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Growing Plants in Partial Shade


Gold Post Medal for All Time! 858 Posts
April 10, 2008

Planet Earth may only have one sun, but in the world of gardening, there are several: full sun, partial sun, afternoon sun, morning sun, and dappled sun. Then there is shade: full shade, partial shade, and dappled shade. Determining the light requirements for plants is never an exact science; there are too many other factors at play (cloudy days, extreme heat). Still, if you have ever pondered the difference between partial sun and partial shade, here are some generally accepted definitions to help serve as a guide.
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Plant Categories Based on Reaction to Light

The amount of sun and its intensity is only part of the equation when growing plants. Physiologically, some plants have preset internal light meters that trigger flowering not according to sun, but according to overall daylight conditions. As a result, botanists have created three categories based on how a plant reacts to light. Some plants are "short day" plants, others are "day neutral", and some are considered "long day" plants.

Short day plants: Plants that must receive less than 12 hours of light each to in order to flower. Examples include Christmas cactus, chrysanthemums, and poinsettias. Most spring crops, such as lettuces, chard, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower and herbs are not considered "short day" plants, but perform best with 12 to 14 hours of light.

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Day neutral plants: These plants are labeled neutral because they will flower regardless of the number of hours of light received each day. (Of course, this does not mean they will flower in total darkness). They perform best if given a relatively long day consisting of 18 hours or more of light but will also flower if less is available. Examples include tomatoes, corn, and cucumbers.

Long day plants: Lettuce, spinach, and potatoes, as well as many summer flowers and garden vegetables fall into this category. These plants perform best when days are long (18 hours) and night cycles are short.

Light Meters

A light meter is an easy way to find out how much light a part of your garden receives. Using a photocell, most light meters measure the available light in foot candles (the amount of light one candle throws from a distance of 1 ft) or give a simple intensity reading using "low", "medium", or "high". Today's light meters are relatively inexpensive (around $20) and come with built in extras like moisture meters and pH testers. Make sure the meter you buy comes with information that includes recommendations for determining how the readings translate into sun exposure.

 

Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

March 23, 2005

Flowers that you can grow in partial sunlight. Post your ideas.

Answers


Diamond Feedback Medal for All Time! 1,023 Feedbacks
March 23, 20050 found this helpful

Impatiens flowers are easy to grow in partial sun.

By ptreskovich

 
By Linda (Guest Post)
March 23, 20050 found this helpful

Clivia, lipstick plant, azaleas, maidenhair fern, hydrangea

 
By (Guest Post)
March 25, 20050 found this helpful

Hostas and most lilies do well in low light. If you have a lot of deciduous trees you can plant spring bulbs that will bloom before the leaves of the trees come out.

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Peach

 
By Helen (Guest Post)
March 25, 20050 found this helpful

Hi, You can grow Hosta's , Coleus, Impatiens,and Begonias. The Begonias are so colorfull and you can buy the non-stop Blooming variety for a really nice showing

 
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October 23, 2009

Can sunflowers grow without sunlight?

By jontavius from GA

Answers


Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 147 Feedbacks
October 23, 20090 found this helpful

No, most plants have to have sun to grow, good luck.

 
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