Please don't hurt yourself laughing, but what is

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

'partial shade'?

I must have shelled out 15 bucks in the last week for those stupid little herb packages at the grocery store. Plus, the stores didn't always have what I was looking for & I ended up driving from one to the other. I am absolutely bound & determined to learn to grow herbs.

After 3 years of trying (and at least $100) my clematis sp? are about one foot tall. I have the blackest of black thumbs. But, I'm going to try once again to grow herbs. I've been googling & have a list of the herbs I most frequently use & their soil/shade requirements. But I can't figure out what 'partial shade' means. I even looked in an old Sunset gardening book, but they must have assumed that any idiot understands the term & didn't spell it out. Does it mean dappled sunlight? Or does it mean that the plant should be in sun X amount of time & in shade X amount of time? I must have 4000 square feet of patio, deck etc. Some parts are in full shade & some parts are shaded part of the day & some parts are dappled - like under one part of the deck which is slatted. And some parts are full sun.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Not laughing at all

That's an excellent question which has baffled gardeners for years. For me it is not putting a plant in direct sunlight all day long; which you would do for a tomato plant for instance. If you are planting in pots you can move your plants to where they are happiest and do best. I've also noticed that some of the stuff on containers and seed packets ain't necessarily totally accurate. I've had some wonderful plants which get a whole bunch of sun most of the day and are doing quite well, but according to the paperwork they should only get "partial sun." Herbs are fun to grow, keep an eye on them, water on occasion, but I have found I am my plants worst enemy. I love them to death. Too much human intervention is probably the number one reason for plant failure. The plants are good about letting you know when they need stuff (shade, sun, water, fertilizer.) Good luck

[TygrBright]

2. Not laughing at all... this is a very ambiguous term...

...like many in the gardening lexicon. "Partial shade" can mean anything from a coupla hours a day of shade, to bits of shade now and then, to half a day or more's worth of shade. And, of course, there's always the DEGREE of shade, from barely shady/lightly dappled, to deep in the shadow of a building.

Your best clue is to read up on the herb in its (as it were) native state. Many herbs are from a Mediterranean/North African-type climate originally. In that case, "partial shade" usually just means a little screening/shelter from direct sunlight during the worst heat of the day. Other herbs come from more temperate climates and will want plenty of shelter when the midsummer sun burns (parsley comes to mind.)

Pot up two or three of each kind, and put the pots in different sun/shade exposures and watch which ones are happiest. Then TAKE NOTES for next year.

With many herbs, soil and watering are more important than sun/shade exposure, especially the woody Mediterranean types like thyme, rosemary, etc. They don't want the soil too rich, and will hate wet feet/overwatering. It's easy to make their container too cushy for their preference. Mix in a little sand and plenty of vermiculite or perlite with the potting soil, and be sure you have very good drainage.

helpfully,
Bright

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

3. Thank you & bosshog!

I don't feel like a total idiot.

:youguysrock:

[susanna]

12. My experience is much the same as Tygr & BH noted.

Specifically, herbs absolutely thrive when I do little or next to nothing. In that regard, I consider them a very advantageous weed. In Detroit this year, we had a unusually dry summer (both with lack of precipitation AND low humidity - both rare here). I only watered my herb garden once a month. Right now, my herb garden is absolutely the best and thickest I've ever seen it. (Tastes good, too!) :-)

My herb bed is located right next to our (brick) house on a southeastern aspect. It is situated in such a way that it gets full sun (and these are guesstimates) as follows : in the spring, from about 12pm - 3pm; the summer, from 10am - 5pm; and in the fall, from 11am to 3pm. Of course these fluctuate as the light lengthens/retreats, but this is just general info for you. They get partial to complete shade in the time not noted in my estimates.

Just last year, I harvested rosemary for a lamb roast on New Year's Eve! I attribute that to the warmth from the brick of the house, but global warming isn't out of the question. I've noticed a lot of herbs coming back that should not in this zone - parsley, for instance. I've overwintered it twice without knowing how or why. :shrug:

I always look at gardening as ultimately a science experiment. What works, I'm happy for, and what doesn't I observe and try to improve the next try!

