I've gained an extra piece of garden for some vegetables. Trouble is, it
is only about 9ft wide and is surrounded on 2 sides by 5/6ft fences and
on another side by a garage. The only open aspect faces NNE, so I'm
wondering what I could grow at the back of the area against the fence.
I've got fruit along the garage wall, which means a bird net over the
whole area, so something like runner beans is not really practical.

Are there any vegetables that I could grow that will grow well without
any sunlight getting on them?

Thanks


PS This newsgroup seems to be dying for some reason, what do people use now?

In article ,
Pwllgloyw wrote:
I've gained an extra piece of garden for some vegetables. Trouble is, it
is only about 9ft wide and is surrounded on 2 sides by 5/6ft fences and
on another side by a garage. The only open aspect faces NNE, so I'm
wondering what I could grow at the back of the area against the fence.
I've got fruit along the garage wall, which means a bird net over the
whole area, so something like runner beans is not really practical.

Are there any vegetables that I could grow that will grow well without
any sunlight getting on them?

Probably not. Direct sunlight isn't essential for some vegetables in
the UK, as a lot of our sunlight is indirect, but that isn't even open
to the sky. You could try some salad crops and herbs - mint does well
in a similar location in my garden.

PS This newsgroup seems to be dying for some reason, what do people use now?

God alone knows, and I would like to :-( I have looked at a few of the
Web-based fora, and most are populated by (frankly) the clueless, not
much more active, or both.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 10/03/20 12:12, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Pwllgloyw wrote:

PS This newsgroup seems to be dying for some reason, what do people use now?

God alone knows, and I would like to :-( I have looked at a few of the
Web-based fora, and most are populated by (frankly) the clueless, not
much more active, or both.

There are fewer and fewer contributors, but I see one or two new names
now and again. I think Usenet is less used as the answers to many
questions people have can be found using an internet search. When they
get to the stage of posting here after failing to find an answer
themselves there usually isn't an answer (or at least not the one they
want to hear!).

It probably won't be too long before we are able to rename Usenet as
"Usenot". :-(

--

Jeff

On 10 Mar 2020 12:02, Pwllgloyw wrote:
I've gained an extra piece of garden for some vegetables. Trouble is, it
is only about 9ft wide and is surrounded on 2 sides by 5/6ft fences and
on another side by a garage. The only open aspect faces NNE, so I'm
wondering what I could grow at the back of the area against the fence.
I've got fruit along the garage wall, which means a bird net over the
whole area, so something like runner beans is not really practical.

Are there any vegetables that I could grow that will grow well without
any sunlight getting on them?

Thanks


PS This newsgroup seems to be dying for some reason, what do people use now?



We have grown Courgettes in a shady area. I presume people have
migrated to forums etc but I'm with Nick on them, not found one I
liked. Even worse on Alt.Fan.Landrover, used to be very active and
helpful, dead now.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:

We have grown Courgettes in a shady area.

In somewhere as dark as that? I am surprised. Except for a few plants,
I have had plenty of success with open shade, but very little with
locations that are mostly hidden from the sky.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 10/03/2020 18:03, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:

We have grown Courgettes in a shady area.

In somewhere as dark as that? I am surprised. Except for a few plants,

They are sufficiently vigorous that even in limited light they may do
OK. They go leggy and flop over if the light just isn't good enough.

And they take over if given ideal conditions. I grow them on my year old
compost heap in a north facing shady side of the garden. That way they
don't quite overrun us with a glut of courgettes. That said there are
still two that got away to marrow size still waiting to be eaten.

I have had plenty of success with open shade, but very little with
locations that are mostly hidden from the sky.

My conditions for courgette and marrow are more like open shade I
suppose. Almost no direct sunlight except in the early morning.

Rhubarb would probably tolerate shady conditions and still grow OK.
Spuds might too but the crop would be rather poor.

Anything wanting warmth and strong light stands no chance.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

We have grown Courgettes in a shady area.

In somewhere as dark as that? I am surprised. Except for a few plants,

They are sufficiently vigorous that even in limited light they may do
OK. They go leggy and flop over if the light just isn't good enough.

And they take over if given ideal conditions. I grow them on my year old
compost heap in a north facing shady side of the garden. That way they
don't quite overrun us with a glut of courgettes. That said there are
still two that got away to marrow size still waiting to be eaten.

I also grow C. maxima (a crown prince type), C. moschata (tromboncino
d'Albenga) and those need 5 square metres in considerably less than
ideal conditions, AND when pinched back frequently! But they are
first-class eating - unlike ordinary courgettes, which are usually
a bit bland and lacking in texture, even when young.

I doubt that even the latter would do in his conditions, but it
would be too large for them if it were!

On Thursday, 12 March 2020 12:28:46 UTC, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

We have grown Courgettes in a shady area.

In somewhere as dark as that? I am surprised. Except for a few plants,

They are sufficiently vigorous that even in limited light they may do
OK. They go leggy and flop over if the light just isn't good enough.

And they take over if given ideal conditions. I grow them on my year old
compost heap in a north facing shady side of the garden. That way they
don't quite overrun us with a glut of courgettes. That said there are
still two that got away to marrow size still waiting to be eaten.

I also grow C. maxima (a crown prince type), C. moschata (tromboncino
d'Albenga) and those need 5 square metres in considerably less than
ideal conditions, AND when pinched back frequently! But they are
first-class eating - unlike ordinary courgettes, which are usually
a bit bland and lacking in texture, even when young.

I doubt that even the latter would do in his conditions, but it
would be too large for them if it were!

I let my trombincino grow up the fence towards the light and they do very well.

Jonathan

On 10/03/2020 12:02, Pwllgloyw wrote:
I've gained an extra piece of garden for some vegetables. Trouble is, it
is only about 9ft wide and is surrounded on 2 sides by 5/6ft fences and
on another side by a garage. The only open aspect faces NNE, so I'm
wondering what I could grow at the back of the area against the fence.
I've got fruit along the garage wall, which means a bird net over the
whole area, so something like runner beans is not really practical.

Are there any vegetables that I could grow that will grow well without
any sunlight getting on them?

Thanks


PS This newsgroup seems to be dying for some reason, what do people use
now?

I am supprised that no one has saidanythig about painting the wall and
fence whithe to reflect more light, if you could do so it would make a
very large difference.

In article ,
David Hill wrote:

I am supprised that no one has saidanythig about painting the wall and
fence whithe to reflect more light, if you could do so it would make a
very large difference.

Not really, because it faces NNE :-( It would make some difference,
but not a lot.

The previous poster mentioned growing things up towards the light.
If there is nothing much over the fences towards the south, then
growing climbing plants (like peas, beans, cucumbers or squashes)
would work. They much be climbing types, of course.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.