In article ,
Kay Lancaster wrote:

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:23:01 -0700, William Rose wrote:

Thanks for the follow up. A facultative - obligatory question though.
Just because a plant grows in full sunlight, does that mean that it
can't grow in partial shade? I realize that this represents a spectrum
of possibilities but I think you get my meaning. If I'm just being dense
again, please point it out.

Most plants that prefer full sun can grow in partial sun, but they'll be
depauperate, bloom and fruit poorly. They're just not getting enough
sunlight to photosynthesize enough for their needs. How much is "enough
to grow on" really has to be determined experimentally. Nevertheless,
I've never seen flax growing in an area with only three hours of full sun.

I'm on a slope and, I've just added sand to the garden to help with
drainage. I do live in a rain forest but the summers are bone dry in
California. As I see it, if I can run a railway track through my garden
I still have a shot at it:-)

That might help... by the time you get the railbed in, you may have opened
up enough room for the sun to penetrate more of the day. g

With "rainforest, California, zone 9", I suspect you're on the N California
coast. Linum usitatissimum has been recorded as naturalized there, so
that one is probably quite possible with enough light and soil and water
it likes. Plantago psyllium is not recorded in California, though the similar
P. indica has been found on the south coast. General rule with weedy plants,
imho, is that if they've carried around by humans for awhile as "useful",
they'll probably have naturalized if they truly like an area.

Or as my old major prof used to say, "Seed's cheap. Try it.
The worst you can be is disappointed". But if you've got a position with
better sunlight, you've got a better chance.

Kay


Kay,
good deduction on my location, 80 miles north of San Francisco in the
Redwoods, a temperate rain forest.

So here's the deal. I'm trying to grow flax for its' omega-3 fatty
acids. I bought flax seed marked omega because I thought that implied a
higher level of the omega-3s in the seeds
http://www.horizonherbs.com/group.asp?grp=45&pgNUM=4. Maybe it does but
the two varieties are both identified as Linum usitatissimum. Got any
idea how different a cultivar could be from its' genome in expressing
it's genetic traits? I am awaiting a reply from the company but I would
like a third party's opinion as well.
Fortunately, purslane is an alternative and, should be easier to grow.
It would be cool to have my own train tracks though.

Much thanks, milli grazi, merci beaucoup, viele dank, muchas gracias
and, all that sort of thing,

- Bill
Cloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

P.S. Again, I saw one bee (honey type) yesterday. We are heading into a
few overcast days and, some rain, so the weather guesser says.