Edible Seasonal Passive Sunshade

Besides grapvines, you might consider pumpkins and squash. I grow pumpkins in the rear of our garden and in the sideyard, next to the house because it's that much less grass to cut. The pumpkins in the back grow on a 9 foot tall pipe trellis every year because I grow other plants on the same trellis under them - tomatoes and beans last year. (The lower level of plants is not shaded much by the pumpkins because of their much lower height and the East/West orientation of the trellis.)

I don't grow monster pumpkins, just smaller, cooking pumpkins, and the fruit manages to hang quite nicely all on their own without falling off and bashing innocent bystanders.

They give me a nice shady spot to boot when I "train" the vines to go up and across right where I plant my own butt on my bench by using some heavy cording. The only down side is removing the dead plants in the fall!

You might also want to consider hanging planters for both vining and non-vining plants as more passive shading. That way you could have the flexibility of extending the shaded period by planting cold-weather plants in the early spring and fall.

Reply to
Evelyn McHugh
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I hope you don't mind me replying. I'm checking my Mac set-ups. Last year, I found pole beans very good for passive sunshade. Their leaves are a good size. I grew Kentucky Wonders. This year I will put in a lot more as they are good for canning and freezing.

I know morning glories aren't edible but I'm using those for passive shade on the greenhouse west side this summer.

Reply to
Serendipity

Ok, removable trellises...

If you are going to grow squash, pumpkins, or other vining "veggies" that die back in the winter, just use a disposable trellis! :-)

Make a trellis out of hemp cording. That way, when the vines die or freeze, you just cut the entire string trellis down and discard it...

I've never done it, but I've read about it!

Dead vine removal is a mess. :-P

Reply to
Katra

Collected posts:

----------- Consider Malabar Spinach an annual.    Grapes may be of interest also.   Mix in moon flowers and other flowering vines for interest...NOT Edible.

----------- In addition to the above, Not quite edible, perhaps useful if you brew your own beer though, is hops.  You could train some indeterminate  tomatos, some pole beans, maybe a small melon or summer squash?? Lots of plants that are edible have a vining habit.

---------------- Grapevines? :-) The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata. Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes. I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!

----------------- Have you tried the "choko"

---------------- Honeysuckle is sorta nice and moderatly easy to maintain where you want it. But its not edible. Smells really nice though.

------------------ Check with your county agricultural extension office.  It may be listed under the state college (in New York, it is Cornell Extension office). Their information and publications are mostly free and will be geared to your exact location.  They also usually are the base for 4-H groups and you could get information through them.

In China, they grow grape vines that shade pig runs.  The floor of the runs (cement) is slightly sloped so that when hosed down, the water and manure flow to water and fertilize the vines.  Multiple use.

---------------------- Kiwis would  be a good choice (if you're willing to consider perennials). There are hardy varieties than can be grown to zone 4, or the more familiar fuzzy varieties, which are hardy to zone 8 and might be ok in zone 7 if you got lucky. They're fairly attractive and grow quickly, but take a while before they'll start giving fruit. But would be lower maintenance than annual vines, and you'll eventually get a lot more height out of them.

The problem you will run into with most typical climbing vegetables is that they don't grow that tall. You might be able to get about 8 ft out of pole beans, and 10-15 ft out of some types of runner beans, but that'll be about it. Curcubits (squash, cukes, pumpkins, etc.) will probably top out at around 6-8 ft. They (both beans and curcubits) also are fairly prone to a variety of pests: leaf-eating insects, soil dwelling insects, and various mildews and so on. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try them; just means they're one of those plants that can be hit-or-miss, even for experienced gardeners.

If I were you, I'd experiment with the edible shade concept for now, but also plant a proper row of quick-maturing shade trees. By the time the trees get taller than the crop plants, you'll probably be sick of trying to grow dinner on the side of your house and be ready to move your efforts to a proper garden space.

-------------------- I use Thompson Seedless grapes on trellises.  Plenty bushy, plenty shady, need little to no water, makes wine, grapes, raisins.

----------------------

I'd allow at least four feet, both for ease of access during harvest and pruning and to minimize the likelyhood of creepers bridging the gap.

----------------------- Also, string beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and melons will climb a trellis.  Consider dipper gourds and loofahs.

------------------------ Besides grapvines, you might consider pumpkins and squash. I grow pumpkins in the rear of our garden and in the sideyard, next to the house because it's that much less grass to cut. The pumpkins in the back grow on a 9 foot tall pipe trellis every year because I grow other plants on the same trellis under them - tomatoes and beans last year. (The lower level of plants is not shaded much by the pumpkins because of their much lower height and the East/West orientation of the trellis.)

I don't grow monster pumpkins, just smaller, cooking pumpkins, and the fruit manages to hang quite nicely all on their own without falling off and bashing innocent bystanders.

They give me a nice shady spot to boot when I "train" the vines to go up and across right where I plant my own butt on my bench by using some heavy cording. The only down side is removing the dead plants in the fall!

You might also want to consider hanging planters for both vining and non-vining plants as more passive shading. That way you could have the flexibility of extending the shaded period by planting cold-weather plants in the early spring and fall.

----------------------

Ok, removable trellises...

If you are going to grow squash, pumpkins, or other vining "veggies" that die back in the winter, just use a disposable trellis! :-)

Make a trellis out of hemp cording. That way, when the vines die or freeze, you just cut the entire string trellis down and discard it...

-----------------------------

Reply to
jetgraphics

I read in one of the gardening books that you might try soaking them in a vinegar solution to help them germinate. It's supposed to simulate the acid they go through inside the stomachs of birds when they're eaten in the wild. I'm fortunate enough to have some wild passionflowers growing on my property, but I was thinking of trying to spread them around a bit more. I did gather a few of the fruit last year. Maybe I'll experiment with the seeds and see if I can get them to germinate. I was also thinking maybe nicking the seeds might do the trick.

Growing old is mandatory. Growing wise is optional.

Reply to
The Watcher

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