking up way more than it needs,

[00:14:19] a balanced amendment is just fine.

[00:14:21] Again, if you do a soil test and you know what's available first

[00:14:25] this is also going to make it easier to know what to feed and when.

[00:14:29] If your soil is well amended with compost or aged manure or worm castings

[00:14:34] or other natural amendments that increase the soil organic matter

[00:14:39] at the same time it's providing nutrients,

[00:14:42] you may not need to fertilize at all during the growing season

[00:14:45] if it's not something with specific feeding needs.

[00:14:48] And a big thumbs up for using straw and leaves as a mulch to keep down the weeds.

[00:14:54] So not only are you helping choke out the weeds

[00:14:57] but that organic type of mulch will also slowly break down

[00:15:01] where it's in contact with the soil and add organic matter and nutrients.

[00:15:06] So I love these solutions Brittany, thank you for sharing.

[00:15:09] Tammy Ingalls said sticking to a fertilizer or water schedule

[00:15:14] or staying on top of treating for pest pressure

[00:15:17] and always struggling to stay on top of weeding.

[00:15:20] Keeping up with my garden journal.

[00:15:22] I do great in February, March and April but through the summer

[00:15:25] I am just surviving.

[00:15:27] Yes, I feel like this goes along with Rich

[00:15:30] and his struggle to find a proper journaling technique.

[00:15:33] My garden journal and my garden plan like I said

[00:15:36] are all rolled into one zippered binder

[00:15:39] that includes the calendar with any fertilizing requirements.

[00:15:43] So when I sit down at my desk on Sunday afternoon

[00:15:46] to plan out my week in my daily planner

[00:15:48] I look at that garden calendar

[00:15:51] and any tasks that are on that calendar for the week

[00:15:54] they always get put into my agenda during the week.

[00:15:57] That includes seed starting, transplanting, fertilizing

[00:16:01] spraying the tomatoes with copper spray to keep the diseases away

[00:16:05] maybe spraying beneficial nematodes near my fruit trees

[00:16:08] to take care of the grubs.

[00:16:09] Whatever it is was put on my calendar

[00:16:12] way back in January when I make my plan.

[00:16:15] That's when I have the time to sort of think about things.

[00:16:17] So that way when it comes to now

[00:16:20] it's already there as a task at this time of the season

[00:16:24] when I just don't have time to think about it.

[00:16:26] This is one of the techniques that I actually teach about

[00:16:29] in detail in my plan like a pro online course

[00:16:32] because it took me years to figure out

[00:16:36] how all of this could work together and work together well.

[00:16:40] So if you have ever wondered how we plant up to four acres of veggies

[00:16:45] and keep track of the interplantings and the succession crops

[00:16:49] and the feeding and the weeding and the trellising

[00:16:51] and still manage to get things harvested on time

[00:16:54] and cleaned and packed and prepped for market

[00:16:57] plus going to market plus making deliveries

[00:17:00] and it's just the two of us.

[00:17:02] Yeah, this is how it's managing my garden plan

[00:17:07] and my garden journal and my garden calendar

[00:17:11] all together in one place and making it into a system.

[00:17:15] Now when we talk about a watering schedule

[00:17:18] Atami your frustration is not unusual.

[00:17:21] Jennifer Caputo said via email

[00:17:24] I've struggled the most with irrigation.

[00:17:26] In the summer I can spend 30 to 45 minutes a day

[00:17:29] before work hand watering everything.

[00:17:32] I know I need to get an irrigation system

[00:17:34] but I've been overwhelmed with the options

[00:17:37] and making sure I pick the right one drip line, drip take,

[00:17:40] soaker hose, etc.

[00:17:42] But I've spent the last several weeks

[00:17:44] watching dozens of YouTube videos

[00:17:46] and reading every article I can

[00:17:48] and I think I'm almost ready to tackle it.

[00:17:50] My husband says I don't have time for another project

[00:17:53] but I say that I don't have time not to do this one.

[00:17:57] Jennifer I am siding with you on this one.

[00:18:00] Figuring out your irrigation is definitely something

[00:18:03] that will save you time in the long run.

[00:18:05] Atami is struggling with a schedule.

[00:18:07] I think you are struggling with technique

[00:18:09] and I think these are both things

[00:18:11] that a lot of gardeners have trouble with.

[00:18:14] Here's my take on this.

