Artificial

There just isn't a crop that will grow in shade or partial shade. Low light plants certainly exist but can you eat them? Hostas like the shade but you can't eat them. Ferns grow in low light and you can actually eat the emergent fronds of some species (fiddleheads), but its not something you can rely on. Crops can be grown in artificial light, but only under high intensity bulbs like metal halide bulbs (400 watt or larger). LED lighting has been suggested but can they really grow crops quick enough? Plus they are more expensive than the high intensity bulbs used by commercial growers. I'm gathering as much lighting as I can right now, metal halide or very high output flourescent. These bulbs consume a lot of wattage so you have to find a way to generate electricity, through wind or water.

The comment has been made that we need a bulb that is long lasting or unbreakable, I personally don't see it happening, even if there is an emerging technology. We need it right now! The high intenstiy bulbs (metal halide, sodium vapor, mercury vapor) exist everywhere in our cities. You can find them in street lights, supermarkets, gymnasiums, Wal-marts. Sure a lot of them won't make it through the pole shft, but certainly some will. They will grow plants, they may not be the optimum spectrum, but intensity is more important when it comes to their basic growing needs. One thing you might invest in if you plan on using these bulbs are electronic ballasts, instead of the old iron core heavy ones used now. They will save you a lot of electricity and increase the life of the bulb. You can sometimes find them on e-bay for a reasonable price under the fish section. Good luck in whatever route you choose.

Offered by Stan.