Bucket Farming In Partial Shade

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I have long wanted to try some urban bucket farming, but my only available space for it (my back balcony) may not be optimal; hence I ask you, my neighbors. In spring and summer the balcony gets about 4 hours of strong direct sunlight in the afternoon, but is in the shadow of the house for the other hours of daylight. Are there any veggies that can thrive in part-time sun like that?

Total noob at this, obviously.

Comments

[latvianchick.livejournal.com]

You can basically grow things you use for leaves rather than fruit. Lettuces. Chard. Spinach. Herbs.

[ifotismeni]

purslane! actually that might be too much sun for it, but yeah, purslane :)

[thespian.livejournal.com]

mint will grow anywhere you let it. Jerusalem artichokes actually should not get *more* than 4 hours of sun. In addition to the 'anything you raise for leaves' mentioned above, I'll note that the things to *avoid* are the plants that flower such as eggplant, tomatoes,etc. Root vegetables do well, if you can provide a deep enough pot (I did purple carrots last year just to *see* how they would turn out; about 15 of them in a large cat litter plastic tub).

hammercock and I went to a workshop on container gardening last year and can give you some tips if you'd like.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

My back balcony gets sun from sunrise till noon or so - not quite full sun but possibly a little better than partial shade - and I've squeezed tomatoes out of it anyway. Herbs will do ok there too.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to growing some herbs. Perhaps it will make me want to cook more often.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I had to google that. Wikipedia used the word "mucilaginous." I'm a little afraid! What does it taste like?

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Rats, no tomatoes. :-( I love them, but my boyfriend will be delighted because he hates them.

At lunch today surrealestate corrected my use of "bucket" farming and said the proper term is "container." Because she is a mighty Urban Gentrifier!

[ifotismeni]

it tastes basically like arugula or lettuce if you eat it fresh, i recommend lightly braising in oil or steaming. goes really well in a salad or on its own. it's amazing and is PACKED with omega-3s, like more than eating fish, and is one of the healthiest things you can eat and is beloved all over the mediterranean and north africa.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Hey, them's fightin' words!

I specifically said I was telling you that so you'd know the better search phrase. :) And I suggested lettuce and other leafy greens.

However, having been on your porch plenty of times, I think you actually could do tomatoes, and there's not much harm in putting one out plant out there and seeing what happens. Try cherry tomatoes, for easy snacking.

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about the sun requirements but Malabar Spinach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba#Food_uses) is something we've grown happily in our balcony bucket garden. Nutritious and beautiful, especially if you get the red-vine version. Also it tolerates hot summer weather, unlike regular spinachy things.

I believe we got our seeds from Evergreen Seeds (http://www.evergreenseeds.com/malabarspinach.html).

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I would love to at least try tomatoes. I wonder if the raccoons will leave them alone?

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll try for cherry tomatoes. :-)

[alphacygni]

Make sure to get specially-small-for-containers cherry tomato plants. Standard cherry tomato plants are can actually be vicious monsters that will grow ten feet tall and try to eat your house. You want small fruit AND a smaller plant, depending on how big of a container you can get.

The Pemberton garden center, once the season gets going, has an amazing variety of mint plants. Chocolate mint, pineapple mint... I grew orange mint on my porch last year, and I kept going out there to graze on it, munch munch munch.

[rozasharn.livejournal.com]

The color of the house can also make a difference. White paint reflects more light and encourages plants; a dark-brown house would not make the plants as happy.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you asked this, since I am in the same boat with our rear balcony. I know where to put the tomatoes, but what do I put out back? Now I know.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I'm posting this for purpose of general gardening information, cause I don't have any great suggestions for specific plants: The Somerville Garden Club (http://www.somervillegardenclub.org/) could be another good resource. Not so much the website, but their monthly meetings include about an hour of general Q&A when people can ask about whatever they want related to gardening.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I just found this list (http://www.inthegardenonline.com/picks_10vegforshadeC21.htm) via gardening, which claims that you can grow the following in 3-6 hours of sun a day:

1. Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, cress, and radicchio
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Peas
5. Beets
6. Brussels Sprouts
7. Radishes
8. Swiss Chard
9. Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
10. Beans

If you try beans or peas (and you could start peas now, they like cool weather!), some varieties are climbers, so they'll need a pole or string. But there are non-climbing varieties (aka "bush") too.