6 Shade-Friendly Vegetables To Grow Your Garden

You want to start a vegetable garden, but your yard has more shade than sunshine for most of the day. If you have darker backyard areas, you might be wondering if there are any vegetables that grow well in the shade.

Here, an examination of shade-friendly vegetables will be made. With these suggestions, you can begin your gardening venture secure in the knowledge that the vegetables you've chosen won't mind the shadier parts of your yard one little bit.

Happy gardening!

Sunlight vs. Shade

At least when your veggies are starting out, they will need a bit of sunlight. Here's your best bet for your garden location:

• Try to set your garden up in an area that gets sunlight for the morning and early afternoon, if possible, and then late or mid-afternoon shade.

That said, here are some suggestions.

Radishes

Radishes are one the fastest growing and easiest veggies to grow. Their peppery taste makes them work well as a raw snack or in salads. Radishes appreciate a bit of shade because it helps prevent them from tasting bitter.

Scallions (Spring Onions)

While more shade may slow down the growing process, these tasty treats will still grow well. If you can find a sunnier area, you might want to plant a few there and then some in the shadier area as well. You'll have some early, and then some later.

These seeds can be planted directly into the ground, especially if there is some good sunlight available.

Carrots

When it comes to carrots, they truly appreciate the shade more than some of the other choices here. It helps prevent them from becoming bitter.

These seeds can be planted directly into the ground. If you choose to grow these in deep pots, give them plenty of sunlight for much of the day, but then move them to shade later in the hotter parts of the day.

Celery

So you're not disappointed in your celery crop, make sure they have plenty of water and good shade. This will help keep the stalks tender and juicy and helps prevent bitterness. Without the right amount of shade, celery tends to become bitter and chewy.

Lettuce

Lettuce is easy to grow, tasty, and a staple if you love your salads. Shade is good for lettuce. Too much heat can make it bitter and cause it to wilt.

To minimize bug damage, choose a loose-leaf, upright variety to discourage snails and slugs - who also love shade and moisture. It will also help if you pick your leaves when it's time to harvest some of them from the bottom up. This makes it more of a challenge for the slimy, creepy crawlers to get to the good stuff.

Swiss Chard

If you want Swiss chard in summer, sow it in spring. It's very easy to grow in shade.

Where to Go for Your Shade-Friendly Vegetables

Count on Freedom Farms for your shade-friendly vegetables, flower seeds, and other gardening supplies. We carry almost everything you'll need to grow delicious food items and decorate your yard.

To contact us, please use our convenient online form.