Growing Vegetable Plants in the Shade

 Tips for Growing Vegetable Plants 

Although shade can be a challenge, it doesn't stop you from growing your own fruits and vegetables. In this video, you'll learn some tricks to maximize the light your garden gets for shade-growing fruit and vegetable plants.

Tips for Growing Vegetable Plants in the Shade

Unless your climate is very hot, you should use sunny parts of the garden to start the seeds, then transplant them if they are large enough to handle the shade. Use indoor grow lights to encourage pre-sown seedlings.

Paint walls and fences white, or use mirrors and other reflective surfaces such as shiny metal or foil to reflect available light in shady areas of the garden.

Shady areas are often cooler and wetter, so use cold frames or row covers to warm the soil earlier and then extend the growing season. Use beer traps and delay mulching until the weather warms to deter slugs.

Space plants are widespread to help increase light penetration.

Examples of vegetable plants that grow in the shade

3 to 4 hours of sunlight per day: spinach, arugula, chard, kale

Morning sun and afternoon shade: celery, carrots, bush beans

Morning shade and afternoon sun: Climbing vegetables such as beans, climbing peas, and outdoor cucumbers

Fruits: sour cherry, currants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries

Our garden planner makes choosing shade-loving vegetables easy. Click the Custom Filter button, select the 'Partial Shadow Tolerance' option, and click OK. The selection bar will only display plants suitable for growing in these conditions.