The 8 Best Ways to Grow in Shade

Many people have shady areas of their garden, yet the standard gardening advice is to grow most vegetables in 'full sun'.

If you're wondering how to grow delicious fruit and vegetable despite the shade in your garden, this video is for you. In it Ben explains 8 simple techniques you can use to make sure the shady areas are still productive.

If you love growing your own food, why not take a look at our online Garden Planner which is available from several major websites and seed suppliers:
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[homelife]

This is such an underrated video. Many people don’t have the luxury of a full sun garden. Especially in urban areas, there is always a building, a fence, or something blocking their yard or patio. Thank you for the information. I really needed this.

[j.reneewhite]

Here are some notes I kept on the subject. Enjoy... Growing food in the Shade
There are areas around the house, porch, under trees and on decks that only get 2 to 4 hours of light and can still produce a fair amount of food. If you understand how to adjust the variables and expectations you can grow very successfully in these micro-climates.

Soil needs in the shade:
The evaporation of moisture is minimal so the variable you have to address is soil that is too moist and creates disease or root rot. If you add a little sand and/or perlite to the soil when digging in your transplants to optimize drainage and hill up any plant that is susceptible to root rot such as strawberries then you will have great success with very little effort.

Water needs in the shade:
Don’t water as often as your other plants that get more sun. If you don’t know if it’s time to water then sink your finger 3 inches into the soil near the plant to detect if there is moisture. If it is dry then water. Otherwise the plants will tell you if they aren’t getting enough water. Use drip or soaker methods to water because the leaves will stay moist for long periods of time and become susceptible to disease.

Light needs in the shade:
Try to plant the determinate tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini in the area that gets the most light in the shade garden and if there is an option try for placement in the afternoon sun. Plant your leafy greens in the darkest areas and give every plant that tends to bolt a spot in the morning sun and dense afternoon shade to keep them cool and bolt free for longer. Some gardeners paint walls white to reflect more sun. Others use mirrors in the garden. Some even create beautiful pools of water next to the shade garden to reflect light to the plants. Although these steps are helpful they’re not necessary in most cases.

Temperature micro-climate:
Typically you’ll have multiple micro-climates around your house and when you identify them it allows you to choose plants that will thrive or tolerate that space successfully. As I mentioned earlier shade creates a cooler, more consistently moist climate that allows leafy greens, brassicas and all other plants that bolt or get bitter due to heat, an ideal growing space for most of your growing season.

Growing and spacing needs in shade gardens:
It’s always best to start your seeds indoors to create the optimal growth for a couple of weeks before transplanting them in the shade garden. Harden them off and expect the growth to slow down as soon as they are planted in the shade. You may want to protect the seedlings with clear plastic cups for another 2 weeks because slugs love the shade and are more active in those areas. You want to give your seedlings a bit more space to soak up the sun. You don’t want to crowd them and further restrict photosynthesis. If you have a wall to train perennials they’ll benefit by being espelliared against the wall. That’s a fancy way of training them flat against the wall with spacing between branches making a fan shape is most common.

Change of growth characteristics and harvest potential in the shade:
Add 15 days to the original harvest date due to slower growth.
For leafy greens such as cilantro, parsley, mint, spinach and basil the leaf structure becomes larger, thinner and more tender. The harvest is extended by at least a month if not longer.
Brassicas have a larger leaf structure and are less bitter when grown in shade.
Tomatoes, squash, potatoes and other heat loving plants will give a smaller harvest but worth the effort.
Tips from the pros. Is soak seeds before planting, give them an optimal situation to germinate and when they’re growing strong harden them off and plant into the shaded area. If you’re not sure how much sun they might need, plant them in a container such as grow bags, pots or crates and move around the space until you find a good spot for that plant. This helps to learn that microclimate more quickly with less plant failure.


Perennial fruit bearing bushes that are suited for shade are:


Currants
Grapes
Raspberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Gooseberries
Sour Cherry
Paw Paw Tree
Rhubarb


Annual Veggies that thrive in shade are:


Lettuce
Spinach
Kale
Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Peas
Radish
Kohlrabi
Arugula
Sorrel
Endive
Celery
Collards
All forms of Brassicas
Garlic Mustard
Watercress
Chervil?