Now I have terrible trouble taking lovely, vibrant herbs indoors for the winter in pots. They ALWAYS die. Always...

on edit: cohesiveness is good

[TygrBright]

13. If you don't already know this: DON'T put your potted herbs in the kitchen...

...especially if you have a gas range. They are very sensitive to all the stuff in the kitchen air-- extra humidity, volatilized cooking oils, gasses given off by ripening fruits & vegetables, etc. They like their air very fresh, and they like good ventilation. If you don't have a porch that doesn't freeze, put them in a sunny guest room or other little-used room where you can turn off the heat registers. Dry heat is also a problem, as are the effects of oil- or propane-based heat. Many will take a light frost or regularly chilly nighttime temperatures as long as they get daytime sun and clean, fresh, well-ventilated air.

Those attractive pictures in catalogues and magazines of herbs growing in a sunny kitchen window or topiaried on a counter, etc., are pure hortiporn. Posed for the camera, not a real way to grow herbs.

helpfully,
Bright

[susanna]

14. See, that's what's weird...

I keep them on the back landing (inside stairwell) with lots of light. I don't have gas ranges in the kitchen, either. It's bizarre. All my herb-growing friends have no problem - and they keep them in gas kitchens! I'm not sure what is up, other than maybe my potting techniques are wanting. This year, they'll be stored in a south-facing window (in an upper-floor bedroom whose heat is turned off during the winter months). Hopefully I get better results. I'll keep the Gardening group posted.

TygrBright, thank you very much for your suggestions; I'll definitely see if I can make a difference this year based on what you've mentioned. BTW, "hortiporn" is one of the funniest words I've seen in years. LOVE it. ;-)

[Cleita]

4. Herbs are one the plants that grow for me with no problems and

I've never bothered much about where I put them. I believe that partial shade means that they can grow either in sun or with partial shade part of the day. It works for me.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

5. I have herbs!

Lots & lots of herbs! They're all doing great!

I have dill, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, chives, tarragon & chervil. They all live! And they've all grown.

I cannot tell you how happy I am.

Thank you everyone!

[TygrBright]

6. Congratulations!

Now quick, take a picture or write a blog entry or make a note in yer garden notebook or something so that next year you'll remember what was where and how well it did!

helpfully,
Bright

[baby_mouse]

9. YAY!

Do parsley! Do parsley next! It grows like the clappers and tastes yummy!

And mint! You can't KILL the stuff, it's practically a weed! And you can make nice tea from it.

[goddess40]

10. be wary of mint - it can take over everything

it's very invasive, that's why I grow mine in a pot. I even leave the pot sitting outside over the winter and the mint comes back every year.

[Cleita]

7. I have discovered that partial shade means no more than

five or six hours of sunlight a day. I grow herbs every year. Most of them do well in sunlight or in shade if they get five to six hours of sunlight a day. Those few that don't like sunlight are clearly labeled for shade only. More important I have found is the amount of water they need. Some herbs like to be a bit on the dry side, while others like lots of water in well drained soil.

[blueworld]

8. It's a very smart question

You've gotten some great answers already so I just want to add two points. I gardened for over 20 years in a mountainous area of Zone 6 and 3 years ago I moved to Zone 7a in Virginia. My garden is in full sun (I'll say). The direct sunlight over the summer is so harsh here, I have to protect plants that I otherwise would put in full sun. So my point is, keep experimenting for your own area. I plant my partial sun herbs where they get only morning sun here & I've harvested them 4 times already this year.

Second point & I hope this helps. I've been massively successful with clematis, (including sp.) and I have it all over my front porch (4 plants so far). I love it. They like a "hot head & cool feet" or so the saying goes. I plant mine where they get morning sun for 6 hours & mulch them heavily so their roots are cool (soaker hoses to water when necessary). Good luck! :hi:

[tigereye]

11. clematis needs a shady foot (roots) and a sunny head (top of plant)

I have one on a fence with southern exposure - it gets shade in the am and later in the day, but full sun in the middle of the day.

partial shade seems to mean a good amount of sun during the day and some shade, IMO.