I need shade!

Hi from Spain!

I'm growing a food forest here in Eastern Spain but I'm struggling with the brutal summer heat.

I have lots of fruit trees in already, but they will take at least another 3-4 years to start having any dramatic shade impact.

I have a few really hardy lower storey plants that are adding micro areas of shade (ruellia, lemongrass, roses and iris predominantly).

I chop and drop almost everything, so there is a thick mulch layer everywhere, and I'm also making compost that should be ready come autumn.

I have a thriving pond and a hugelkulture with two old baths sunk into that are also ponds, so that's helping the microclimate.  I also have a semi-circle swale.

What I'm really lacking is meaningful shade whilst everything gets established.   We had a HUGE carob, but had to have it drastically cut back because of root damage to buildings, but that's growing back quickly.

I'm not allowed to put up built shade structures without buying a licence from the townhall, so that's not an option at the moment.

Is it just a case of having patience?  Or am I missing something that would help my project thrive more quickly?  (I'm aware that speed and permaculture don't always go together, but I'm finding it hard to stop everything dry out and burn to a crisp right now!)

Any ideas/suggestions gratefully received!

The Empress Tree, Paulownia tomentosa, is one of the fastest growing trees in the world and it can exist up to zone 9. Some report it growing twenty feet in a year. Of course, those kind of results need frequent irrigation. Honeylocust is another option though slower growing, the wood is strong and the roots won't damage foundations.

When you say you need a license for built structures, does that mean permanent structures? Would a simple frame and shade cloth require a license? Or even just poles? Maybe something like this?



Or this:



But not this:



Could be a question of scale . . . What you can get away with. What do your neighbours do?

Edward has good points.
I would add that a grape arbor can add lots of shade, without being a "shade structure " persay.

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I have read about folks using a product called "Shade Sails".  I have not used these though it might be something that will work for you.

These threads mention Shade Sail:

https://permies.com/t/161325/Creating-large-shaded-area-affordably

https://permies.com/t/160337/Prepping-Planning

Are you allowed to put up a trellis?  I'm in the desert SW, and this arch trellis below creates a shaded bed underneath it where I can grow a lot more things than I could out in the open.

These is a wonderful thread here on permies from a woman in South Africa who gardens vertically, creating shade via vining plants.  She inspired me to do a to of the same, and it's working very well.  If someone has that thread bookmarked and can share it, that would be awesome. I seem to have lost it, and I've tried searching unsuccessfully.  I think she titled is something like "Gardens in the clouds" or maybe said that at some point... I can't believe I've misplaced it.  I will recheck my bookmarks.

Another thing you can do is shade the ground quickly via fast growing plants.   In some areas, we've used sunchokes for this purpose.  In others, we've used plants typically grown as vines as groundcovers instead, like lablab (hyacinth bean) and cowpeas.  I also use vining squash like butternut squash to provide a lot of shade to the ground around more heat sensitive plants.

Other examples, ageratum is a fast growing, sun loving, heat tolerant flower -I have those all around raspberries to shade and cool the ground around the more sensitive berries.  

I use plants because we don't mulch in our gardens due to the presence of lots of venomous snakes.  Mulch would make it too hard to see them if they got in the garden.  Though our gardens are snake fenced, I removed a gopher snake (not a venomous snake) and a young rattlesnake (potentially dangerous and could not even rattle yet) already this year!

Helen wrote:

I chop and drop almost everything, so there is a thick mulch layer everywhere, and I'm also making compost that should be ready come autumn."

Great work with the thick mulch!
Sometimes, the material for mulching includes long material with side leaves or branches that can be stripped to form wattle material: tall sunflowers, branches, vines, longish sticks. Save the long material and mulch the rest. Use those long pieces to form temporary wattle shade fences to protect your young plants. To do this, I use bamboo stakes that are 4-6 feet tall spaced about 9" apart vertically (or appropriately angled) around or to the west of the young plants | 9" | 9" | 9" | .... Take the longish plant material and weave it along the verticals with horizontal spacing that filters the extreme sunlight light. I keep building these mini-shade wattles all summer with long trimmings.
These temporary wattles provide mulch as they decompose from the bottom. Press down on the horizontal material and keep adding to the weave as needed. Works really well for me in the screaming hot New Mexico desert.

