How to Grow Plants with Little Sun

How to Grow Plants with Little Sun

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

Some people might think that growing plants without much sun is a difficult, if not impossible, task. With little sunlight, gardeners may think they are faced with limited plant choices and no possibility for color.

However, that is not the case, says Jessica Damiano. She is a gardening expert for the Associated Press and recently shared suggestions on growing plants in low-light conditions, or shade.

Damiano says you just need to learn how to work with shady conditions. And, she adds, finding the right plants for the right places, can make all the difference.

What type of shade do you have?

The first step is understanding the type of shade you have. This is based on the amount of time that sun shines on the area.

She describes the three main types of shade. They are:

part shade (3-6 hours of direct sun, usually in the morning),

full shade (less than 3 hours of direct sun) and

deep shade (sunlight rarely, if ever, gets through trees or past structures like buildings).

When sunlight shines through overhead tree branches and leaves, it creates an area with both light and shade. The light only falls in certain small areas and is called "dappled."

Observe the area

After you choose the planting area, observe the light it gets during an entire day. Note how many hours of direct sunlight reaches the ground.

If you are still uncertain, buy a sunlight meter. (Damiano says this device can cost as little as $20.) Place the light meter in the planting area for a full day and then read the results.

Buy the right plants

When you know your shade conditions, find plants that suit them.

This information is available where plants and seeds are sold. You can also research that information online, in books or magazines. Experts at gardening stores are other sources of information.

And don't forget your local gardeners. When walking around a community garden or your neighborhood, take note of plants growing in shady areas. Talk to the gardeners. Learn about their successes and failures.

Shade gardens need different care

Damiano says there are things to know about caring for a shade garden.

For example, shady gardens usually take longer to warm up in spring. They also stay cooler on hot summer days. As a result, they will likely require more fertilizer, or plant food.

Also, they usually need less water. This is because the dirt stays wetter longer after a rainfall or watering than it does in full sun.

However, if the shade is caused by large trees directly overhead, some types of plants may need to be watered more often. So, she suggests that gardeners pay close attention to that.

She suggests adding a lot of compost to the soil at planting time. This will increase the amount of water the soil can hold. Compost will also add high-quality nutrients¹. And if the area has hard clay, compost will improve its drainage. (Clay is a type of hard earth that drains water poorly.)

Damiano also says to add material, or mulch, to the surface of the plant bed. This helps keep the soil wet and healthy.

Deep shade is the most challenging for gardeners. If you garden in a three- or four-season climate where deciduous² trees block the summer sun, take advantage of springtime conditions by planting bulbs. They will grow into a colorful spring show before the trees become too leafy.

Ways to increase light

The gardening expert adds that painting nearby structures white reflects sunlight. Glass and mirrored objects can also reflect light around the garden.

If possible, carefully cut some tree branches. This is "to prune," and it lets more sunlight reach the ground.

What to plant?

Damiano says to research the low-light plants suitable for your area. She also says to not give up on growing plants you can eat. Vegetables like tomatoes and peppers need a lot of sun. But leafy greens actually grow better in part shade. Asian greens, arugula, cilantro, spinach³, and kale all grow well in dappled to part shade.

As for pests, Damiano says that some, like slugs and snails⁴, like shade gardens. But most other pests are less of a problem in low-light conditions.

She also suggests another good thing about shady gardens – you will sweat less while gardening!

Words in This Story

gardener – n. a person who works in a garden especially for pay

meter – n. an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording⁵ the time or amount of something

compost – n. a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing⁶ and conditioning land

clay – n. an earthy material that is sticky and easily molded when wet and hard when baked

drainage – n. the act or process of removing a liquid

deciduous – adj. biology : falling off or shed seasonally⁷ or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle

bulb – n. a dormant⁸ stage of a plant that is formed underground and consists of a very short stem with one or more flower buds surrounded by special thick leaves

reflect – v. to bend or throw back (waves of light, sound, or heat)

sweat – v. to give off salty moisture through the pores of the skin

1 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 deciduous   

adj.非永久的；短暂的；脱落的；落叶的

参考例句：

• Overgrown deciduous shrubs can be cut back at this time of year.过于繁茂的落叶灌木可以在每年的这个时候修剪。
• Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn.落叶树木在秋天落叶。

3 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

4 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 fertilizing   

v.施肥( fertilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Sometimes the preliminary step must be taken of reducing weed population before fertilizing. 有时候，在施肥之前，必须采取减少杂草密度的预备性步骤。 来自辞典例句
• The self fertilizing garden can also be planted in raised beds. 自我施肥的菜园也可以在苗圃床中种植。 来自互联网

7 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

8 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。