Do you love gardening and growing beautiful vegetables? But is part of your property in the shade? And if I told you that this problem is not one, quite the contrary! Because there are many plants that appreciate shade. 3 hours of daily sun is enough for them. Besides, many plants do better with a little shade, because full sun and heat burn them and dry up the soil.
So, grow vegetables in Shade. Here are 41 fruits and vegetables that grow even in the shade. Look :
THE GREEN VEGETABLES
1. Mesclun
Mixed greens and salad mixes like “mizuna” and “tatsoi” are the most shade-tolerant green vegetables. They only require 2 hours of sunshine a day.
2. Rocket Salad Tree
It’s my favorite spring salad. The arugula has a bitter taste that enhances a classic salad and makes a delicious pizza topping. In addition to its flavor, this type of bitter salad is said to promote digestion.
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3. Curly lettuce
Green salads cannot stand the hot summer sun and prefer shade. Grow different kinds in your garden to find your favorite. Or make a mixture in your salad bowl for more flavor.
4. Spinach
This super-nutritious green vegetable likes freshness, so a little shade is perfect for it, especially if the soil stays a little damp.
5. Kale
Kale is delicious and is used in many recipes. My favorite: the cabbage leaf crisps. Try it, you will tell me the news. Kale appreciates a little shade in the middle of summer, it prevents it from burning.
6. Swiss chard
The colors of this vegetable are so beautiful that it can also be grown as an ornamental. Swiss chard loves shady and humid soils. It is eaten as an accompaniment, a bit like spinach. You can also put it in many recipes of soups or savory pies … The stems are smaller when the plant is grown in full sun.
7. Cabbage
These giant leaves are a treat for cooks: stuffed cabbage leaves, garnishes, wraps like with a tortilla or even in a soup. Like its cousin kale, green or white cabbage hates being in direct sunlight.
THE AROMATICS
8. Mint
It is a versatile herb for cooking, baking or even for tea and herbal teas. Mint is very invasive: plant it in a place where you don’t mind that it spreads. The best is still in a jar. She likes having the morning sun and does not mind a little shade in the afternoon.
Also Read: How to grow cabbage and cultivate it
9. Oregano
Wonderful in Italian dishes, oregano is full of vitamins and so good! It particularly likes in shaded areas and is very easy to grow: it does not need a lot of water, it likes shade and resists cold. What could be better?
10. Lemon
Lemon Balm Lemon balm is perfect for herbal teas for insomnia, to relieve headaches, stomach aches, and anxiety. It grows very easily and does not require much care.
11. Chives
We recognize it every spring by its purple flowers and its very fine stems. Both are edible.
12. Rosemary
I prefer creeping rosemary, which has a brighter color and flavor than its silver cousin. If you live in a warm place, it can grow all year round without any problem, if not, consider protecting it.
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13. Coriander
The coriander is delicious. It is found in a lot of exotic recipes. But it also has great medicinal properties. Another plant that accommodates shade and requires almost no care.
14. Parsley
Parsley can be eaten in all sauces … without a bad pun. In salads, soups, sauces or to give flavor to a dish: it is useful everywhere. So do not hesitate to grow it in this less sunny part of your garden.
15. Basil
I love basil, especially for making pesto, in my tomatoes-mozzarella, on my pasta or my homemade pizzas. Basil hates the full sun, so give it a little shaded spot!
OTHER VEGETABLES
16. Beans
Choose varieties of bushy kidney beans rather than climbing varieties. Know that beans like to have at least 5 hours of sun if you can offer them.
17. Kohlrabi
Not everyone loves kohlrabi, but even if you don’t like it, it will add color to your garden. And who knows, he might convert you to eat it?
18. Chinese Cabbage
It is excellent in woks, stir-fry, and soups. It matures quickly even without direct sunlight. In addition, it is full of vitamins and low in calories and carbohydrates. Perfect if you are on a diet.
19. Snow peas
The snow pea season is very short but can be extended by growing them in part of the semi-shaded garden. So you can plant them in the spring and enjoy them almost until the fall. Choose several varieties to extend this maturation period. The pea “ram’s horn” is harvested late, for example. Then you can feast on the snap-in all your dishes.
20. Brussels sprouts
In general, people don’t like Brussels sprouts but braised, it’s just a treat! As they ripen throughout the fall, you can enjoy them late in the season, and even in winter, if your winters are mild or you shelter them.
21. Cauliflower
Whether you choose the standard white cauliflower, or a purple variety or even romanesco, you can cook it however you want: roast, gratin, on pizza or in tortillas, in stews, pickles or mashed potatoes. Cauliflower is essential in a garden!
22. Broccoli
Broccoli is great: the more you cut it, the more it grows! So you can remove the central head and let the plant grow back and produce new heads. Also, collect the leaves and fry them or put them in your soups or green smoothies. To discover Family And Inexpensive: My Gratin of Broccoli.
23. Shallots
Shallots are from the onion family and grow very quickly. They are used to season dishes or as a garnish. The shallots grow back from year to year if you leave the roots in place … Good to know, right?