[00:18:16] First of all, whichever techniques work best for you

[00:18:19] is the one that is best.

[00:18:21] Whether it's a drip line, a soaker hose,

[00:18:23] hand watering, whatever it is

[00:18:24] so long as we are adhering to a couple of different things.

[00:18:28] Number one is trying to water at ground level.

[00:18:32] We talked about this last week

[00:18:33] when talking about foliar diseases

[00:18:35] so we know it's important for that reason

[00:18:37] but we also are going to experience

[00:18:39] much more efficient watering

[00:18:42] if it's closer to the soil.

[00:18:44] We're losing less to evaporation

[00:18:46] and we're losing less to the water

[00:18:48] being blown around by the wind

[00:18:50] so it's getting to its intended target

[00:18:53] faster and at a higher volume.

[00:18:55] The other thing to remember

[00:18:57] is that we want less frequent,

[00:18:59] more thorough waterings.

[00:19:01] I understand the need for an automated system

[00:19:03] for some people because of their schedule

[00:19:05] but I caution against just setting a schedule

[00:19:08] at the beginning of the season

[00:19:10] randomly choosing an amount of time

[00:19:12] that you're going to run the system

[00:19:14] and then never looking back again until the fall.

[00:19:16] The best way to determine

[00:19:18] just how much water you need

[00:19:20] or how long you need to run your system for

[00:19:22] or turn your sprinklers on

[00:19:24] or how long you have to stand there with the hose

[00:19:26] is by doing a test early in the spring.

[00:19:29] So check to see how dry your soil is.

[00:19:32] If it is dry at the 3-4 inch depth

[00:19:35] then go ahead and water

[00:19:37] so wait in the spring until it dries out

[00:19:39] to about that 3-4 inch depth

[00:19:41] then turn your Soka Hoses on

[00:19:43] or your drip line or your sprinkler

[00:19:45] or stand there with your hose

[00:19:46] whatever it is that you're using

[00:19:48] and let it run

[00:19:49] and then check the soil

[00:19:51] every 15 minutes.

[00:19:53] Do not stop watering

[00:19:56] in whatever manner you're doing it

[00:19:58] until the soil is soaked to the 6-inch depth.

[00:20:02] Okay?

[00:20:03] Why do we want to do it this way?

[00:20:05] Most of our plant roots are going to be

[00:20:07] at about the 4-6 inch deep mark

[00:20:10] when they are at their height of growth

[00:20:12] and we want those roots to be trained

[00:20:15] to reach down deep into the soil

[00:20:18] versus staying up at the upper level of the soil

[00:20:23] because that upper few inches of the soil

[00:20:26] that top 1-2 inches dries out very, very quickly

[00:20:30] but the deeper you go into the soil

[00:20:32] the less moisture loss there is

[00:20:35] even in the heat of the summer

[00:20:37] so if we can train those roots early on

[00:20:40] to go down deeper into the soil

[00:20:43] to seek out the water

[00:20:45] the better off we're going to be

[00:20:47] because if we can water to that 6-inch depth

[00:20:51] we're going to have to water less frequently

[00:20:54] so even though the top 2 inches are going to be dried out

[00:20:58] the 3-4 inch mark isn't going to be nearly as dry

[00:21:01] and that 6-inch depth is going to stay pretty well soaked

[00:21:05] so if we're not watering again

[00:21:08] until the soil is dry at that 3-4 inch mark

[00:21:12] we're going to have to water less frequently, okay?

[00:21:15] so once you have figured out how long it takes you

[00:21:18] to soak that soil to the 6-inch depth

[00:21:21] then check that soil again

[00:21:24] pretty much daily at first

[00:21:26] to see how long it takes for it to be dry

[00:21:29] at that 3-4 inch depth, okay?

[00:21:32] and however long that takes

[00:21:35] that is your watering schedule

[00:21:37] so let me see if I can make this make sense

[00:21:40] if I water on Monday

[00:21:43] and it takes me 30 minutes

[00:21:46] to get my garden beds soaked down to the 6-inch depth

[00:21:49] then that's what I'm going to do, right?

