How many of you go for full Sun and how many have a little bit of shape? The goal is primarily starting seeds and extending the season but there is hope it will also beHow many of you go for full Sun and how many have a little bit of shade?
Would like it to be primarily for plants! But also a bit of a living space. 2 choices 1 near my existing garden and the other On the side of my house looking out to or maybe even being in what is now a pasture. Pictures to try to show both spots but probably don't do a great job.
Zone 5 here. Also, a mile up so sunlight is 25 pc stronger here. My 15x24 hoop house is in part shade, with sun arriving in the west end around 1030 and migrating to the east until the entire hoop house is in full sun by 1 pm.
I put the seating area on the end with longer shade.
I planted strawberries and greens and more shade tolerant crops in the shadier beds.
Everything will change when the leaves drop from the trees that shade it, and my entire hoop house will be in full sun for the duration of mid fall to late spring. This should help me grow shoulder season, quick maturing, frost tolerant crops. This is my first season growing in it, so I can't say definitively.
Everything growing in the hoophouse is growing dramatically bigger, happier, and fruiting earlier and better than my outside beds, despite the partial shade and somewhat higher heat inside. The humidity is making plants much happier (we are at altitude and low humidity, and I have insect-netted roll up sides that are always up right now, vents at each end up top and a solar powered exhaust fan at one end).
So your climate matters in these choices, but I would advocate for a site with partial shade (ideally at the end of the day rather than the beginning, we didn't have that option) provided by deciduous trees that will give you full sun when you really need it in fall/winter/spring.
We are zone 5a with no shade. Our dome gets full sun all day. Just used to get seeds started earlier and extend our season by a couple of extra weeks. We are at 8100 feet, so the sun is very strong.
Our panels are opaque.
I haven't found anything we can't grow in the dome.
I'm in zone 6, SW Mo. Mine is full sun until about 1pm then shade from a giant maple tree 25' away. It makes a SIGNIFICANT difference in the temps during the hottest part of the day.
This winter, when I need every drop of sunlight I can get, the tree will be bare and the greenhouse will stay warmer longer.
Put it where you can easily hook up electric, and water or reach it with a hose. If I were doing mine again, I would consider a bit of afternoon shade.