24. Leek
Leeks take their time to grow, but it is worth the wait, as you will harvest them throughout the winter. Ideal for soups, gratins or as an accompaniment to meat. Put them in a corner of the garden, you will be delighted to find them in autumn/winter!
25. Squash
She likes everywhere and loves having her feet in a cool and humid area. Then its long stem crawls to seek the sun. There is a multitude of more or less sweet varieties. The choice is yours.
ROOT VEGETABLES
This type of vegetable can also accommodate a soil with partial shade. They will grow a little slower, that’s all. In addition, very often, we can also cook the leaves of these vegetables!
26. Carrot
Opt for early maturing carrots like “Nantaise” or smaller varieties especially if you have little sun. Remember that carrots like soft or sandy soils.
27. Radishes
If there is one crop that is easy to make, it is radish. In addition, it is one of the first vegetables to harvest in the spring. Enjoy their crunchy salad, in your sandwiches or just like that with salt or butter.
28. Turnip
Small white salad turnips are similar to radishes, but with a less pungent taste. This variety grows quickly in the spring, it’s one of the first things you can harvest. There are also larger turnips that are used in soups, as a gratin or as a garnish with meats. I also recommend the “Boule d’or” turnip which is an incredibly sweet little yellow turnip.
29. Beetroot
The beet is small and tolerates a shady place well. It is super nutritious and excellent in salads, roasts, smoothies … You can also take advantage of these green leaves for your detox juices.
30. Parsnips
It’s one of my favorite fall vegetables, I could eat it every day. Like the carrot, the parsnip likes soft or sandy soils and accommodates shade well.
31. Potato
Growing potatoes is easy. In addition, it’s a bit like a treasure hunt: we dig and we find lots of baby potatoes! You can also grow them in a pot or in a large container. Check out the tip here.
32. Garlic
In a shaded vegetable garden, you can put spring garlic, because a large part of its growth takes place before the leaves grow in the trees. Even if it will be smaller, it is worth planting garlic in this part of the garden. Check out the tip here.
33. Celery
Celery root is really great in salads. You can also try the celery branch, the stalks of which are eaten in salt croc or in smoothies.
34. Asparagus
Asparagus can withstand partial shade. Only its yield will be lower. If you put a few feet in the shade, you will have longer in the season because they will mature later.
THE FRUITS
35. Rhubarb
Rhubarb is one of those plants that demand nothing. Once planted, it regrows each year. In addition, it is beautiful in the spring. You will be able to make good pies! Of course, it is better in full sun, but a little shade in the middle of summer will not bother her at all.
36. Blueberries
They produce fruit abundantly and do not need to be in full sun. You will have them from July to September for your desserts or fruit juices. You can even freeze them.
37. Wild strawberries
They produce tiny, but incredibly tasty strawberries throughout the season. They like the sun in general but can withstand a little shade.
38. Blackberries
They are better in the shade and produce even with a few hours of sunshine throughout the summer. The mulberries are beautiful and produce delicious fruit in abundance, even in shaded conditions.
39. Gooseberries
Gooseberries White or red, red currants are delicious fruits that are generally enjoyed as jam or jelly.
40. Cranberries
Excellent choice of ground cover that gives succulent fruit and does not complain of being in the shade.
41. Elderberry
The elderberry can grow in partial shade, and you can harvest its small blackberries to make syrup. This syrup is excellent in winter for keeping in shape or treating colds.
How do I organize my shaded vegetable garden?
At home, a tree shadows half of my vegetable patch. I love it because it allows me to garden in the cool during the summer. We organize our crops according to this shade. We put tomatoes, melons, peppers, and cucumbers in full sun.
The other vegetables benefit from partial shade during the hot hours of the day in the middle of summer. And since my tree has no leaves yet in the spring, the plants are in the sun at that time.
In general, it is the green vegetables that are pleasant in this semi-shaded part, even if they take a little longer to ripen.
There are 3 types of shadows
– An area of total shade. Vegetables don’t like it, so I put ground cover plants like sage, heuchère or heather.
– An area of partial shade. It receives 2 to 6 hours of sunshine/day. It is a shadow that lets the sun and light pass between the branches of the tree (better than a shadow due to a building for example).
– An area of full sun. She receives at least 6 hours of sunshine/day. I plant all the vegetables that love the sun like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers or sweet potatoes. I plant some in pots to be able to control the watering and the quality of the soil.
If your shaded vegetable patch is placed next to a white wall, it’s a good thing because it will reflect both light and heat on the plants. You can also put light reflectors …
if you are not afraid of the looks of your neighbors! I advise you to plant your vegetables in pots on wheels. So you can move them according to the sun and the seasons.
Also, remember to prune your trees to let in more light. Since your plants do not have all the light they need, make sure you give them everything they need: rich soil, nutrients, and adequate watering.
Be careful, because a vegetable garden in the shade stays wetter for longer, do not water it too much. As you can see, having a part of your garden in the shade is no big deal. You can plant almost anything there. And if you like flowers, think of violets, cyclamen or hostas …
Your turn…
Have you tested these crops in your shaded garden? Let us know in the comments did you grow vegetables in shade. We can’t wait to read from you!