SFG for shade?

dk54321 10/21/2014, 2:29 pm

We moved this year from a house surrounded by shade trees to one with no shade. We rent, so I'd have to get permission from the landlord to plant any trees or shrubs, and that seems unlikely. However, we do have permission to garden. We live in the south end of a duplex, with a 6 ft wide concrete sidewalk along the entire east side, an 8 ft wide wooden deck along the entire south side, and my SFG beds along the west side. I could add plants in containers along the east and south sides. Any ideas on what to plant for shade?

**camprn** 10/21/2014, 2:43 pm

It sounds like you won't be having much shade. Most vegetables require full sun.

Marc Iverson 10/21/2014, 2:59 pm

Do you like horseradish? My potted horseradish found harsh sun, or even moderate sun, tough to bear. But it has done very well in shade and partial shade.

My peppermints also do very well with very little sun.

**sanderson** 10/22/2014, 1:57 am

DK, can you post a photo of the area. It might help if members could visualize the set up and sun options. Is the area surrounded by a fence? Are you wanting personal shade? Most plants need some good sun, a few need full sun.

dk54321 10/22/2014, 5:12 pm

My garden gets plenty of sun. I'm wondering if there's something I can plant in containers or beds that will shade the house (at least some of the walls or windows) to keep it from getting so hot in the summer, because we don't have A/C.

This year I planted snap peas in beds on the west side and in containers on the east side, but they only got about 4 ft tall.

Marc Iverson 10/22/2014, 5:42 pm

Haha, I totally misread. Oh well. I thought you meant plants for the shady(east) side of the house.

**sanderson** 10/23/2014, 3:17 am

DK, I suggest that you check with your local nurseries for advice for varieties that do well in your climate zone. I am looking at an old Sunset Western Gardening book for varieties that are suppose to survive cold winters. Half oak barrels or equivalent with Japanese maple, Chinese pistacche (we call it pistachio), crepe myrtle, California laurel, birch, lilac or quaking aspen. Trellised vines: English Ivy. Other: cold hardy variety of bamboo. All of these should do good in very large containers. Bonus is that with help, you can take them with you if you move.

We have very hot, hot summers and we have trellises with vines on the west side of the house.
SFG for shade? 100_5510

1' x 3' boxes with 8' tall trellises with pole beans in front of 3 tall, narrow windows on the East side:
SFG for shade? Bean_e11

Trellised climbing roses (iceberg):
SFG for shade? Roses_14

**Turan** 10/24/2014, 12:09 pm

I grow hops to shade the south facing porch. They die back to the ground each winter which is nice to let the winter sun in and then regrow each spring. I would plant them in the ground instead of pots though and then when you move just bring some cuttings with you. My DH makes his own beer so we grow some varieties special for that. Some annuals I have seen used for shading arbors and such are morning glories and scarlet runner beans. There are also perennial vining honeysuckles.

**camprn** 10/24/2014, 12:15 pm

+1 on the hops!!
Kentucky wonder pole beans.

Marc Iverson 10/24/2014, 12:31 pm

If we're talking beans, scarlet runner beans have very big leaves compared to most, and are a tall, vigorous plant. A lot of people like them as ornamentals, for their red flowers, and don't even eat the beans.

If using beans for shade, I would succession plant them, though. And thickly. They tend to lose individual leaves quickly.

audrey.jeanne.roberts 10/24/2014, 3:24 pm

Costco has triangular shaped shade sails for only $20 this year and we used two of them to give some much needed shade for a garden that is in heavy shade all year except for the summer so the plants in it are especially vulnerable to the sun. They worked excellently.

If you don't have anything that you could hang it off of you can usually buy cinderblock bases that are used for pipe, swap meet style "booths" at any swap meet and use pipes in them to tie the ends off to. Frankly you could also do the same thing with four corners and use shade cloth.

dk54321 10/24/2014, 4:48 pm

I've used morning glories and pole beans for shade in the past, and they seemed to have no trouble reaching the roof in poor soil. I wonder if growing them in containers would limit their height? I hadn't thought of hops.

