15 Perfect Veggies To Grow In Shady Gardens, No Matter Where You Live
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Date: 2024-10-08
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Comments and reviews: 20
RFC3514
My experience with growing stuff in the shade (around 4 hours of direct sunlight and another 4 to 6 of sunlight reflected off a white wall):
Pumpkins: Forget about it. They start out OK but the fruit doesn't really grow and the whole plant eventually dies.
Lettuce (iceberg): Same thing. Grows fine at first, even produces some edible leaves, but never quite forms a full head, eventually goes pale and dies.
Tomato: The plants seem to grow a lot vertically but produce very few leaves (they're probably trying to reach a higher spot with more sunlinght.
Peppers (both bell peppers and chili peppers): They'll grow, but produce smaller fruit compared to identical plants in the sun.
Cabbages (ex, napa): They'll grow slowly but seem to do fine.
Chives and basil: Will grow very nicely and produce plenty of flowers as long as they have enough water.
Thyme and parsley: Will grow slowly compared to sunlit areas.
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My experience with growing stuff in the shade (around 4 hours of direct sunlight and another 4 to 6 of sunlight reflected off a white wall):
Pumpkins: Forget about it. They start out OK but the fruit doesn't really grow and the whole plant eventually dies.
Lettuce (iceberg): Same thing. Grows fine at first, even produces some edible leaves, but never quite forms a full head, eventually goes pale and dies.
Tomato: The plants seem to grow a lot vertically but produce very few leaves (they're probably trying to reach a higher spot with more sunlinght.
Peppers (both bell peppers and chili peppers): They'll grow, but produce smaller fruit compared to identical plants in the sun.
Cabbages (ex, napa): They'll grow slowly but seem to do fine.
Chives and basil: Will grow very nicely and produce plenty of flowers as long as they have enough water.
Thyme and parsley: Will grow slowly compared to sunlit areas.
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pdxmusl1510
When i first started gardening. i made two beds over a couple years. Pretty much the exact same way. One got completely full sun. No shade whatsoever. The other got 6-8 in July. 3-6 hours most other months. I put tomatoes in both. The one with shade vastly out produced full sun. Im stupefied over why. Other than maybe the shady one doesn't get as hot or something. More water. Something like that.
The interesting thing is a neighbors tree turned part of that garden Pretty much full shade. Ive been struggling getting potatoes to grow. Ive tried several different locations. As a last ditch effort i threw them in that shady spot. Even near tomatoes. The absolutely best harvest of potatoes ive ever gotten an no effects on tomatoes. I did it again this year. Same thing. Amazing potatoes. It litterly gets maybe an hour of sun in July. No sun in any other month.
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When i first started gardening. i made two beds over a couple years. Pretty much the exact same way. One got completely full sun. No shade whatsoever. The other got 6-8 in July. 3-6 hours most other months. I put tomatoes in both. The one with shade vastly out produced full sun. Im stupefied over why. Other than maybe the shady one doesn't get as hot or something. More water. Something like that.
The interesting thing is a neighbors tree turned part of that garden Pretty much full shade. Ive been struggling getting potatoes to grow. Ive tried several different locations. As a last ditch effort i threw them in that shady spot. Even near tomatoes. The absolutely best harvest of potatoes ive ever gotten an no effects on tomatoes. I did it again this year. Same thing. Amazing potatoes. It litterly gets maybe an hour of sun in July. No sun in any other month.
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GoingGreenMom
A couple of thoughts to consider with growing in shade. there is also need to consider if it is wet or dry shade. If you are planting under a tree that is going to rob any moisture from rain or unless you supplement water, it's probably best to make sure the veg you plant is drought tolerant.
The second is something like strawberries grow great for me in shady areas. I have berries in all of the light conditions, and have found that less sun produces bigger juicier berries, especially during drier seasons when the full sun areas are staying super small and not producing great berries, they will still be cranking them out in the shade, it just takes a little longer to ripen.
