How to Grow Plants with Little Sun

2022-05-24

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1
  • From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
  • 2
  • Some people might think that growing plants without much sun is a difficult, if not impossible, task.
  • 3
  • With little sunlight, gardeners may think they are faced with limited plant choices and no possibility for color.
  • 4
  • However, that is not the case, says Jessica Damiano.
  • 5
  • She is a gardening expert for the Associated Press and recently shared suggestions on growing plants in low-light conditions, or shade.
  • 6
  • Damiano says you just need to learn how to work with shady conditions.
  • 7
  • And, she adds, finding the right plants for the right places, can make all the difference.
  • 8
  • The first step is understanding the type of shade you have.
  • 9
  • This is based on the amount of time that sun shines on the area.
  • 10
  • She describes the three main types of shade.
  • 11
  • They are:
  • 12
  • part shade (3-6 hours of direct sun, usually in the morning),
  • 13
  • full shade (less than 3 hours of direct sun) and
  • 14
  • deep shade (sunlight rarely, if ever, gets through trees or past structures like buildings).
  • 15
  • When sunlight shines through overhead tree branches and leaves, it creates an area with both light and shade.
  • 16
  • The light only falls in certain small areas and is called "dappled."
  • 17
  • After you choose the planting area, observe the light it gets during an entire day.
  • 18
  • Note how many hours of direct sunlight reaches the ground.
  • 19
  • If you are still uncertain, buy a sunlight meter.
  • 20
  • (Damiano says this device can cost as little as $20.)
  • 21
  • Place the light meter in the planting area for a full day and then read the results.
  • 22
  • When you know your shade conditions, find plants that suit them.
  • 23
  • This information is available where plants and seeds are sold.
  • 24
  • You can also research that information online, in books or magazines.
  • 25
  • Experts at gardening stores are other sources of information.
  • 26
  • And don't forget your local gardeners.
  • 27
  • When walking around a community garden or your neighborhood, take note of plants growing in shady areas.
  • 28
  • Talk to the gardeners. Learn about their successes and failures.
  • 29
  • Damiano says there are things to know about caring for a shade garden.
  • 30
  • For example, shady gardens usually take longer to warm up in spring.
  • 31
  • They also stay cooler on hot summer days.
  • 32
  • As a result, they will likely require more fertilizer, or plant food.
  • 33
  • Also, they usually need less water.
  • 34
  • This is because the dirt stays wetter longer after a rainfall or watering than it does in full sun.
  • 35
  • However, if the shade is caused by large trees directly overhead, some types of plants may need to be watered more often.
  • 36
  • So, she suggests that gardeners pay close attention to that.
  • 37
  • She suggests adding a lot of compost to the soil at planting time.
  • 38
  • This will increase the amount of water the soil can hold. Compost will also add high-quality nutrients.
  • 39
  • And if the area has hard clay, compost will improve its drainage.
  • 40
  • (Clay is a type of hard earth that drains water poorly.)
  • 41
  • Damiano also says to add material, or mulch, to the surface of the plant bed.
  • 42
  • This helps keep the soil wet and healthy.
  • 43
  • Deep shade is the most challenging for gardeners.
  • 44
  • If you garden in a three- or four-season climate where deciduous trees block the summer sun, take advantage of springtime conditions by planting bulbs.
  • 45
  • They will grow into a colorful spring show before the trees become too leafy.
  • 46
  • The gardening expert adds that painting nearby structures white reflects sunlight.
  • 47
  • Glass and mirrored objects can also reflect light around the garden.
  • 48
  • If possible, carefully cut some tree branches.
  • 49
  • This is "to prune," and it lets more sunlight reach the ground.
  • 50
  • Damiano says to research the low-light plants suitable for your area.
  • 51
  • She also says to not give up on growing plants you can eat.
  • 52
  • Vegetables like tomatoes and peppers need a lot of sun.
  • 53
  • But leafy greens actually grow better in part shade.
  • 54
  • Asian greens, arugula, cilantro, spinach, and kale all grow well in dappled to part shade.
  • 55
  • As for pests, Damiano says that some, like slugs and snails, like shade gardens.
  • 56
  • But most other pests are less of a problem in low-light conditions.
  • 57
  • She also suggests another good thing about shady gardens - you will sweat less while gardening!
  • 58
  • And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Jill Robbins.
  • 1
  • From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
  • 2
  • Some people might think that growing plants without much sun is a difficult, if not impossible, task. With little sunlight, gardeners may think they are faced with limited plant choices and no possibility for color.