[00:21:51] and then every day I'm going to check

[00:21:53] to see how quickly it dries out

[00:21:55] to the 3-4 inch depth

[00:21:57] so if it is Thursday

[00:22:00] before it is dry at the say 3-1.5 inch mark

[00:22:04] then I know that my watering schedule

[00:22:07] for this time of the year

[00:22:09] is to water about every 3 days

[00:22:12] I'm going to water on Monday

[00:22:14] and I'm not going to water again until Thursday

[00:22:17] which means if I water on Thursday

[00:22:19] I'm not going to water again until Tuesday

[00:22:22] that is your watering schedule

[00:22:24] now does it have to be that exact?

[00:22:26] no, if you're trying to set up something that is automated

[00:22:29] and you say okay I'm just going to water Mondays and Thursdays

[00:22:32] and you maybe let it run an extra 10 minutes

[00:22:35] to get you to fill that gap

[00:22:37] then that's fine

[00:22:39] but what that does mean is that

[00:22:41] you're going to have to use the sprinkler

[00:22:43] or the watering system

[00:22:45] every single day for 15 minutes

[00:22:47] you're running it every 3-4 days

[00:22:49] for 30 minutes

[00:22:51] and your plants are going to be better off for it

[00:22:53] the key to this though

[00:22:55] is to check this again

[00:22:57] as the season gets hotter

[00:22:59] because obviously things are going to dry out a little bit faster

[00:23:01] as it starts to heat up

[00:23:03] so your watering intervals may need to be

[00:23:05] a little bit closer together at that point

[00:23:07] and then as you get later on

[00:23:09] and the season things start to cool off again

[00:23:11] you may not have to water as frequently

[00:23:13] but I tell you

[00:23:15] most gardeners that I talk to

[00:23:17] are watering way too frequently

[00:23:19] and they are not watering

[00:23:21] deeply enough into their soil

[00:23:23] and that is part of the reason why our plants are suffering

[00:23:26] and now I know

[00:23:28] because you know me

[00:23:30] that this goes without saying

[00:23:32] but I'm going to say it anyway

[00:23:34] one of the things that is going to help keep you

[00:23:36] from having to water as frequently

[00:23:38] mulch

[00:23:39] a very, very good layer of mulch

[00:23:41] if you've never used mulch before

[00:23:43] and you hear me yammer on about this

[00:23:45] every single time

[00:23:46] please, please trust me

[00:23:48] in knowing that it really does

[00:23:50] make that much of a difference

[00:23:52] a 2-3 inch layer of mulch

[00:23:54] is invaluable

[00:23:56] for trapping the soil moisture

[00:23:58] where it needs to stay

[00:24:00] and you will have to water less frequently

[00:24:02] so do yourself a favor

[00:24:04] once you figure out what your watering schedule is

[00:24:06] make sure that you have a really good layer of mulch on there

[00:24:09] so that you don't have to water as often

[00:24:12] your plants will thank you for it

[00:24:14] I may be a vegetable gardener

[00:24:19] but I'm all about adding some color to the garden

[00:24:21] and it's never too early to dream about spring roses

[00:24:24] with heirloom roses

[00:24:26] you can build your wish list all year long

[00:24:28] order any time

[00:24:29] and choose the perfect delivery date

[00:24:31] for your gardening zone

[00:24:33] with roses for zones 3 through 11

[00:24:35] there is literally a rose for every garden

[00:24:38] you can reserve your new favorite roses

[00:24:40] at heirloomroses.com

[00:24:42] and enjoy risk-free planting

[00:24:44] with their one year guarantee

[00:24:46] which I super appreciate

[00:24:48] because I don't have the best track record with roses

[00:24:50] I am currently obsessed

[00:24:52] with their Julio Iglesias rose

[00:24:54] with its stunningly striped petals

[00:24:56] and strong citrus and verbena fragrance

[00:24:58] I'm adding this one to my garden this year

[00:25:00] for cut flowers

[00:25:02] heirloom roses knows that the best roses

[00:25:04] start with the best roots

[00:25:06] which is why they only hand propagate

[00:25:08] own root roses

[00:25:10] not graft it investing in the foundations of your garden

[00:25:12] so you can reap the rewards of tons

[00:25:14] of healthy blooms this spring

[00:25:16] heirloom roses has offered all of my listeners

[00:25:19] 20% off your next order

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[00:25:23] now through October 31st, 2024