Amy Gardener wrote:
Use those long pieces to form temporary wattle shade fences to protect your young plants. To do this, I use bamboo stakes that are 4-6 feet tall spaced about 9" apart vertically (or appropriately angled) around or to the west of the young plants | 9" | 9" | 9" | .... Take the longish plant material and weave it along the verticals with horizontal spacing that filters the extreme sunlight light. I keep building these mini-shade wattles all summer with long trimmings.
These temporary wattles provide mulch as they decompose from the bottom. Press down on the horizontal material and keep adding to the weave as needed. Works really well for me in the screaming hot New Mexico desert.

Can you include a picture, Amy; this sounds really neat!  I'd love to see an example.

Skyler Weber wrote:The Empress Tree, Paulownia tomentosa, is one of the fastest growing trees in the world and it can exist up to zone 9. Some report it growing twenty feet in a year. Of course, those kind of results need frequent irrigation. Honeylocust is another option though slower growing, the wood is strong and the roots won't damage foundations.

Thank you!  Both those suggestions sound great, I'll check out my local nurseries.  I'm zone 10a, so should be fine.

Edward Norton wrote:When you say you need a license for built structures, does that mean permanent structures? Would a simple frame and shade cloth require a license? Or even just poles? Maybe something like this?



Or this:



But not this:



Could be a question of scale . . . What you can get away with. What do your neighbours do?

In fairness, it's a bit of a grey area.  We are supposed to apply for licences for any tiny adaptation, but we're out in the countryside, and I have good relationships with our neighbours, so I may 'get away' with some of these excellent ideas!  

I also hope that in 3-4 years my trees will take over the job, so the structures could really be 'temporary'.

I have a grape arbour in another area, but I'm sure I could create something similar in the bottom field.  I've just been given some strong metal mesh and lots of rebar, so they will come in useful.  I'll post what I come up with!

William Bronson wrote:Edward has good points.
I would add that a grape arbor can add lots of shade, without being a "shade structure " persay.

I don't know why this didn't occur to me!  See my previous reply, I'll report back!!

Kim Goodwin wrote:Are you allowed to put up a trellis?  I'm in the desert SW, and this arch trellis below creates a shaded bed underneath it where I can grow a lot more things than I could out in the open.

These is a wonderful thread here on permies from a woman in South Africa who gardens vertically, creating shade via vining plants.  She inspired me to do a to of the same, and it's working very well.  If someone has that thread bookmarked and can share it, that would be awesome. I seem to have lost it, and I've tried searching unsuccessfully.  I think she titled is something like "Gardens in the clouds" or maybe said that at some point... I can't believe I've misplaced it.  I will recheck my bookmarks.

Another thing you can do is shade the ground quickly via fast growing plants.   In some areas, we've used sunchokes for this purpose.  In others, we've used plants typically grown as vines as groundcovers instead, like lablab (hyacinth bean) and cowpeas.  I also use vining squash like butternut squash to provide a lot of shade to the ground around more heat sensitive plants.

Other examples, ageratum is a fast growing, sun loving, heat tolerant flower -I have those all around raspberries to shade and cool the ground around the more sensitive berries.  

I use plants because we don't mulch in our gardens due to the presence of lots of venomous snakes.  Mulch would make it too hard to see them if they got in the garden.  Though our gardens are snake fenced, I removed a gopher snake (not a venomous snake) and a young rattlesnake (potentially dangerous and could not even rattle yet) already this year!

What a gorgeous garden!  I'm definitely going to try the arbour idea.  I love the planting ideas, although I'm not familiar with all the names (I'm sure google with reveal all!)

