10 Shade-Tolerant Vegetables to Help You Maximize Your Garden Space

Gardeners know there’s never enough room in the garden! So, sometimes we try to squeeze plants into areas where they won’t naturally thrive—like maybe that shady area over by the garage. Unfortunately, that can be a waste of time and money because many popular vegetables, such as tomatoes and eggplants, love, love, love the sun and won’t perform well at all in shade conditions, with the exception of a few specific varieties.

Are there any veggies that produce in shade? “The bottom line is that most vegetables don’t like shade,” says Gary Pilarchik, of The Rusted Garden, and author of The Modern Homestead Garden. “Vegetables want to see and feel the sun, and sunlight isn’t the same thing as ‘brightness.’ Full sun means 6 or more hours of sun directly touching the plant.”

What are the different kinds of shade?

If you’re not sure how much sun an area gets, watch it for a few days. Take note of when the sun is shining directly on the ground where you intend to plant. You can grow some veggies in part shade/part sun (which are terms that are used interchangeably), which is considered 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, says Pilarchik.

Aim for the spot in your yard that gets the most direct sunlight possible: Ideally, a good, solid 6 hours because growth will be slow and iffy with only 4 hours. It’s also important to consider the time of day when the area is receiving the sunlight. The most potent sunlight is when it’s shining directly on the garden bed between noon and 6 pm, which will be more beneficial than a garden that gets only the mild morning sunlight from 6 am to noon.

For those of us not blessed with at least part sun, so sorry! Absolutely no vegetable will grow in full shade (no direct sunlight at all). However, an alternative is to plant in raised beds or containers that can placed somewhere else sunny in your garden, such as at the end of a driveway or even in your front yard.

Should I underwater vegetables that are not growing in full sun?

This is a misconception because “underwatering” isn’t going to benefit your plants. “You want to keep the plants moist, not sopping wet, but that has to do with watering frequency,” says Pilarchik. “Water to keep that level of moisture, but don’t let water pool on the surface. If you’ve got water that’s not draining away, you need to add compost to improve and loosen the soil.”

Should I use a special soil for vegetables grown in the shade?

It’s not necessary to use any special soil for veggies grown in shade. A mix of 50 percent peat moss, coco coir, or compost and your garden’s soil is fine, or use a bagged potting mix with a good ratio of peat or other lightweight materials, says Pilarchik.

Also, do not mulch shade garden vegetable beds because it will keep the soil cooler, and you actually want the sun that you do have to warm the soil up.

More Advice for Garden-to-Plate Enthusiasts:

• 11 Things You NEED to Know Before Starting a Vegetable Garden
• 8 Vegetables That Are Surprisingly Easy to Grow in Containers
• 5 Shade-Tolerant Veggies That Go Beyond Leafy Greens

Ahead, these are your best bets, according to Pilarchik, if you need to grow veggies in the shade: