Gardening 101: How to Grow Vegetables in the Shade
Featured photograph by George Billard for Gardenista, from Garden Visit: A Cook’s Garden in Upstate New York.
Do you look wistfully at all those gorgeous tomato plants at your garden center as you pass them by to go to the shade plant section? You can grow at least some of the vegetables you love—even if the sun rarely makes an appearance in your garden.
In the gardening world, there are two types of shade: part shade and deep shade. (An example of a site that receives part shade could be the side of the house that faces north and has a few trees.)
Step 1: Determine the level of shade in your garden.
The closer you are to the equator, the stronger the sun. In the northern hemisphere, if you are in Boston, you will need more hours of sunlight (say, six hours instead of three) to get the same solar energy compared to someone in Atlanta, Georgia, who is closer to the equator.
Step 2. Consider your distance to the equator.
Photograph by George Billard for Gardenista, from Garden Visit: A Cook’s Garden in Upstate New York..
Despite tall pines that rob their garden of sun, Laura Silverman and her husband are able to grow beets, collards, kale, chard, lettuces, and herbs in raised beds.
Step 3. Find out what growing zone you’re in.
Part shade will allow gardeners in the more southern climes in the northern hemisphere to grow cool weather vegetables.
Step 4. Plant the right shade-tolerant vegetables.
Vegetables grown for leaves and roots. Please understand that these plants will grow and produce in part shade, but they won’t be as prolific as they would be in full sun—and they will grow slower.
In Marie Viljoen’s shady Brooklyn backyard, nasturtiums, lettuces, cresses, kales, and pea shoots all thrive.
Photograph by Marie Viljoen, from 23 and Me: My Favorite Edible Plants to Grow in Shade.
Cabbage family: broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and mustard greens. Oregano, parsley, and chervil are happy with four to six hours of sun.
You can’t go wrong with mint in a shade garden.
Photograph by Mimi Giboin, from Mints: 9 Favorites for a Cook’s Container Garden
Stalks and bulbs: celery, scallions, and onions. But before you rush out to buy some beefsteak tomato seeds, know that growing fruit takes a great deal of energy and, as a general rule, the larger the fruit, the more sun you need.
Cherry tomatoes need less sun than larger tomatoes.
Photograph by Marie Viljoen, from A Movable Garden: Saying Goodbye to a Brooklyn Backyard.
Final Tips
Some ways to improve your harvest when growing vegetables in part shade: