[blackhobbescat]

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can grow in the shade of an enormous apple tree?  It is part of a hedgerow, and shading a large part of one plot.  We are planning on having it pruned, but it will still have a lot of overhang.  All that is growing at the moment is bramble and nettle!

[WG.]

Nettles are actually a pretty useful crop.  Add to compost heap or make nettle tea.

To answer your question, hamburg parsley is pretty tolerant of shade.  Other veg might be beetroot or spinach.  Not a bad place to put a coldframe for raising seedlings before leaf cover appears, or striking cuttings.

[noshed]

In the summer it will be a good place for lettuce - they won't bolt as quickly. I have a shady bed and salad leaf things seem to do well and broad beans.

[muntjac]

Nettles are actually a pretty useful crop.  Add to compost heap or make nettle tea.

To answer your question, hamburg parsley is pretty tolerant of shade.  Other veg might be beetroot or spinach.  Not a bad place to put a coldframe for raising seedlings before leaf cover appears, or striking cuttings.

 to make any use of nettles you need to reduce the stings .do this by holding it over an electric ring or gas until they wilt .then use them in soups stews  tea .also you can learn to twist the tall ones into string for a very green use of the plant ,, nettle tea is take a plastic bag of wilted dry leaves hang them in the airing cupboard or in full sun, pick only the younger ones for any uses  and then  whiz them through a pulse  blender .look for small particles , then plastic bag sipppy them . use like normal tea ,no milk or sugar but a drop of lemon is nice . to much can make ya run

[gobs]

Alternatively, you handle them in gloves as once cooked a bit they do not sting any more.

Even if you do not want to eat them, which you should try, a very good pick me up in early spring, still your garden would benefit from a little nettle patch.

Also sorrel would cope well there.

[muntjac]

but if your out in the woods and u dont have gloves ur stuck ..... unless like me you make a grass sandwich to hold them with  

[mushroom]

Nettles are actually a pretty useful crop.  Add to compost heap or make nettle tea.

To answer your question, hamburg parsley is pretty tolerant of shade.  Other veg might be beetroot or spinach.  Not a bad place to put a coldframe for raising seedlings before leaf cover appears, or striking cuttings.

 to make any use of nettles you need to reduce the stings .do this by holding it over an electric ring or gas until they wilt .then use them in soups stews  tea .also you can learn to twist the tall ones into string for a very green use of the plant ,, nettle tea is take a plastic bag of wilted dry leaves hang them in the airing cupboard or in full sun, pick only the younger ones for any uses  and then  whiz them through a pulse  blender .look for small particles , then plastic bag sipppy them . use like normal tea ,no milk or sugar but a drop of lemon is nice . to much can make ya run

I thought WG. meant 'tea' as in compost tea, as in the fertilizer, rather than TEA tea, like what you drink  :shock:  

[Aidy]

I thought that too!!!

[WG.]

Me too !!