Years ago, blessed (ha!) with a shady lot and a driving need to grow plenty of vegetables for my family, I started experimenting with different vegetables, trying to learn about which ones would still produce well in shady conditions.
I was surprised to find that many of my favorites (not my beloved tomatoes, but many others!) grew and produced just fine in as little as four hours of sun per day. Growing vegetables in the shade may not be ideal, but it does work, and it's better than wasting that space trying to grow grass!
Apparently, About.com Herb Gardens Guide Amy Jeanroy has done some thinking along those same lines, because she recently put together a great list of herbs to grow in shady conditions.
Between these two lists, even the shade-challenged among you should be able to find something tasty to grow in your gardens!
Comments
I’ve grown tomatoes, squash, peas, beans, zucchini, and peppers in just under 6 hours of sun a day. They did fine. Eggplants and corn seem to want more than that.
I’ve noticed other plants touted as full sun also do well in part-shade, like Rudbeckia and hops. In fact, it keeps hem from spreading as much. I don’t have full full sun anywhere and have been surprised how well most plants adapt.
Can you please give me some advice? I am looking to purchase my first property which has a north-west facing garden and have always dreamed of growing my own veggies. How much sun does this type of garden get, I understand about north and west facing but what about north-west and what veggies/plants/grass can you grow in these conditions? Thank you.