Almost total shade

[pickledtink]

From Mid October to February my garden is plunged into total shade and a month either side sees only a little Sun at the top.
I've never managed to grow anything over winter. Any suggestions of anything which would live through it even if it was slow until the Sun comes back?
Have I any hope of Kale, Cabbage etc?

[JennieAtkinson]

Can't help you pickledtink as I have the same problem. Not on the veg plot but in the main garden area.
It would be interesting to hear others suggestions.

[JazzDuke]

I'm no expert but winter purslane, some chicories/endives perhaps, but you are leaving it late to start? Garlic or shallots pehaps?

[Snadger]

Just out of interest does grass or weeds grow in this area? Kale is pretty hardy but still needs some light for photosynthesis to occur.Is it the house that causes the shade?

[pickledtink]

Just out of interest does grass or weeds grow in this area? Kale is pretty hardy but still needs some light for photosynthesis to occur.Is it the house that causes the shade?

The ground elder thrives as ever.
The shade is because the garden is between the building and a steep old cliff face, Durijg the Summer months it gets lots of Sun but once the Sun drops lower in the sky we lose it and it becomes shade central.
I've lots of plants which do happily in shade but not found any veg which do that well.
Flat leaf parsley, honeysuckle, chives, mint, Chard, Spinach are OK but so much else just falters and dies.

[pickledtink]

I'm no expert but winter purslane, some chicories/endives perhaps, but you are leaving it late to start? Garlic or shallots pehaps?

I'll shove some Garlic in to be sure but generally find onions of any kind don't do well here. I'm gardening on shallow soil growing up a cliff face in nooks and crannys so no depth.

[nick the grief]

your going to struggle if it's shaded. I'd get an allotment in the sun Lol!!! You could grow fruit trees in hte garden as they will be dormant soon so it won't matter.

[pickledtink]

Can't help you pickledtink as I have the same problem. Not on the veg plot but in the main garden area.
It would be interesting to hear others suggestions.

I was amazed when I looked into growing some pretties down the bottom which never gets a sniff of light apart from dappled during the peak of Summer. After years of just walking through it to get up to the lit bit I did some serious searching and popped in lots of Hebes (brilliant), Ferns, Ivys, Fuschias, Lilies, Nicotinas( sp ?) Pansies etc
There were loads of things that did very well!
I reckon there must be Veg which can poodle along happily for half the year before blooming in a bit of Sun.

[nick the grief]

Mushrooms will grow in the dark

[pickledtink]

your going to struggle if it's shaded. I'd get an allotment in the sun Lol!!! You could grow fruit trees in hte garden as they will be dormant soon so it won't matter.

Got my little Apple and some buxh fruiters.
I want some greens which will manage until the Sun comes back then give us some early spring food!

[pickledtink]

Mushrooms will grow in the dark

Lots of those appearing now. Nothing I'd risk eating though.

[Earthbabe]

Sounds like kale and poss some spring greens may do ok if chard and spinach are doing ok. JD is right about the timing though. See if you can get some kale plants. For spring greens you sow spring cabbage seed where it is to grow and just thin a little. Obviously the don't heart up but unless you can get some plants you haven't really got time to wait until they are big enough to transplant.

[pickledtink]

All my Kale and Raab seedlings got munched so I was thinking I'd buy some off the Brassicca bloke on ebay. I've never tried to grow any winter greens before due to the lack of light so any advice would be much appreciated. The very top two beds get a little for a short while each day. One of them's full of Calabrese, Chard, Spinach and Leeks but the other will be cleared this week so room in there.

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks Pickledtink for the ideas about plants. Hand't thought of nicotinas and pansies.

[Earthbabe]

Ooh nicotianas for shade. I hadn't thought of those. I have a patch that gets shady more in the summer due to the pear tree but it is also the dampest part of the garden. I've plonked a hellebore in there which looks ok at the mo. My pansies didn't do well up there though. I have also got a sweet violet but it hasn't flowered this year. I think it's got too crowded with the hollyhocks.