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A couple of thoughts to consider with growing in shade. there is also need to consider if it is wet or dry shade. If you are planting under a tree that is going to rob any moisture from rain or unless you supplement water, it's probably best to make sure the veg you plant is drought tolerant.
The second is something like strawberries grow great for me in shady areas. I have berries in all of the light conditions, and have found that less sun produces bigger juicier berries, especially during drier seasons when the full sun areas are staying super small and not producing great berries, they will still be cranking them out in the shade, it just takes a little longer to ripen.
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eagle17nz
A great video Kevin and Jacque. I have used wood shavings to keep the soil cooler especially for plants like cellantro which we call Corriander in NZ. I also use a white frost cloth ver metal hoops ATM to grow a few remaining bak choi in between my maturing buttercrunch lettuce. I am also trialling some broccoli growing behind 50% Shade cloth ATM. They are looking very happy and not stressed! We have very high UV rays in NZ plus in Canterbury we have to deal with hot dry North-westerly Winds that are plant killers!
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A great video Kevin and Jacque. I have used wood shavings to keep the soil cooler especially for plants like cellantro which we call Corriander in NZ. I also use a white frost cloth ver metal hoops ATM to grow a few remaining bak choi in between my maturing buttercrunch lettuce. I am also trialling some broccoli growing behind 50% Shade cloth ATM. They are looking very happy and not stressed! We have very high UV rays in NZ plus in Canterbury we have to deal with hot dry North-westerly Winds that are plant killers!
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sapppss3826
Hi Epic Gardening, I've been watching your videos for a while now and have finally moved into a house where I have room for a garden. Bad news is I'm so lost on what i can do with my measly 6 hours of CA Central Valley sun. The best place in my backyard to plant is a 8'x12' area that gets sun from about 11: 30am-5: 30pm. I would love to grow some vegetables I just would like some guidance.
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Hi Epic Gardening, I've been watching your videos for a while now and have finally moved into a house where I have room for a garden. Bad news is I'm so lost on what i can do with my measly 6 hours of CA Central Valley sun. The best place in my backyard to plant is a 8'x12' area that gets sun from about 11: 30am-5: 30pm. I would love to grow some vegetables I just would like some guidance.
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Friedbrain11
When I was younger the gardens we had were full sun each day, all day long. In order for some of the plants to grow we actually used half gallon milk cartons cut specifically to protect the plants till they were old enough to have full sun and temps. Ofc we didn't live in a town then. When we did there was little partial shade.
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When I was younger the gardens we had were full sun each day, all day long. In order for some of the plants to grow we actually used half gallon milk cartons cut specifically to protect the plants till they were old enough to have full sun and temps. Ofc we didn't live in a town then. When we did there was little partial shade.
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bobobaggins95
Thanks for the video, I ended up growing some beets behind my citrus trees, morning sun and dappled light lunchtime onwards. Definitely a bit slower but leaves didnt get leggy and its growing well. Have planted a massive row of them and some small patches of radishes behind my climbing beans and behind my tomatoes
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Thanks for the video, I ended up growing some beets behind my citrus trees, morning sun and dappled light lunchtime onwards. Definitely a bit slower but leaves didnt get leggy and its growing well. Have planted a massive row of them and some small patches of radishes behind my climbing beans and behind my tomatoes
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CanadianChick1000
Would you call a space that gets virtually no direct sunbeams full shade it seems to hold plenty of ambient light, as it’s very open and light coloured.
I tend to think of full shade as being darker spaces under trees, for example (like under Kevin’s loquat.
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Would you call a space that gets virtually no direct sunbeams full shade it seems to hold plenty of ambient light, as it’s very open and light coloured.
I tend to think of full shade as being darker spaces under trees, for example (like under Kevin’s loquat.
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ausfoodgarden
Wow! I've been growing for years but never considered planting peas and beans in part shade.
As I'm on a suburban block where probably 70% of my growing area doesn't get full sun, I'll be planting my legumes in more shady areas next time.
Nice video guys.
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Wow! I've been growing for years but never considered planting peas and beans in part shade.