  • 3
  • However, that is not the case, says Jessica Damiano. She is a gardening expert for the Associated Press and recently shared suggestions on growing plants in low-light conditions, or shade.
  • 4
  • Damiano says you just need to learn how to work with shady conditions. And, she adds, finding the right plants for the right places, can make all the difference.
  • 5
  • What type of shade do you have?
  • 6
  • The first step is understanding the type of shade you have. This is based on the amount of time that sun shines on the area.
  • 7
  • She describes the three main types of shade. They are:
  • 8
  • part shade (3-6 hours of direct sun, usually in the morning),
  • 9
  • full shade (less than 3 hours of direct sun) and
  • 10
  • deep shade (sunlight rarely, if ever, gets through trees or past structures like buildings).
  • 11
  • When sunlight shines through overhead tree branches and leaves, it creates an area with both light and shade. The light only falls in certain small areas and is called "dappled."
  • 12
  • Observe the area
  • 13
  • After you choose the planting area, observe the light it gets during an entire day. Note how many hours of direct sunlight reaches the ground.
  • 14
  • If you are still uncertain, buy a sunlight meter. (Damiano says this device can cost as little as $20.) Place the light meter in the planting area for a full day and then read the results.
  • 15
  • Buy the right plants
  • 16
  • When you know your shade conditions, find plants that suit them.
  • 17
  • This information is available where plants and seeds are sold. You can also research that information online, in books or magazines. Experts at gardening stores are other sources of information.
  • 18
  • And don't forget your local gardeners. When walking around a community garden or your neighborhood, take note of plants growing in shady areas. Talk to the gardeners. Learn about their successes and failures.
  • 19
  • Shade gardens need different care
  • 20
  • Damiano says there are things to know about caring for a shade garden.
  • 21
  • For example, shady gardens usually take longer to warm up in spring. They also stay cooler on hot summer days. As a result, they will likely require more fertilizer, or plant food.
  • 22
  • Also, they usually need less water. This is because the dirt stays wetter longer after a rainfall or watering than it does in full sun.
  • 23
  • However, if the shade is caused by large trees directly overhead, some types of plants may need to be watered more often. So, she suggests that gardeners pay close attention to that.
  • 24
  • She suggests adding a lot of compost to the soil at planting time. This will increase the amount of water the soil can hold. Compost will also add high-quality nutrients. And if the area has hard clay, compost will improve its drainage. (Clay is a type of hard earth that drains water poorly.)
  • 25
  • Damiano also says to add material, or mulch, to the surface of the plant bed. This helps keep the soil wet and healthy.
  • 26
  • Deep shade is the most challenging for gardeners. If you garden in a three- or four-season climate where deciduous trees block the summer sun, take advantage of springtime conditions by planting bulbs. They will grow into a colorful spring show before the trees become too leafy.
  • 27
  • Ways to increase light
  • 28
  • The gardening expert adds that painting nearby structures white reflects sunlight. Glass and mirrored objects can also reflect light around the garden.
  • 29
  • If possible, carefully cut some tree branches. This is "to prune," and it lets more sunlight reach the ground.
  • 30
  • What to plant?
  • 31
  • Damiano says to research the low-light plants suitable for your area. She also says to not give up on growing plants you can eat. Vegetables like tomatoes and peppers need a lot of sun. But leafy greens actually grow better in part shade. Asian greens, arugula, cilantro, spinach, and kale all grow well in dappled to part shade.
  • 32
  • As for pests, Damiano says that some, like slugs and snails, like shade gardens. But most other pests are less of a problem in low-light conditions.
  • 33
  • She also suggests another good thing about shady gardens - you will sweat less while gardening!
  • 34
  • And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Jill Robbins.
  • 35
  • Jessica Damiano wrote for The Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 36
  • _______________________________________________________________________
  • 37
  • Words in This Story
  • 38
  • gardener - n. a person who works in a garden especially for pay
  • 39
  • meter - n. an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording the time or amount of something
  • 40
  • compost - n. a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land
  • 41
  • clay - n. an earthy material that is sticky and easily molded when wet and hard when baked
  • 42
  • drainage - n. the act or process of removing a liquid
  • 43
  • deciduous - adj. biology : falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle
  • 44
  • bulb - n. a dormant stage of a plant that is formed underground and consists of a very short stem with one or more flower buds surrounded by special thick leaves
  • 45
  • reflect - v. to bend or throw back (waves of light, sound, or heat)
  • 46
  • sweat - v. to give off salty moisture through the pores of the skin
  • 47
  • From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
  • 48
  • Some people might think that growing plants without much sun is a difficult, if not impossible, task. With little sunlight, gardeners may think they are faced with limited plant choices and no possibility for color.
