Many farmers view shade as a challenging situation for growing plants. While some plants do not grow well in low light, numerous others thrive under these conditions. Just as moisture, temperature, and soil conditions may limit plant growth, the amount of shade present may determine which plants will grow successfully. Tea, cardamom, coffee etc are shade loving plants.
Tree shade can be divided into three categories that are light, medium and full shade, which are described below:
Light shade may be described as an area that is partially shaded. It may be shaded for only few hours each day. The sun's rays may be blocked by tree canopy for several hours at midday or early in the morning etc, but the area is sunny the rest of the day.
Light shade may also be found in areas that receive filtered or dappled sunlight for longer periods. Edges of shady areas under the canopy of solitary, lightly branched trees are typical of filtered sunlight. During the heat of summer, light shade at midday will provide a beneficial cooling effect. Flower and foliage color may be more brilliant when plants are shielded from intense midday sunlight.
Partial or medium shade is present when direct sun rays are blocked from an area for most of the day. Many established landscapes have large areas of partial shade, where sections of the yard are shaded by mature trees for much of the day but receive some direct sun early or late in the day. Bright, north-facing exposures may also be classified as medium shade.
Tea, coffee and cardamom are light to medium shade tolerant crops. In eastern Nepal, cardamom is planted as an under storey with Uttis (Alnus nepalensis) trees. Similarly, Siris (Albezia spp) and Sissoo (Dalbergia sisssoo) trees are planted for providing shade to tea, and Ipil Ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) is the best trees for providing shade to coffee plants. Medicinal plants such as Chiraito (Swertia chirayita) can also be grown successfully under light to medium tree shades.
Full shade lasts all day. Little or no direct sunlight reaches the ground at any time of the day. There may be reflected light from sunnier areas of the yard or off light-colored walls. Dense shade refers to full shade under thick tree canopies or in dense groves of trees. Some forage (Desmodium- Desmodium intortum and forage peanut - Arachis pinotoi and horticulture crops such as ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric (curcuma longa), yam (Dioscorea spp) etc can be grown well under full to medium shade. Plants growing in the shade must compete with shading trees for nutrients and water, and tolerate poor air circulation.
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