[00:25:26] select from a collection of roses

[00:25:28] suited for your growing zone

[00:25:30] and shipped at the proper time

[00:25:32] and use code justgrow for 20% off

[00:25:34] heirloomroses.com

[00:25:36] okay now so I have a fun

[00:25:38] little announcement

[00:25:40] the first episode of June

[00:25:42] when we would normally be revealing the answers

[00:25:44] to the May question of the month

[00:25:46] will be the 200th

[00:25:48] full episode of this podcast

[00:25:50] now I'm not counting replays

[00:25:52] and bonus type episodes

[00:25:54] just full unique episodes

[00:25:56] and we are coming up on number

[00:25:58] 200 so

[00:26:00] I thought it would be fun

[00:26:02] to answer May's question of the month

[00:26:04] to be an AMA

[00:26:06] ask me anything

[00:26:08] and this doesn't have to be gardening related

[00:26:10] it absolutely can be

[00:26:12] but if you're curious about something else

[00:26:14] I've talked about then go for it

[00:26:16] ask away. I have had people DM me

[00:26:18] asking about

[00:26:20] my running or weight training

[00:26:22] or my time in the military

[00:26:24] or just about podcasting in general

[00:26:26] and I've always answered those questions

[00:26:28] just directly to whomever asked it

[00:26:30] it would be fun to answer them here instead

[00:26:32] on the 200th episode

[00:26:34] so go ahead

[00:26:36] ask me anything

[00:26:38] reply in Spotify, reply to the weekly email

[00:26:40] post it in the Facebook group or DM me on social

[00:26:42] you have until May 31st

[00:26:44] to ask your question

[00:26:48] alright onto the

[00:26:50] sun shade issue

[00:26:52] in our gardens let's start by defining

[00:26:54] what each classification

[00:26:56] of sun or shade means

[00:26:58] when we look at those plant tags or those

[00:27:00] seed descriptions it very well

[00:27:02] may be that you have closer

[00:27:04] to full sun than you think

[00:27:10] full sun is defined by a minimum

[00:27:12] of 6 hours of sunlight

[00:27:14] most references say 6

[00:27:16] to 8 because it is possible to have too much

[00:27:18] sunlight for some crops

[00:27:20] I have a 1 acre planting area

[00:27:22] that gets a full day of sun

[00:27:24] regardless of the time of year

[00:27:26] if the day length is 10 hours it gets 10 hours

[00:27:28] if we have 18

[00:27:30] daylight hours that field gets

[00:27:32] almost the full 18 hours

[00:27:34] I have to choose which plants

[00:27:36] I put in that field very carefully

[00:27:38] because they can be subject to sunscald

[00:27:40] ideally most vegetables

[00:27:42] thrive with 6 to 8

[00:27:44] hours

[00:27:46] part sun is defined as 3 or 4

[00:27:48] hours up to 6 hours

[00:27:50] of sunlight

[00:27:52] as we'll discuss there are lots of plants

[00:27:54] that are well with this limited amount of daylight

[00:27:56] and there are others who can

[00:27:58] tolerate it with some special care

[00:28:00] part shade

[00:28:02] is considered dappled sunlight

[00:28:04] think about plants that are in the drip line

[00:28:06] of a large tree that only get

[00:28:08] the light that gets filtered through the foliage

[00:28:10] this is part shade

[00:28:12] be aware though that many plant growers

[00:28:14] will use this term interchangeably

[00:28:16] with part sun

[00:28:18] so pay attention to the plant description

[00:28:20] to determine if it truly does well

[00:28:22] many house plants will fall into this category

[00:28:24] because they do well in low

[00:28:26] light settings

[00:28:28] and finally we have shade

[00:28:30] this is a complete lack of direct sunlight

[00:28:32] even though the plant will get

[00:28:34] ambient light from its surroundings

[00:28:36] there are plenty of annual flowers

[00:28:38] that do well in these conditions like begonias

[00:28:40] and impatience but no vegetable

[00:28:42] or fruit plants that we would see

[00:28:44] in a typical home garden that I'm aware of

[00:28:46] understand also

[00:28:50] that whichever amount of sunlight

[00:28:52] you get it's cumulative

[00:28:54] so that means

[00:28:56] if a spot in your yard gets

[00:28:58] 4 hours of morning sun

[00:29:00] and then it gets shaded by a big tree all day

[00:29:02] but then it gets

[00:29:04] 2 hours of evening light right before the sun goes down

