Vegetables vary in their need for sunlight, from partial shade, which is four to six hours of sunlight per day, to full sun, which is eight to twelve hours of sunlight per day.
Most vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash, are true sun-worshippers, happiest when they bake in the sun from early morning to sundown. These plants work hard to produce large leaves, succulent fruit and sprawling vines, and need ample sunlight, water and nutrients to grow.
Leafy vegetables require less sun because they don’t develop fruit or vines. These plants actually prefer cool temperatures and become bitter or develop seed heads when temperatures soar. Leafy vegetables grow well in partial shade, especially in hot climates.
Root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips and beets lie somewhere in between. They need more sun than leafy vegetables, usually about six or more hours of sun daily.
Don’t despair if your garden lies under trees that provide dappled light. Leafy greens and root crops will grow successfully, although their growth might not be as luxurious as those plants grown in full sun. Full shade is another story; all vegetables will likely struggle under these conditions. Try the following shade-loving vegetables in your partial-shade garden or container garden.
1.    Cooking greens. Cooking greens, such as kale, collards, mustard greens and Swiss chard, were a mainstay for Colonial cooks, but are underutilized today, which is a shame because these plants are easy to grow and chock-full of vitamins. Kale varieties to try include ‘Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch’ and ‘Siberian Improved.’ Try ‘Ruby Chard,’ which is dark green with crimson stems and veins.
2.    Lettuce. Try the soft, loose-leaf types of lettuce, as opposed to head lettuce, which tends to go to seed more quickly. Keep the soil moist so the leaves are tender and mild, and plant several varieties. A mixture of colors and textures not only tastes great, but looks gorgeous arranged in the garden like a patchwork quilt. Cut lettuce at the base of the plant and allow it to grow back for a continuous harvest, or grow it in a container. Try “Oakleaf,’ ‘Ruby Red,’ or ‘Salad Bowl.’
3.    Other Salad Greens. Once you’ve succeeded at lettuce, explore the more exotic salad greens, such as sorrel, endive and arugula. These greens cost a fortune in the grocery store, but grow just as easily as lettuce. Try ‘Florida Deep Heart’ curly endive or ‘Mammoth Lyon’ French sorrel.
4.    Herbs. Several herbs tolerate, and even prefer partial shade. Try mint, chervil, coriander or parsley. Mint grows enthusiastically even when neglected, so plant it by itself or in a container.
5.    Broccoli. Versatile broccoli grows in full-sun, but tolerates partial-shade, and may be less likely to bolt in the shade when temperatures climb. Try ‘Waltham 29’ or ‘Green Comet Hybrid.’ Cut broccoli back, like lettuce, for multiple harvests.
6.    Cabbage. Related to broccoli, cabbage also benefits from cool temperatures and partial-shade. Try ‘Stonehead,’ or ‘Danish Ballhead’ for green cabbage, or ‘Red Acre’ for red.
7.    Carrots. Carrots thrive in cool temperatures and moist soils. Plant half-long types, such as ‘Danvers Half-Long’ if you have heavy soils or utilize container gardens.
8.    Beets. Like carrots, beets need cool, moist soils. In warm temperatures, they tend to turn woody and hard. Start them in early spring and harvest them eight weeks later, depending on the variety. Try the old standby, “Detroit Dark Red’ or ‘Little Ball,’ a miniature version suitable for containers.
9.    Potatoes. Potatoes have a reputation for being difficult to grow, and it’s true that they are prone to disease and have specific soil requirements. But if you’d like to try your hand at growing them, start with disease-free seed potatoes and choose a variety known to thrive in your area. Old favorites include ‘Red Pontiac,’ ‘Irish Cobbler’ and ‘Fingerling.’
10. Turnips. Unpretentious and hard-working turnips deserve a place in the partial-shade garden. Try “American Purple Top,’ Long Island Improved’ or ‘Macomber.’
If your garden lacks sun, you may not be able to grow beefsteak tomatoes, but there’s no reason why you can’t savor home-grown produce. Choose plants that tolerate shade and plant them in early spring, as soon as the soil is soft.
I have a part shade garden,so thank you for the info. I have also found that pole beans (yellow) 2 varieties so far also grow well in shady spots . The crop isn’t as abundant about half that grown in sun. I am checking out peas this summer.With leafy veg slugs are a problem in the shade, and I am trying coffee grounds to cure the trouble, so far its working well. I live in southern Ontario, Canada close to the lake in Toronto. Sincerely Muriel Hovorka
Slugs love beer! Place an empty plastic cup and burry it in your soil so it meets the top rim of the cup. Pour in beer. Slugs will love getting drunk and you can throw them out!
I have been growing abundant tomatoes with 6.5 to 7 hours of direct sun for years. In fact, I think a little less direct Georgia sun is beneficial, especially for tomatoes grown in containers.
I always grow salad greens under the tomato and pepper plants for added shade and spotty light that gets thru, not had any problems yet. To save on time and for my health issues (got Lyme 3 years ago so just no energy for weeding anymore), I simply plant a cover crop in the small garden (25 by 25 ft), till everything under, make the rows then set in the garden boxes on the rows and neat everything up, no serious shoveling required. As for mulching, nah, just scatter lettuce seeds all under the maters and whatever else I’m planting under, which prevents weeds from taking everything over. Don’t forget to add purslane and dandelions to your salad cover crop. Also, deff don’t forget to plug in any and all kinds of flowers all along with everything you grow, just looks pretty, full & lush having so much stuff all growing together at the same time, as for flowers, I prefer the cheap, easy to acquire marigolds, which will grow just about anywhere and every vege you can grow just seems to enjoy the company of the marigolds. On a weird side note, a constituent in Colorado grows marigolds along with her cannabis that she uses for her crohns disease. She reports the medicine tastes better and seems to be more effective than her previously grown medicinal crops. You may notice your notice tomatoes are a little bit sweeter yet, still having the tangy tomato flavor when you incorporate flowers into your garden. Either way the garden will look pretty and provide lots of food while you provide food for the pollinators, it’s a win win for everyone involved.
I would like to know what veggies can be planted where there might be some danger of black walnut roots
I just read this: “There are a number of vegetables that will tolerate juglone [the chemical that walnut tree roots give off], including lima and snap beans, beets, corn, onions, garlic, leeks, parsnip, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, melons and squash.”
The article also says, along with selecting juglone-tolerant vegetables, to plant in raised beds with barriers that prevent walnut roots growing into the bed. But if you do that, you might be able to grow any veggie you want!
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/growing_vegetable_gardens_near_black_walnut_trees
Container garden in the shade, how many plants per pot, what size pot for which veg plants? I have a small patio with a 5 ft. fence enclosed.
I have noticed with almost all vegetable gardening websites or pages, they only speak of full sun, but what they don’t mention is the temperature of the full sun. In my country in southern Africa, full sun in summer is constantly above 30 degrees celsius and sometimes up to 35 degrees or more. It is most probably hotter than in England for instance so when do plants need to be shaded from the scorching sun, that is my question.