Will my garden plants still grow if my backyard doesn’t receive any sun?
IT CAN be difficult growing plants in your garden during the UK winter months, or if your garden doesn't receive much sunlight.
So let's take a look to see if it's plausible to still grow a garden under these conditions.
Will my garden plants still grow if my backyard doesn't receive any sun?
Knowing where to place your plants is as important as knowing what types to grow in the first place.
The outdoor temperatures will heavily define what can be easily grown.
Yet, the ultimate placement of your chosen vegetables will decide how well they’ll grow for you.
Some plants crave for bright sunny conditions and other plants are comfortable in the shade.
Typically, most plants will need a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of light each day (sometimes bright, sometimes indirect), yet some will only thrive if they are getting 10 or up to 14 hours of light.
Some really shade-loving plants will even do fine if they only get 3 to 4 hours.
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If your garden is completed shaded, your plants will struggle to grow and begin to show signs, such as colour changes in the leaves and a “leggy” stem.
However, not all plants have the same daylight needs, which could be why some of your plants do well and some do not even when they are all getting the same full “day” of sunlight.
What should you do if your garden doesn't get enough sun?
Preparing the soil can be one of the best things you can do for your garden plants as they fare best in well-drained, rich soil.
Buy soil mixes from gardening stores and enrich them with compost and slow-release fertiliser made for low-light plants.
You should also consider choosing plants that grow well in light or partial shade.
There are steps that can be taken to get more light into your garden.
For example, you can install mirrors to help reflect light and heat from the sun.
Or, paint a wall white so that it can reflect and diffuse light in different directions.
What outdoor plants can grow without sun?
Here's some plants that can grow well in the shade:
- Wood spurge, Iris foetidissima
- Wood spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides
- Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis
- Winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis
- Bellflower, Campanula lactiflora
- Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea
- Granny’s bonnet, Aquilegia
- Bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis
- Lungwort, Pulmonaria
- Siberian bugloss, Brunnera macrophylla
If you're looking to grow vegetables in the shade, here's some recommendations:
- Swiss chard
- Brassicas
- Salad leaves
- Beetroot
- Kohlrabi
- Radishes
- Carrots
- Leeks
- Kale
- Broad beans
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Can a garden grow in the shade?
While growing a garden in the shade can be tricky, it is not impossible.
It's important to research around the plants you want to include in your garden and how well they'll fare in shady conditions.