[00:29:06] you have full sun

[00:29:08] that's 6 hours

[00:29:10] it doesn't have to be all at once

[00:29:12] once I explain

[00:29:14] the definitions of full sun

[00:29:16] and the fact that it doesn't have

[00:29:18] to be all in a row many folks suddenly realize

[00:29:20] that they can grow the majority of the garden fruits

[00:29:22] and veggies in some

[00:29:24] spot in their yard

[00:29:26] but for those that truly only have

[00:29:28] part sun you are not at a loss

[00:29:30] let's talk which veggies, fruits

[00:29:32] and herbs that all do well

[00:29:34] in about 3 to 6 hours

[00:29:36] of light per day

[00:29:40] the first one is leafy greens

[00:29:42] leafy greens like lettuce, spinach

[00:29:44] kale, swiss shard

[00:29:46] and arugula can all tolerate

[00:29:48] part sun and still produce

[00:29:50] really decent yields

[00:29:52] they are generally more shade tolerant

[00:29:54] than other vegetables and so they can thrive

[00:29:56] with less sunlight

[00:29:58] number 2 is herbs

[00:30:00] many herbs can grow in part sun conditions

[00:30:02] mint, parsley

[00:30:04] cilantro and chives

[00:30:06] are specifically tolerant of lower light levels

[00:30:08] and they can still provide a really good harvest

[00:30:10] stevia is another one

[00:30:12] that is good for part sun

[00:30:14] now some of these might get a little bit leggy

[00:30:16] meaning there's going to be a little bit more distance

[00:30:18] between the leaf nodules on the stem

[00:30:20] but they will still produce plenty

[00:30:22] to harvest in lower light conditions

[00:30:24] number 3 is root vegetables

[00:30:26] there are some root vegetables

[00:30:28] that can tolerate part sun

[00:30:30] although they just might not get

[00:30:32] their maximum size or yield

[00:30:34] so things like radishes

[00:30:36] beets, salad turnips

[00:30:38] and carrots can all still produce

[00:30:40] satisfactory results with those

[00:30:42] 3 to 4 hours of sunlight

[00:30:44] the closer we get to 6 hours the better

[00:30:46] but they will still survive

[00:30:48] and then finally there are

[00:30:50] some fruits that will do okay

[00:30:52] now most fruiting plants do require

[00:30:54] full sunlight to produce like

[00:30:56] an abundant amount of fruit

[00:30:58] but there are a few options that can tolerate

[00:31:00] more shade

[00:31:02] strawberries will still produce a decent harvest

[00:31:04] I mean they may not be as prolific as those that are grown

[00:31:06] in full sun but they will tolerate

[00:31:08] partial sun and still produce

[00:31:10] raspberries the same way

[00:31:12] they are likely to produce fewer

[00:31:14] fruits compared to those that are grown in full sun

[00:31:16] but they will tolerate partial sun

[00:31:18] and then currents also fall

[00:31:20] into this category

[00:31:22] and then finally

[00:31:24] bok choy, lux partial shade

[00:31:26] actually really likes to have that afternoon

[00:31:28] shade so very suitable for areas with

[00:31:30] limited sunlight and all the other

[00:31:32] asian greens really

[00:31:34] tatsui, mitzuna, komatsuna

[00:31:36] these can also thrive in partial shade conditions

[00:31:38] and still provide a really good

[00:31:40] harvest now there are

[00:31:42] a few options that don't

[00:31:44] necessarily thrive

[00:31:46] in partial sun but they can

[00:31:48] survive and if you have some patients

[00:31:50] they will produce a yield

[00:31:52] so these plants may

[00:31:54] end up being a little legy

[00:31:56] the fruit may take longer to get

[00:31:58] to maturity and they may not be as big

[00:32:00] as if they were in full sun

[00:32:02] but if you really are desperate you can

[00:32:04] still get a yield from them you just have to have

[00:32:06] a little patience and allow them to

[00:32:08] take their time to do what they're going to do

[00:32:10] so tomatoes actually fall

[00:32:12] into this category

[00:32:14] so if you're putting them in a partial

[00:32:16] sun condition you are going to

[00:32:18] get a smaller yield, you are going to get

[00:32:20] smaller fruits and they are just sort of

[00:32:22] going to stretch towards that

[00:32:24] available sunlight so they're going to get a little bit legy

[00:32:26] but if you can grow cherry tomatoes

