| | | 9/4 | | Bethany Farmers' Market | | Rapidly growing famers' market! Great community being built through this effort! I plan to be there with composting demonstration and information 7/3, 7/17, 7/31, 8/21, 8/28, 9/11 . . . check back for updates. |
| | 9/11 | | Bethany Farmers' Market | | Rapidly growing famers' market! Great community being built through this effort! I plan to be there with composting demonstration and information 7/3, 7/17, 7/31, 8/21, 8/28, 9/11 . . . check back for updates. |
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Hodgson Biologic
2 Klarides Village Drive
Box 205
Seymour, Connecticut
06483
203-888-3898
In Connecticut's
Naugatuck Valley
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Light
The least expensive light source is the sun. Direct sunlight on the garden supplies the energy that makes the whole thing work. Without it, we are done.
Someone told me, "all energy is solar." That is, of course, oversimplified, and doesn't account for nuclear or geothermal energy.
But it's true that many sources of energy can be connected to the sun. Petroleum was once living things, plants and animals, that received their energy directly or indirectly from the sun. Wind energy is driven by uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun.
What does this have to do with gardening???
Energy.
Your edible plants are capturing energy from the sun and storing it for you. It requires much energy to grow, to produce flowers and fruits and seeds, to make oxygen through photosynthesis.
Plants that don't get enough sun cannot do as much. That is why is is so important to place plants where they will get enough sun. Fertilizer and water cannot make up for a lack of sunlight.
Choose your garden site wisely. Pay attention to where the shadows fall at different times of day. Notice how low the sun gets in the autumn. Plan accordingly, especially when you decide to garden year-round.
Of course, there are plants that are meant to live in shadier places. They are usually the leafier plants. Think of ferns, skunk cabbage, and understory shrubs. Some produce flowers and fruits, but most of their energy goes into leaves, their solar energy collectors. Some store energy in roots or tubers, but they tend to develop more slowly than the other kinds of plants we use for food.
If you want to grow edibles in a lower-light area, start with leafy plants - lettuce, mustards, claytonia, and see how they do. Some less familiar leafy edible perennials may also work there. Experiment. Find something appealing to you that thrives in that spot.
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