  • 49
  • However, that is not the case, says Jessica Damiano. She is a gardening expert for the Associated Press and recently shared suggestions on growing plants in low-light conditions, or shade.
  • 50
  • Damiano says you just need to learn how to work with shady conditions. And, she adds, finding the right plants for the right places, can make all the difference.
  • 51
  • What type of shade do you have?
  • 52
  • The first step is understanding the type of shade you have. This is based on the amount of time that sun shines on the area.
  • 53
  • She describes the three main types of shade. They are:
  • 54
  • When sunlight shines through overhead tree branches and leaves, it creates an area with both light and shade. The light only falls in certain small areas and is called "dappled."
  • 55
  • Observe the area
  • 56
  • After you choose the planting area, observe the light it gets during an entire day. Note how many hours of direct sunlight reaches the ground.
  • 57
  • If you are still uncertain, buy a sunlight meter. (Damiano says this device can cost as little as $20.) Place the light meter in the planting area for a full day and then read the results.
  • 58
  • Buy the right plants
  • 59
  • When you know your shade conditions, find plants that suit them.
  • 60
  • This information is available where plants and seeds are sold. You can also research that information online, in books or magazines. Experts at gardening stores are other sources of information.
  • 61
  • And don't forget your local gardeners. When walking around a community garden or your neighborhood, take note of plants growing in shady areas. Talk to the gardeners. Learn about their successes and failures.
  • 62
  • Shade gardens need different care
  • 63
  • Damiano says there are things to know about caring for a shade garden.
  • 64
  • For example, shady gardens usually take longer to warm up in spring. They also stay cooler on hot summer days. As a result, they will likely require more fertilizer, or plant food.
  • 65
  • Also, they usually need less water. This is because the dirt stays wetter longer after a rainfall or watering than it does in full sun.
  • 66
  • However, if the shade is caused by large trees directly overhead, some types of plants may need to be watered more often. So, she suggests that gardeners pay close attention to that.
  • 67
  • She suggests adding a lot of compost to the soil at planting time. This will increase the amount of water the soil can hold. Compost will also add high-quality nutrients. And if the area has hard clay, compost will improve its drainage. (Clay is a hard type of earth that drains water poorly.)
  • 68
  • Damiano also says to add material, or mulch, to the surface of the plant bed. This helps keep the soil wet and healthy.
  • 69
  • Deep shade is the most challenging for gardeners. If you garden in a three- or four-season climate where deciduous trees block the summer sun, take advantage of springtime conditions by planting bulbs. They will grow into a colorful spring show before the trees become too leafy.
  • 70
  • Ways to increase light
  • 71
  • The gardening expert adds that painting nearby structures white reflects sunlight. Glass and mirrored objects can also reflect light around the garden.
  • 72
  • If possible, carefully cut some tree branches. This is "to prune," and it lets more sunlight reach the ground.
  • 73
  • What to plant?
  • 74
  • Damiano says to research the low-light plants suitable for your area. She also says to not give up on growing plants you can eat. Vegetables like tomatoes and peppers need a lot of sun. But leafy greens actually grow better in part shade. Asian greens, arugula, cilantro, spinach, and kale all grow well in dappled to part shade.
  • 75
  • As for pests, Damiano says that some, like slugs and snails, like shade gardens. But most other pests are less of a problem in low-light conditions.
  • 76
  • She also suggests another good thing about shady gardens - you will sweat less while gardening!
  • 77
  • And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo.
  • 78
  • Jessica Damiano wrote for The Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 79
  • Words in This Story
  • 80
  • gardener - n. a person who works in a garden especially for pay
  • 81
  • meter - n. an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording the time or amount of something
  • 82
  • compost - n. a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land
  • 83
  • clay - n. an earthy material that is sticky and easily molded when wet and hard when baked
  • 84
  • drainage - n. the act or process of removing a liquid
  • 85
  • deciduous - adj. biology : falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle
  • 86
  • bulb - n. a dormant stage of a plant that is formed underground and consists of a very short stem with one or more flower buds surrounded by special thick leaves
  • 87
  • reflect - v. to bend or throw back (waves of light, sound, or heat)
  • 88
  • sweat - v. to give off salty moisture through the pores of the skin