Kitchen Garden Forum

We as gardeners are invariably reminded that crops should be grown North to South to get the benefit of the sun moving across the sky giving each side of a plant equal sunshine. However, I was thinking (if I get the land) about trying to grow some vines, something that I have never done before and when talking to a local expert he stated the usual, plant North to South, then added that in his long experience this has actually never been of any importance. I also was a bit of a stickler for North To South rows for most things but on the times I have planted East to West I have never noticed a difference. I'd be interested in other peoples experiences, is too much made of this importance of planting North to South?

Barney

On our plots the wind flow direction is often such that if we plant tall climbing items like peas/runner/French beans on a north south aspect we have to virtually anchor them down.

I plant lower crops in both north south and east west rows.

When sowing or planting I do try and take account of the supposed height of each variety so that nothing is excessively overshadowed.

Cant say as I have noticed any significant detriment to crop results between same variety crops grown on different aspects from year to year

Morning Barney, a very interesting question. I have also tried growing crops at different angles to the sun and have too say, i haven't seen much difference in the growth of the plants. The only thing that does need to be taken into consideration is, if you do plant from East to West, make sure you plant the tallest plants on the North side of the plot, working down in height as you move to the South side. One thing that i'm actually going to try this year is, growing my runner beans from East to West. The reason for this is that i have always noticed that the South end of the rows (when planted north to south) crop far heavier...... i know that the North side of the row will crop lighter but, i'm hoping that the south side will more than make up for this, we will see.....

I have always planted East to West so can,t really make a comparison but would endorse OH's advice to plant the taller plants at the north end of a plot so that they don,t shade the lower plants as the sun moves round from east to west.

I grow my very tall crops - climbing beans and tomatoes, not on the veg plot but in a separate south facing border against a fence where they are usually pretty successful. The only problem with them is that the plants are only exposed to sunlight /daylight on one side but I still get good crops although I don't have comparative rows where .both sides are equally exposed to sunlight.

The only problem with east/west lineation is that with taller crops needing to be planted at the north end of the plot it can make crop rotation somewhat problematic in a small plot . I guess most of us just do the best we can in that respect.

Amazing, I always wanted to discuss this.

I didn't ask the question because I had already started to plant east-west and north-south and had decided that as long as the plants weren't tall enough to shade those at the north end the ange of the sun would give them all a chance.

However, with strawberries planted north of carrots the immidiate first row was comparitivelt stunted to the next row further north. (You getting this ?)

Both my rows of sea buckthorne are east-west but the rows are north-south (Got you now) It's a front row and a back row, the back row which is north isn't shaded by the front row and the front row is stunted and beaten by the wind rather than anything else and generally on my plot it's the first in line on the south side of a north-south row that get stunted but for different reasons than the reason for this thread.

I think.

Where I have Pembrokeshire-banks planted with wildflower the north side of a bank does grow stuff but more slowely because it is shaded to some extent compared to the south aspect. This is the case all around my plot where I have banks but not on flat ground because the angle of the sun is such that they all get a share by the time we get to the end of May.

Blackberries growing wild all produce masses of fruit on N, NW and even NE banks. The NE banks get the late afternoon sun.

I grow Runner Beans up an A frame, usually North/South. Last year, due to something I can't remember, I placed the A frame East/West . The plants went in beginning of June as usual and were quick off the mark, climbing the poles in no time. Cropping wasn't significantly lower but then again, it's hard to say, as it was a funny year last year.

I think it would probably have to be tried for a couple of seasons but...does it really matter? We try to grow stuff going with growing conditions and what suits our soil. Perhaps not everyone has the ability to grow North/South. ... and plants in their natural habitats manage alright.

I understood that the reason for North-South planting was that any crops which are susceptible to mildew got the benefit of the sun on all the leaves, so that they had the best chance of drying.
Regards,
Gerry.