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Ideas please for north facing raised bed

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  • Ideas please for north facing raised bed

    We have a large raised bed (6 x 37 feet) which is backed by a high granite wall. It is north facing and in winter gets no sun but lots of light however has lots of sun throughout the summer. The soil is slightly sandy.

    Planting ideas anyone? (veggie people I am posting this in veg as well)

    Thank you!
    Jo

    time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all things.

  • #2
    I have found most success in growing fruit in my north facing bed. It is sort of triangular shaped 3 foot wide to circa 10 foot wide at the widest part and possibly 20 foot along the north facing fence.

    From the fence I have raspberries along the fence then the next row out is cordon gooseberries then the next row forward are strawberries [where it is bit lighter]. Before the strawberries went in I have previously grown both lettuces and potatoes [separately] quite successfully. I have also grown squash on vertical supports in the front of this area - to lift them into the sun. In the darker & narrower area in the shadows of the neighbour's shrubbery I've put a pergola over a path that runs along the bed with cordon apples on the shadier side and cordon pears on the sunnier side and alpine strawberries and blackcurrant between the cordons. These are still young plants but all have produced fine, and look rather attractive. Next door to the pergola is a small victoria plum on pixy root stock that I am hoping will settle.

    I have grown tall mangetout & sugarsnap peas on the pergola supports by the trees quite successfully as well as annual climbers such as sweet peas. not much grows in the winter, even leeks and cabbages don't want to know so the structure/form of the cordons and pergola makes it look Ok if not that productive after September has gone.

    Oh and I have always had a small greenhouse at the end of my north border that seems to do well in summer as it does not overheat and needs less shading, lovely toms and cucumbers. Again not much in winter.

    All in all a lot better than the shrubbery that was there for some years before I decided I needed to grow more food.

    A lot will depend on the height of your wall.
    Last edited by Storming Norman; 22-02-2011, 05:17 PM.

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    • #3
      Blimey Storming, you have been busy. So just about anything then! The granite wall tapers from 6 foot to about 4 1/2 foot, but at the lower end the neighbours have a fence to screen their shed (they are on a higher level than us). Despite having a big garden, as we are lower than our neighbours we lose the sun completely in the winter but when the seasons change and the angle of the sun moves higher in the sky we get it pretty much all day (and the bungalow doesn't create much shade).

      Off to get planning! Thank you so much.
      Jo

      time, patience, and perseverance will accomplish all things.

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