CapeCoddess 10/24/2014, 5:05 pm

Grapevines!'
Smile

CC

**Turan** 10/24/2014, 10:44 pm

Make the supports sturdy enough and grow winter squash, pumpkins, melons, cucmbers and ornamental gourds.

Do a google search on growing vertically and on wall gardens.

**Kelejan** 10/25/2014, 7:05 am

dk54321 wrote:I've used morning glories and pole beans for shade in the past, and they seemed to have no trouble reaching the roof in poor soil. I wonder if growing them in containers would limit their height? I hadn't thought of hops.

As I no longer have a car, I use part of my carport as a sitting area and put a four foot by eight inch window box on the concrete and planted runner beans. They topped the trellis which was well over six feet tall and grew beyond that. The window box was scarcely six inches deep. I just had to water every day, so next year I am going to put deeper boxes there and cover with wood chips or other mulch.
I did not grow them for shade but for privacy but it would be equally as good for shade. Had lots of humming birds enjoying the red flowers.
I also remembered to take down the vines while they were still pliable and before they had turned brown. Last year I left them too long and it took ages to get the brittle vines off of the wire.

**llama momma** 10/25/2014, 7:12 am

Kelejan wrote:

I also remembered to take down the vines while they were still pliable and before they had turned brown. Last year I left them too long and it took ages to get the brittle vines off of the wire.

......and that, dear Kelejan, is exactly the job I have this weekend. silly me

yolos 10/25/2014, 8:56 am

llama momma wrote:
Kelejan wrote:

I also remembered to take down the vines while they were still pliable and before they had turned brown. Last year I left them too long and it took ages to get the brittle vines off of the wire.
......and that, dear Kelejan, is exactly the job I have this weekend.

Me too. Left the pole bean vines on the nylon trellis. They are now all dried and will be hard to untangle. Maybe next year cattle panels to make it easier.

**Turan** 10/25/2014, 11:19 am

yolos wrote:
llama momma wrote:
Kelejan wrote:

I also remembered to take down the vines while they were still pliable and before they had turned brown. Last year I left them too long and it took ages to get the brittle vines off of the wire.
......and that, dear Kelejan, is exactly the job I have this weekend.

Me too. Left the pole bean vines on the nylon trellis. They are now all dried and will be hard to untangle. Maybe next year cattle panels to make it easier.

Me three. Next year I am using jute twine like camprn does, so I can just throw the whole mess into the compost.

**camprn** 10/25/2014, 11:29 am

Turan wrote:
yolos wrote:
llama momma wrote:
Kelejan wrote:

I also remembered to take down the vines while they were still pliable and before they had turned brown. Last year I left them too long and it took ages to get the brittle vines off of the wire.
......and that, dear Kelejan, is exactly the job I have this weekend.

Me too. Left the pole bean vines on the nylon trellis. They are now all dried and will be hard to untangle. Maybe next year cattle panels to make it easier.
Me three. Next year I am using jute twine like camprn does, so I can just throw the whole mess into the compost.

took me less than 5 minutes to uproot the plants and cut all the string and carry it away en mass. Wink

**sanderson** 10/25/2014, 11:57 am

DK, Have we given you some good ideas for shade?

**llama momma** 10/25/2014, 12:22 pm

Yolos

I have all cattle panel trellises this year. With my leather gloves I can be as rough as necessary to pull off the vines. Wonder if anyone has ever tried burning the vines off the cattle panels, with a hose nearby of course..

dk54321 10/26/2014, 1:58 am

sanderson wrote:DK, Have we given you some good ideas for shade?

Yes, thanks! So many ideas, I think I will choose 3 or 4 of them and see which work best!

**Kelejan** 10/26/2014, 2:02 am

llama momma wrote:
Kelejan wrote:

I also remembered to take down the vines while they were still pliable and before they had turned brown. Last year I left them too long and it took ages to get the brittle vines off of the wire.
......and that, dear Kelejan, is exactly the job I have this weekend.

What made it even worse last year was that I had used two-inch square mesh instead of four. When vines die it make for very sore fingers and lots of wasted time.

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