What Grows in Shade?

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What Grows in Shade?

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Róisín

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 578

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 05 10:28 pm Post subject: What Grows in Shade?
I'd like to grow something in my house but have failed so far. The house is dark (small, crappy windows) and gets hardly any natural light. So far I've killed lavender, basil, fuschia and yet more lavender. sniff They were all loved, talked to, and watered but died anyway. So is there any type of edible potplanty organism that would flourish in what feels like my dungeon Cheers in advance.

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 05 12:28 am Post subject:
been there done that... haha, i almost even considered mushrooms. seriously though, plants need light,even if its artificial. so, maybe you would consider a grow lamp of some sort? or some extreme care, such as bringing them outside during the day? that'll open up many options for you.

tawny owl

Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 563
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 05 7:19 am Post subject:

Anything that grows in a woodland should grow - ivy, fatsia fatshedera, vinca, hostas, lily of the valley, for instance. In general, look for plants with large and/or glossy leaves; the large leaves make for efficient use of what light is available, and the glossiness is there to reflect as much light around the plant as possible, so they're usually the ones that will grow best in shade. Lavender is a Mediterrranean plant and is adapted to sun and dry conditions, as are most other grey-leaved plants. Most annuals, such as basil, also need a lot of sun because they need to put their whole life into one year and they just don't have the energy stores to keep going in shade. I am slightly surprised your fuchsia didn't grow - if it was a fancy one, though, you could try the usual red species one, as that's native to the British Isles, and thus adapted to the climate.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28111
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 05 8:52 am Post subject:
We have wild strawberries flourishing in chalky soil in the shade.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 05 10:08 am Post subject:
Of course, yields in the shade are always lower, when you're growing something edible. Still, I've grown coriander on a shady window ledge, and you can sprout seeds indoors in complete darkness.

Róisín

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 578

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 05 5:08 pm Post subject:
Thank ye so much. I'll be having a much more informed root (no pun intended!) in the garden shop next payday

tawny owl

Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 563
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 05 7:38 am Post subject:
Oh yes, and ferns and violets, of course!

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 05 1:16 am Post subject:
Surprisingly aloe vera, a desrert plant, seems to do fine in shade. Maybe ransom, chives, lemon balm.

JudithNZ

Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 2

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 05 3:09 am Post subject:

Any of the mints, water cress (it will grow in soil), loose-leaf lettuces, ferns, mouse plant (has an unusual flower the shape of a mouse, complete with tail), moss (several varieties, can be fun to grow). I grow a lot of things in containers, even outdoors. Then I can shift them into shade, protection from frost, or into the sun as and when it suits me and the plants. But lots of things will grow in the shade/dark.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 05 7:22 am Post subject:
Reading a herbal teas book, with a list of plants suitable for shade, of which the windowsill sized ones are hyssop (odd?) parsley and tarragon You could also have a mess about with the RHS plant selector: https://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/default.aspx

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 05 10:26 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

Of course, yields in the shade are always lower, when you're growing something edible. Still, I've grown coriander on a shady window ledge, and you can sprout seeds indoors in complete darkness.

i've grown coriander in a shady spot as well

also mustard, radishes and rhubarb, from seed! all did very well in a shady and somewhat windy spot

Róisín

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 578

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 05 7:32 am Post subject:

Right well this is just to let ye know how I got on.

After reading the replies I realised that I could do a lot more if I didn't just sit there and look at the plants in the sitting room. So after a trip to my mothers, I uprooted some rosemary growing out her back garden, shoved it in a huge pot with mosspeatystuff and carted it the 260km back to the dungeonflat. Instead of putting it on a shelf and hoping it would grow, I've set up a little table for it itself, which is in an awkward spot by the slanted bedroom window. And it's working! I move it around according to where the light is streaming in in it's thin line at whatever time of day.

So thanks for all the encouragement and ideas

All meals are rosemaryflavoured now!

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