So, you’re growing a vegetable garden and want to know where to place it.
The majority of vegetables need full sun to thrive. Full sun is between 6 and 8 hours of direct sunlight. For success with the widest variety of vegetables, place your garden in an area that receives lots of light.
To do this, you’ll want to find which direction is North. The sun’s path through the sky is a key consideration when picking the location of your garden. The sun begins by rising in the East, passing high in the sky towards the South and setting victoriously in the West. You’ll want to place your garden on the South side of any building, or tall trees to avoid unnecessary shade. The least ideal location for a garden is on the North side of any building or stand of trees. This is because the Southern sun will be blocked and the area will be in shade for the important afternoon hours. When looking for areas with optimal sun light, keep in mind that tree’s with bare branches in spring become leaf filled, shade producers by summer.
Perhaps, the sunniest spot of your property is on the deck or in the driveway? This is when raised beds or pots become great options. Just know, the smaller the pot the more you’ll need to water it, especially on hot summer days.
There are plants that grow in part sun, or at least 4 hours of direct sun light. You can grow these varieties in a full sun garden by intermixing them with larger plants. For example basil, beets or turnips can be planted on the North side of a tomato, as they’ll receive the shade produced by the larger tomato plant. If growing pole beans, or other climbing varieties that are being grown vertically, plant part shade species on the North side of these structures. Climbing varieties are also useful when space is limited.
Often, a garden will be in full sun for much of the day and in the afternoon or morning one tree or building will be shading half of the garden more then the rest, place your partial sun vegetables on this side of the plot.
There are varieties of plants that will grow in light shade, or 2 to 4 hours of sun. These varieties are mostly your greens, such as chard, spinach, arugula and lettuce. Plant these seeds every 2 weeks for a constant supply of fresh greens that are always tender and delicious.
Take these considerations in when planning the spot for your vegetable garden. Remember there is also fencing, proximity to water and soil conditions to consider as well. More to come!
Here are a list of plants and their sun requirements.
https://www.gardeningchannel.com/sun-and-shade-loving-vegetables-list/