Happy Birthday, Paracelsus

Paracelsus, I know you're already musing over next year's garden - may your and all our efforts bring smiles to us like this one - Happy Birthday

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To the Vegetable Forum - I thought I saw a great thread by Paracelsus around here some time ago about a subject dear to many of our hearts - growing vegies in the shade - hopefully we can revisit that topic

Karen

I bet this is that thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/802376/
Great idea, Karen!!
Want to start a "Shady Veggies" thread?

Thanks, Potagere, I do, but have to catch up on a few other things, first. Shade and a whole lot of other obstacles, including critters, really kept our harvest rather pitiful.

Ironically, the critters sowed some pumpkin seed from the compost pile that germinated throughout the flowers, and we had quite a few seedlings to share with the neighbors. But, here's one I missed that we allowed to hoist itself up over what was supposed to be a morning glory arbor -

Any pumpkin seedlings that tried to grow on the ground eventually got chomped (possums?), but aside from losing their leaves on the way up (deer?), once the trunks of the vines got up there, they leafed and flowered and partied just fine. I also think that elevating plants - somehow - and for some reason - makes them happier in the shade.

Karen

Nice squash!
Yes, I bet that beggies that get more sun do better than veggies in the shade!
But exploring the topic still seems worthwhile.

I agree - let me catch up on some promises I've made, and I'll be back - we've got lots of scheming and dreaming to do this fall and winter for next summer

OK see you later!

Thanks for the bday wishes, bluespiral. I haven't been coming around much anymore, so I just saw it. That's a great pic--looks just like me.:)

I did try some stuff in the shade this year. I tried tomatoes, some black nightshade, spinach, broccoli, and cabbages. The tomatoes were rather spindly and not worth the bother, although they did make fruits and ripen them. The black nightshade grew all right, and I will probably plant more of them in the shade next year. The broccolis I never watered enough, but they were leggy also, so I don't think they liked the shade much. The spinach did fine. The second batch of cabbage also did surprisingly well (first batch did poorly), but I will still grow cabbage in the sun this coming year. I think I will stick to leafy greens and shade-loving herbs for the shady area next year.

Yes, I am already planning next year's garden. Gotta keep myself busy. Next year I am focusing on a lot more herbs plus I will try a bunch of antique veggie varieties, like Purple Top Milan turnip, White Custard squash, January King cabbage, Egyptian Turnip Rooted beet, and others. I intend to fully plumb the depths of the Seed Savers listing this February, I can tell ya that!

Harry, thanks for the bug-in-the-ear about Seed Savers. After reading the following article about how drastically the variety of commercially available vegies, flowers and herbs has declined over the past couple of decades - with many of the remaining few being replaced with patented and/or GMO varieties - growing open pollinated and heirloom treasures to help keep more of them from disappearing seems even more imperative -

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/938143/


Y'all - there's a Vegetable/Herb Swap going on no here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/938067/ . Last day to sign up is tomorrow, January 15, with seeds due in by the end of January. I'm working on getting my haves and wants up there today. Some of the traders are offering open pollinated varieties - there are some good tried-and-true varieties and some very unusual ones - hope y'all add to the variety

I apologize for not posting this sooner.

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ps - am demailing you, Harry