As I'm on a suburban block where probably 70% of my growing area doesn't get full sun, I'll be planting my legumes in more shady areas next time.
Nice video guys.
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epic_gardening
I sowed beets so many times this year and each time they all were eaten as seedlings. Oh well theres always next year. Will have to just cover then with plastic I think since the grasshoppers can apparently just crawl through my shadecloth: (
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I sowed beets so many times this year and each time they all were eaten as seedlings. Oh well theres always next year. Will have to just cover then with plastic I think since the grasshoppers can apparently just crawl through my shadecloth: (
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jenniferking5037
Great advice, I live in Australia in the Riverina district. Growing vegetables can be quite tricky in our part of the Riverina as the winters are freezing and the summers very hot. Still you can’t beat growing your own veggies. Thank you
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Great advice, I live in Australia in the Riverina district. Growing vegetables can be quite tricky in our part of the Riverina as the winters are freezing and the summers very hot. Still you can’t beat growing your own veggies. Thank you
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epic_gardening
I grow ALL my basil, cilantro, and dill in a raised bed under a big shady tree. They thrive. They get a little morning and afternoon sun but all dappled. They grow well but very slow to bolt. I will never give them full sun again.
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I grow ALL my basil, cilantro, and dill in a raised bed under a big shady tree. They thrive. They get a little morning and afternoon sun but all dappled. They grow well but very slow to bolt. I will never give them full sun again.
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kletus8865
Can you give me any suggestions of what to grow in a full sun garden that gets 12 hours of intense sun and and often quite high drying winds my chillies struggle every year the ine thing i thought would do alright in the extreme heat
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Can you give me any suggestions of what to grow in a full sun garden that gets 12 hours of intense sun and and often quite high drying winds my chillies struggle every year the ine thing i thought would do alright in the extreme heat
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buttonenfuego
We need to talk about when to shade cloth. Up here in Sacramento it's 14 hours of extremely intense sun. All plants get obliterated. So we need shade cloth from end June to beginning of October
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We need to talk about when to shade cloth. Up here in Sacramento it's 14 hours of extremely intense sun. All plants get obliterated. So we need shade cloth from end June to beginning of October
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jackiesandberg122
Thanks for all the wonderful information. My garden is very shady and this was so helpful, Im going to move my potted mint straight away it's sitting in full sun on the verandah.
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Thanks for all the wonderful information. My garden is very shady and this was so helpful, Im going to move my potted mint straight away it's sitting in full sun on the verandah.
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jenniferfisher1743
Have you two ever thought about including a veggie cooking segments to your videos I’ve spent all this energy growing them, but how do I prepare dishes I actually want to eat
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Have you two ever thought about including a veggie cooking segments to your videos I’ve spent all this energy growing them, but how do I prepare dishes I actually want to eat
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Hungryforpresence
I used to love hot sun directly on my skin. Now I cannot tolerate it. Many of my plants seem to feel the same. The ozone thinning has made the sun more intense.
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I used to love hot sun directly on my skin. Now I cannot tolerate it. Many of my plants seem to feel the same. The ozone thinning has made the sun more intense.
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grisespino5342
Love this Kevin and Jacques. I’m in the 4-6 hour group. Appreciate that you shared the names of varieties that handle part sun conditions. And those for shade
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Love this Kevin and Jacques. I’m in the 4-6 hour group. Appreciate that you shared the names of varieties that handle part sun conditions. And those for shade
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bluejayblaze1180
Huh.
I have both a problem with my pak choi bolting frequently and a shady bed behind my shed I've been trying to figure out what to do with. Thanks.
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Huh.
I have both a problem with my pak choi bolting frequently and a shady bed behind my shed I've been trying to figure out what to do with. Thanks.
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ericamartinez959
Rhubarb! I've been wanting to grow it, but everything I've read said no. I'm in zone 10a in Norco, California. Does anyone have advice for me
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Rhubarb! I've been wanting to grow it, but everything I've read said no. I'm in zone 10a in Norco, California. Does anyone have advice for me
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