ONE OF the most perplex-
ing tasks facing landscape
designers in the Pacific
Northwest is choosing the
right plant for the shade
garden.

Well, such has been the case for
me, at any rate. 1 still remember
the hours spent hunched over my
drafting board while staring at a
dark, empty corner of a proposed
garden ona drawing.

This difficulty is compounded
when the shade in question is gen-
erated by lar; ‘oniferous trees.
As these be! a ate the most
common so’ i. Shade in our
area, the task is an onerous one
indeed.

In most cases, it is not simply
the lack of light that makes these
dark domains so daunting. In
fact, many plants have learned not
only to adapt to these low-light
areas, but actually to thrive in
them. However, these same plants
can begin the slow slide to obli-
vion within weeks of being
planted under the boughs of a
cedar tree.

Take a walk through any old-
growth forest — be quick, mind,
they are disappearing fast. One of
the first things that should come
to your attention is the almost

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complete lack of undergrowth. In
fact, in the deepest recesses, |
doubt that you would he able to
find much of anything other than
a few sword ferns or the odd
patch of bunchberry.

You see, coniferous trees do not
like company. They will go to
great lengths to discourage any
incursion by unwanted new-
comers. It is easy to see how the
Massive canopy of top growth
could be used to block the sun
from the minions below, but they
do not stop there.

If cutting the minions off from
sunlight doesn’t do it, the conifers
will try to starve them out. Talk
about consumers. Your average
long-time resident of an old-
growth forest can consume as
much water and nutrients in a day
as a whole neighborhood of lesser
garden plants.

The arrangement of its branches
and needles is such that the vast
quantity of rain water falling on it
is channelled to the outermost
reaches or ‘‘drip line.””

Ever used a cedar as an un-
brella? The area at the drip line is
so choked with roots that most
competition is quickly discouraged
while the area inside of it becomes
too dry to support most growth.
And if it is not discouraged, well,
there is always the poison rain.

If obstructing the sun and star-

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vation don’t do the trick, our gen-
tle giants of the rain forest will
not hesitate to stoop to chemical
warfare. Most, if not all, of our
native conifers produce oils which
act as natural growth inhibitors.
These oils are released through
cast-off needles, bark and any
other plant parts.

The conifers seem to be immune
to its effects, while other plants
suffer reactions varying from
stunted growth to .an_ eventual
total collapse. They also‘ acidify
the soil well beyond the tolerance

Friday, January 31, 1992 - North Shore News - 17

HOME & GARD

How to deal with shady characters

Geoff
Tobjasson

of even most acid-loving plants.

It becomes apparent, then, that
the primary consideration for the
shade garden treated by large,
evergreen trees is the improvement
of those growing conditions that
the conifers have diminished.

Let’s look at a few methods of
improving the general fertility of
the area under these trees.

You needn’t chop down your
trees to increase the amount of
available light below them. Simply
thinning out a few branches may
supply enough rays to support a
colony of shade-tolerant shrubs.
By the way, this is a much prefer-
red method of providing and
maintaining views over topping
the trees, as lopping of the top
invariably spoils their locks forev-
er. .

Enriching the soils under your
trees will make these areas much
more hospitable to the establish-
ment of some desirable
undergrowth. The best way to do
this is to spread a two- to four-
inch layer of garden compost over
the area and work it into six to
eight inches of the existing soil (as
roots permit). If you are still
spending money to have your
compostable waste hauled away,
you can spend some more hauling
in some decent topsoil to use as a
substitute.

Before doing this, remove as

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much of the layer of old needles
as you possibly can. This is the
source of the growth-inhibiting
oils and acidification of the soil,
and leaving it there will only
diminish your efforts to improve
the soil. You should also be
prepared to remove as many of
the needles chat fall from the trees
above throughout the year.

Do not put this ma‘erial in your
compost, otherwise you will sim-
ply be poisoning it instead of the
soil under your trees. Use it as a
liner for paths; short of that, the
only thing I can think of is bag it
up and ship it out.

You should probably add lime
to the area before planting. Even
acid-loving plants such as
rhododendrons find the extremes
common under a cedar uncom-
fortable. A few random pH tests
every other year will tell you
whether you will need repeat ap-
plications. :

Lastly, be sure to water regular-
ly once the area is planted. Your
trees will not give up the battle to
east out any invaders of their
space. It is your job to provide
these plants with the continued
supply of water and nutrients that
the trees are trying to remove.

Next week I will give you a few
examples of plants which may be
suitable for your shady spaces.

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