Annual Veggies that tolerate shade are:


Green Onions
Leeks
Garlic
Det. Tomato
Egg Plant
Artichoke
Potatoes
Squash (short season)
Beets
Bush Beans
Jerusalem Artichoke
Plantain
Hyacinth bean
Turnips
Rutabagas
Choy


Shade Tolerant Tomato Varieties


Black Cherry.
Evans Purple Pear.
Golden Sweet.
Ildi (Yellow)
Isis Candy Cherry.
Juliet Hybrid (Red)
Principe Borghese (Red)
Vernissage Yellow.



Herbs that Love (*) or Tolerate shade:


*Basil
*Mint
*Cilantro
*Parsley
Anise
Rosemary
Sage
Dill




AND OF COURSE MUSHROOMS LOVE THE SHADE.


Make compost bins in these non productive areas to produce nutrients for the productive areas. Gather and store rain water in the shade as it keeps the water cool and in good condition.

[vexy]

Light coloured mulches to reflect light, it seems so obvious in retrospect, great tip. Thanks for sharing this important knowledge!

[peacejoyblessings]

I had a small garden area so I used what little space i have even in shade that only get less than 2 hours of sun. I noticed that indeterminate cherry, grape and other small tomatoes loves to grow in the shade until frost comes. Also Swiss chard, kale, water spinach, green beans, long beans, morning glory, sorrel, spinach, green mustard, carrots, beets, cucumber and peas grow in the shade. Last year I tried planting the sweet banana pepper in the shade and also the patio tomato and zinnias. They grow okay too. I hope this helps those who have shaded garden. This year I'm planting longevity spinach, basil and hardy kiwi in the same shaded area. ^_^

[asiaisbetterthanyou]

This has given me so much more hope for planting in our shaded area. Thank you!

[cbryce]

Grow Veg,
Thank you for all your posts. When I find it hard to make myself go out into the garden, all I have to do is pull up one of your shows and inspires me! Thanks again!

[susanjordan]

I always plant the mammoth sunflowers throughout my garden to give shade to other plants. This year in the drought, they are saving my veggies and fruit from 100 degree days

[ThatBritishHomestead]

It’s amazing how much you can grow in shade!!!

[lenchen]

hi Ben, i come from Indonesia, the weather only Summer and rainy, i collect your brilliant ideas about how to kept my garden tools, how to grow in POts because my yard are sooo small, but i never give up on my gardening hobby ..thx for your ideas

[claude]

I found your channel yesterday and it's inspired me to plant when I move in the next month :) thank you ♥️♥️

[daynab]

I have a shady side of my home that never quite gets sun in the nooks and crannies, so I bought reflective Mylar to bounce the light off the side of the house and onto the ground where I need it. 😁

[liz-qief]

I literally was thinking the same thing today as I lay in my garden this afternoon. Thanks for your advice 👍🏾

[hereskrista]

This is so helpful!! I think yours is my favorite channel. I love how upbeat and encouraging you are! Thank you ❤

[TamaraGrace]

Whoa! About 3:13 when your title labeled, "climb into the light, " popped up, it went so well with the music. Idk if you did that on purpose but if you did, bravo! That was cool! And thanks so much for the info you share here. Totally needed!

[matthewfarrell]

I think the best tip is to do a sun map (Gardener Scott's channel he did a good video on it). I didn't physically do that but did it in my head for the front yard food forest. It's on the south side of the house (in the southern hemisphere) so the last month of Autumn our forest is in 75% full shade and the other 25% full sun, this goes all the way until the third month of winter which by that time it swaps up until all of it is in sun in summer. So use that information, our deciduous plants, like apples and currents are planted in the area that sees full shade during winter, they don't need any light at all then, our citrus sits on the bit that gets full sun all year.

[DebRoo]

My favorite veggies grow in partial shade but I have a wide open yard. I have a 16 foot long cattle panel trellis through my north/south garden and use climbing plants in the middle. Best of both worlds on either side

[lyndaturner]

I have a partial shaded veg area some parts get six hours some only about two, things take longer to mature and I was feeling despondent but you have given me encouragement for next season

[chrisp]

Im so thankful for this video as I was just wondering what to grow in my shaded part of my yard.

[sarahvirginia]

This is a wonderful video idea. Thank you so much for the information!

[janetbull]

Thanks again Ben another great vlog, I always learn something new from watching and improve my knowledge on gardening 👍