We have a fair number of snakes and spiders too, but not particularly venomous, and our three big dogs dissuade them from hanging out nearby, but I'm definitely going to be warier when working out there now!

I have two giant pumpkins growing, but they too are struggling with the heat, so they're not really offering any cover yet... hopefully when I try some of these measures they'll get a move on!

Anne Miller wrote:Hi, welcome to the forum.

I have read about folks using a product called "Shade Sails".  I have not used these though it might be something that will work for you.

These threads mention Shade Sail:

https://permies.com/t/161325/Creating-large-shaded-area-affordably

https://permies.com/t/160337/Prepping-Planning

Perfect!  I love the resources here, I will read these avidly and see what I can come up with!  Thank you!

Amy Gardener wrote:Helen wrote:

I chop and drop almost everything, so there is a thick mulch layer everywhere, and I'm also making compost that should be ready come autumn."

Great work with the thick mulch!
Sometimes, the material for mulching includes long material with side leaves or branches that can be stripped to form wattle material: tall sunflowers, branches, vines, longish sticks. Save the long material and mulch the rest. Use those long pieces to form temporary wattle shade fences to protect your young plants. To do this, I use bamboo stakes that are 4-6 feet tall spaced about 9" apart vertically (or appropriately angled) around or to the west of the young plants | 9" | 9" | 9" | .... Take the longish plant material and weave it along the verticals with horizontal spacing that filters the extreme sunlight light. I keep building these mini-shade wattles all summer with long trimmings.
These temporary wattles provide mulch as they decompose from the bottom. Press down on the horizontal material and keep adding to the weave as needed. Works really well for me in the screaming hot New Mexico desert.

Another great idea, and tried and tested in the desert!  I have a huge pile of sticks left from when we pruned the carob, so they'd be ideal for the uprights, and I am chopping the passion flower, morning glory and winter flowering jasmine every few days, so they will give plenty of weaving material.  Now I just need to get up at 4am to do this before it hits 40°C!  Thank you for the tip, I'll report back.

Amy your temporary wattle fencing  is  inspiring!
I have a spot that could really use this, it needs a wall that will eventually decay.

wow, doesn't Kim's desert oasis look fantastic

Kim wrote:

Can you include a picture, Amy; this sounds really neat!  I'd love to see an example.

These are a couple of slowly composting wattles. The trees have grown surrounded by protective wattles that originally provided shade and protection and are now feeding the soil:

Curving the shape adds stability so that compostable "greens" may be piled onto the woven "browns." As the plants grow, the shade becomes unnecessary. The trees filter the light for other new plants.

Kim Goodwin wrote:
These is a wonderful thread here on permies from a woman in South Africa who gardens vertically, creating shade via vining plants.  She inspired me to do a to of the same, and it's working very well.  If someone has that thread bookmarked and can share it, that would be awesome. I seem to have lost it, and I've tried searching unsuccessfully.  I think she titled is something like "Gardens in the clouds" or maybe said that at some point...

I remembered that thread too Kim: Towards Sky Gardens and Chicken Orchards I think the author Leigh, has been busy with house building, but did post pretty recently...
From that thread:

Chayote squash might be a good plant to grow up a trelis. It can handle heat quite well, and in your area it will likely grow through several fruitings without dying as it does here in southern Mexico.

Thank you Nancy!  I'd been looking for the thread but hadn't found it, so that's great.  I've already made some changes so will ost updates soon!

That's a new one for me Melissa, and it sounds perfect!  I'll check out the seed catalogues.  I managed a 32lb pumpkin last year, so squashes in general seem to like our setup here!

Helen Siddall-Butchers wrote:That's a new one for me Melissa, and it sounds perfect!  I'll check out the seed catalogues.  I managed a 32lb pumpkin last year, so squashes in general seem to like our setup here!

There are plenty of threads here on permies that talk about chayote, native to Central America, here a good one.

https://permies.com/t/160678/Chayote-Squash-Journey