What to plant in a shady bed?

[BarriedaleNick]

Hi - I have a bed shaded by a big cherry tree so it's quite dry as well.

Any advise on veg that would do well in a shady dry place?
I was thinking along the lines of pak choi and the like...
Cheers!

[BarriedaleNick]

[OberonUK]

I have a similar area although I'm far from an expert. But lettuce seems to be fine there. Is the ground quite moist or is the tree drying it out? I also put some spuds in and they are a mass of leaf but it remains to see what crop I get. I think leeks are OK in a bit of shade. My common sense says stay clear of any crops where the produce is above ground - ie peas/beans/cucumbers and the like but I'm sure more expert people than me will be able to give you a more accurate answer. Lettuce for me though.

[Jeannine]

Any of the non fruiting types of plants should be resonably OK.Brassicas , not ideal but they should grow. What about the perennial brocs. Asparagus will tolerate part shade, that would be my first choice.

XX  Jeannine

[Vinlander]

In the first reference book to hand, the only veg listed as liking partial shade are peas and courgettes...

This doesn't mean they are best at surviving deep shade, and it's doubly problematic that both of them (and lettuce too) require lots of water - tricky in such a notoriously dry spot.

You should think very seriously about using large pots with a dripfeed system - though it probably wouldn't suit asparagus.

Cheers.

[BarriedaleNick]

Cheers all..

Ill stick with the lettuce - I'm surprised at courgettes but i'll give them a go as well.

Jeannine - I didn't even know that there was such a thing as perennial broc..so I am going to have a look at that as well..

[Jeannine]

I would personally be doubtful about the courgettes, I have not heard of any that will do well in shade the opposite in fact. The broccolli I mentioned is called Nine Star  perennial broccolli.

XX Jeannine

[1066]

I have a similar spot on my plot, and later this year I'm going to build a bed for seedlings (getting fed up of all the pots and compost malarky!), lettuce, oriental veg and was wondering about carrots? I'd obviously have to do some watering, but think it might be worth a try

Off also to check out Nine Star perennial broccolli - thanks Jeannine  :)

[terrier]

Would Purple sprouting broc be OK in a shady bed? I've got a few seedlings and wondering where to put them.

[Jeannine]

As said before,  from what I know brassicas will tolerate some shade so your PSB should be OK. Perhaps not as good as out in the open . I think the phrase will tolerate some shade is important..how much is some. XX Jeannine

[BarriedaleNick]

Strangely enough this same question was asked on Gardener's Question Time at the weekend.

The recommendations:

Mulch well and plant salad leaf
Chard
Perpetucal spinach
Dutch KholRabi super shmeltz..

The latter sounds interesting - a kholrabi that grows as big as a footbal but is still crispy and will stand well into Autumn.

Cant find seeds for it anywhere - anyone tried it??

Cheers

[Jeannine]

It is in some of the  catalogues over here. West Coast Seeds sell it and they do ship to the UK. Reading from that catalogue.... Giant Kohlrabi remains tender up to the largest sizes if spaced 12 inches apart,can weigh up to 10 lbs,it's large root system lets it grow where water is limited,handles winter weather well and can be harvested until April from a mid summer planting,if left to mature it can grow as big as a volleyball.,plant April thru May,will crop in 8 weeks,sow again in early August for fall and winter crops, planting between mid  May and mid July causes them to bolt in hot weather and produces inferior bulbs.Moderate to heavy feeder, does best in rich humusy soil.

Must be available over there , I vaguley remember seeing it in a seed swap.


XX Jeannine

[BarriedaleNick]

Cheers Jeannine - I was spelling it as two words rather than one and have now found seeds available in the UK.
Which of course means I can't just order one packet of seeds can I?  More seed shopping for me!

[OberonUK]

http://www.bakker.co.uk/r_16661-011/Cabbage-varieties/Kohlrabi-Superschmelz-Vegetable-Seed.htm