[00:32:28] or determinate

[00:32:30] varieties they are going to be a bit more

[00:32:32] tolerant of partial sun than the other

[00:32:34] types peppers are the same

[00:32:36] thing peppers absolutely

[00:32:38] thrive in full sunlight

[00:32:40] but if you can get

[00:32:42] a type of pepper that is a smaller

[00:32:44] growing pepper so it doesn't require nearly

[00:32:46] as much in terms of photosynthesis

[00:32:48] they can do okay

[00:32:50] if they are in some partial sun

[00:32:52] they're going to become legy just like the other

[00:32:54] you know just like the tomatoes do

[00:32:56] they're probably going to produce smaller fruits

[00:32:58] and they're going to have slower growth

[00:33:00] but if you can have some patients

[00:33:02] and just wait on them

[00:33:04] if they get about 4 hours a day they will eventually

[00:33:06] start to produce some fruits

[00:33:08] the smaller the pepper

[00:33:10] the more likely it is that they are going to produce for you

[00:33:12] cucumbers

[00:33:14] again they really like to have ample

[00:33:16] sunlight but

[00:33:18] in partial sun conditions they can

[00:33:20] produce smaller fruits again

[00:33:22] smaller yields or fewer yields

[00:33:24] they are going to be a bit legy

[00:33:26] but you know in most instances

[00:33:28] cucumbers actually like getting

[00:33:30] some shade during the hottest part of the day

[00:33:32] because it helps mitigate some of that stress

[00:33:34] so if you are growing

[00:33:36] in a partial sun condition

[00:33:38] and you've only got like 3 or 4 hours a day

[00:33:40] for cucumbers try to make it the

[00:33:42] morning sun so it's getting

[00:33:44] sort of its happiest level

[00:33:46] of sun and not getting the afternoon

[00:33:48] sun that's beating down on it for those

[00:33:50] 3 or 4 hours

[00:33:52] and then finally beans

[00:33:54] so if you're looking at

[00:33:56] pole varieties they are definitely

[00:33:58] going to get legy and they're going to have

[00:34:00] a hard time producing but if you pick bush

[00:34:02] varieties it will help mitigate

[00:34:04] some of that legginess that would

[00:34:06] happen in the limited sunlight conditions

[00:34:08] especially since bush varieties

[00:34:10] of beans produce over a

[00:34:12] shorter season

[00:34:14] so they are going to start producing

[00:34:16] fruit much more quickly or their beans much

[00:34:18] more quickly than a pole variety

[00:34:20] would and so you're much more likely

[00:34:22] to get a harvest and get it sooner

[00:34:24] if you're growing in a partial sun condition

[00:34:26] ok so did any of these surprise you

[00:34:31] whether it was the answers

[00:34:33] of struggles from your fellow gardeners

[00:34:35] or some of the things that you can grow

[00:34:37] in partial sun that it's

[00:34:39] surprise you to know that full sun is only a

[00:34:41] minimum of 6 hours a day

[00:34:43] I challenge you to pay close attention

[00:34:45] to the actual amount of sun that you

[00:34:47] receive in your yard or on your patio

[00:34:49] or on your balcony to see what you might

[00:34:51] be able to grow

[00:34:53] and any one of these

[00:34:55] partial sun

[00:34:57] plants would be able to be

[00:34:59] grown indoors with supplemental light

[00:35:01] so leafy greens, herbs and all

[00:35:03] of those Asian greens like bok choy

[00:35:05] perform just fine

[00:35:07] indoors just put them in your sunniest

[00:35:09] window with a little grow light over their

[00:35:11] pot and these are the types of plants

[00:35:13] that can be harvested multiple times

[00:35:15] over a longer period of time

[00:35:17] to get more yield for the small

[00:35:19] space you have I swear

[00:35:21] you can grow something

[00:35:23] no matter what kind of

[00:35:25] space you have until next

[00:35:27] time my gardening friends keep on cultivating

[00:35:29] and we'll talk again soon

[00:35:31] thanks for listening to another episode

[00:35:33] of just grow something podcast

[00:35:35] for more information about today's topic

[00:35:37] and to find all the ways you can get in

[00:35:39] touch with me or support the show

[00:35:41] go to justgrowsomethingpodcast.com

[00:35:43] until next time my gardening friends

[00:35:45] keep learning and keep growing