(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

OT - Garden Location?

T

TonyIN

Member
Relocating and expanding the garden... want to put it where the old swings/play area was as I"m now using that gravel for the slab base in my shop. Good location and visibility from the house (pic was shot from the back porch), good topsoil, and will probably end up 30W"x40"L, or bigger.... Basic veggies. Looking to maybe add strawberries, etc. Going to keep the old smaller garden too for peppers or?.

I"ve always grown up with a garden and always had one. They"ve always been in the open with full sun. This location will be shaded in the late afternoon/evening by the trees to the west. The pic is shot looking due south and there is a grade to it that drains toward the pond.

My question - Is the shade a good or bad thing? Again, never had one that was partially shaded.

Thanks

Tony
a64141.jpg
 
Shade depends on how many hours per day are shaded. I have shade on three sides--N,W,S--of my garden, but it's far enough away that it's not a biug deal. I usually have a pretty good garden.

Larry
 
Sun light is the fuel of plants. Your tractor will sputter along on less than the proper amount of fuel, but it won't put out full power. That is the reason plants grow faster near June 21st than other times of the year. The same with your garden, it will produce best at full sun. Joe
 
Master gardener once told me that any shade is not your friend. Use wider spacing if you use this location to help the tomatoes who are not shade friendly. Also walnut trees will hurt many garden crops when too close to garden. Every area in the mid west has master gardeners.
 
Sun is EVERYTHING.

My father taught me that lesson when I was about 13. I ventured off to make me OWN garden separate from his.

I picked a nice spot near the woodline where it got plenty of sun most of the day, but late day shade.

He warned me that the decreased sun would be a problem, but I knew he was wrong.

Despite all my work and doing everything else right, his vegetables were so much bigger and better than mine that I had to admit defeat - not an easy thing for a rebellious teen.

It'll work, but just not as well as a garden in full sun.

As he said, the sun is free - don't skimp on it.
 
I'd say somewere on that land that slopes to the pond. The lower you go the better the topsoil, but some downgrade. Then you can furrow it, run a line from a pond pump to the top and irrigate the whole thing with gravity.
 
In the Carolinas where temperatures hit 105 degrees in the summertime, shade is a must. EVERY garden around here is near the woods for that reason. Personally, I try to have 1 hour of shade for every 4 hours of sunlight. Your climate might be cooler, but remember that shade can be a very good thing.

SF
 
The tree roots will like it if planted very close to them. They will go toward the good ground and moisture. I vote no trees with in 40-50 feet of garden at the least.
 
True - I thought of that after I posted.

Speaking from New England, you absolutely want max sun.

The op's picture looked sort of north-eastern-ish, considering this year's mild winter.

If max sun IS desired, then I'd say on the south side of that slope down to the pond.

Also, if in the northeast and there's the occassional crazy flooding, I'd keep it up high enough from the water line that you don't have to worry.

And give some thought to which way your rows are going to run, and what you're planting. There is such a thing as too much water. Can't really see how steep the slope is from that picture.

Man, the deer are really going to LOVE their new garden right next to that watering hole.
 
I agree with the others no shade if you can help it,if you cant well put it where you can.MY garden is about fifty foot east of one old spindly cottonwood.In the late evening that one tree casts a shadow right across the garden.you can literaly see in the garden where that little bit of shade is.Corn honestly wont grow half as tall .tomatoes will be about half the size of those in full sun.But since i dont have anywhere else good and handy to water for a garden,and momma wont let me cut that tree down ,im sort of stuck.Its really amazing to see the difference that little bit of sun the last hour or hour and a half of each day makes.
 
I agree with no shade. I have that problem now.
You can use that pond to water your garden when there's no rain. Hal
 
As close to the house as you can, and as far from the woods as you can. Keep the deer outta it as much as you can. Tried one time to plant some fruit trees in a back field... Never had a chance.
 
Some great input here....
To answer a few questions, located in SE Indiana. The woods to the right in the pic is just a tree patch. Deer generally don"t get to this side of the pond - way too close to the dogs for their comfort. I also fence the garden, so that helps too.

After hearing the responses, I am concerned about the shade. Was originally thinking it would help from baking things in late afternoon. Can move it east (to the left in the pic) but the shop is about 50 ft to the east, so it would shade in the morning.

Any plants that may do better in this partial shade location? I still have the other garden that gets full sun...

Thanks again

Tony
 
My parents' garden was located where it got some late afternoon shade - but the trees where probably at least 80-100 feet away. So it got sun most of the day. It always produced well.

Ours does pretty good, but we do NOT have one single bit of shade - and if/when it gets real hot and dry it is brutal on the plants. So I kind of wish we had either a little early morning or late afternoon shade. [I do plant my cukes in between corn to give them some shade, and nestle cabbage in between tomato plants so they get a bit of shade -- seems like they like it as long as they are not crowded too close.]
 
If the summertime temps hit 90 or better a little late afternoon shade will not hurt anything. When I was a kid our main garden spot was surrounded by trees. Always had a great garden.
 
Some of my potato plants get shade around 2 pm.I see no ill effect plus I can work in them when its shady.They do better because of the extra attention.Trees will compete for moisture,corn plants will show this when the row ends are near trees.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
OT - Garden Report
Replies
6
Views
578
Bruce (VA)
B
D
OT: City boy takes up farming (1937 American Mercury article
Replies
1
Views
1K
Vito
Vito
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top