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ruchioswal

Sideyard vegetable garden design

7 years ago

Looking to use my sideyard space to make a vegetable and fruit garden. I have a slope on the sides of my house.
Please suggest ideas and pictures.

Comments (18)

  • 7 years ago

    PIctures of your space would help. Dimensions would help. Knowing what part of the planet you are on would help.

  • 7 years ago

    Sideyard and backyard

  • 7 years ago

    For edible crops, (depending on orientation/the way the sun moves) you're going to get the best production if you line the shady part in back with something like black raspberries or blackberries or currants, that can take some shade. Then maybe some raised beds with vegetables that need more sun closer to the patio. Squash can take a little bit of shade and might make a good transition crop for the slope.

  • 7 years ago

    What is your USDA hardiness zone? How much sun does this spot get? Do you have deer on property? How much time can you devote to tending the garden through the growing season?


    If you have deer you may have to start with a fence first.

    If you are in the US, Check with your state's university extension office in your county - Most extension offices have a ton of information on their website. There are also workshops and hotline support that is specific to your county.


    If you are new to vegetable gardening start with things you and your family like to eat- no point growing Brussels sprouts if no one will eat those :-)


    From your local library get some books on gardening- Dick Raymond's books are very useful. So are those published by Ortho and Rodale.


  • 7 years ago

    For any kind of successful production, the area needs at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. And more is better :-) Even salad greens, probably the most shade tolerant of any veggie crop, will need that much sunlight. Fruits need more. If the area does not satisfy that need, I'd locate the veggie/fruit garden elsewhere.

  • 7 years ago

    It's not impossible to grow food in a shady spot, but what you're doing then is more like "forest gardening" than the traditional vegetable garden. But first you do need to figure out the orientation and how much sun the various parts get, and then design the landscape to put the right food crops in the right spot for how much shade they can tolerate. The shade tolerant ones may not be the ones you like though, so YMMV.

    Here's a great exposition on how one family dealt with a shady back yard. However, not quite as shady as yours. If that is your berm on the yard you might want to rethink what you have planted there if you're looking for food production.


    https://www.tenthacrefarm.com/benefits-of-the-edible-forest-garden/

  • 7 years ago

    Here’s my side garden. It was a raspberry thicket with the poor peach and nectarine trees getting choked. I cleaned out most of raspberries and put in a 10 inch edging to try to contain them to the side. Put in 3 cedar boxes 4x6 and added in ground beds on each end for vines, rhubarb and herbs. I put cloth, rocks and pavers in between to minimize weeds. It all has drip irrigation since I live on Utah. It’s so each to manage - few weeds and pests.

  • 7 years ago

    It is not the location that is at issue - a vegetable garden can be located anywhere in the garden one prefers or has room. But it will not do well or be very productive unless it gets a sufficient amount of sunlight. The above photos appear to offer mostly open sun - the OP's is heavily shaded.

  • 7 years ago

    Pictures taken at 12:30 pm afternoon. I do get full 5-6 hours of morning sun

  • 7 years ago

    Check out some "Edible Lanscaping" books, there are many. And anything by Rosalind Creasy. https://www.rosalindcreasy.com/

    Lots of great ideas there.

  • 7 years ago

    www.rosalindcreasy.com

    This website does not work, or shows anything?

  • 7 years ago

    Apparently that website is under construction. But you can look HERE to get similar info. Google is your friend :-)

  • 7 years ago

    Currant bushes work well in morning sun.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Sorry about that bad link. RC used to have an extensive web site so maybe it is being redone or something. I didn't notice the "under construction" note and I have been to the site before, so I thought it was working. But yes, google her and you can find lots of info. about her books and articles where she discusses some of her techniques and ideas.

    There are also books on permaculture and forest gardening that take trees and shade into account when planning gardens. Again, google is your friend, there are lots of great online articles about permaculture and food forest garden design. But again, depends on what you like to eat and want to grow.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Morning sun will grow leafy edibles like chard, kale, spinach, collard greens but not something like tomatoes, green beans etc.

  • 7 years ago

    Ruchi, you appear to have a couple of fruit trees there already. A peach and an apple??? How do they fare? If you get peaches I should think you have a reasonable bit of sun.

    And, as far as I can see, you still haven't given us any idea of where you are located geographically. That matters for offering useful ideas.

  • 7 years ago

    Yes I live in Northern California.