{"id":3380,"date":"2026-07-08T14:04:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T14:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3380"},"modified":"2026-07-08T14:04:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T14:04:31","slug":"who-says-a-vegetable-garden-needs-full-sun-some-plants-do-well-in-shadier-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3380","title":{"rendered":"Who says a vegetable garden needs full sun? Some plants do well in shadier spots"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Conventional wisdom says vegetable gardens need full sun, but a productive garden doesn\u2019t always require the recommended six to eight hours of direct sunlight.<\/p>\n<p>If fences, trees or your house cast shade on your soil, growing vegetables won\u2019t be out of reach if you stick to plants that are grown for their leaves, stems or roots, rather than those grown for their fruit, like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash or peppers.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, by \u201chours of sunlight,\u201d I\u2019m referring to the length of time the sun reaches the soil each day as it moves across the sky, unobstructed by buildings and other structures that cast shadows.<\/p>\n<p><strong>These plants can thrive or at least get by with less sun<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Most leafy greens are exceptionally shade-tolerant, thriving in as little as three to four hours of sunlight. Arugula, bok choi, chards, collard greens, kale, loose-leaf lettuces, mustard greens, radicchio and spinach are shade garden heroes.<\/p>\n<p>Root vegetables require a little more sun but can be successfully grown in partially shady conditions. Full sun will produce larger harvests, but if your garden bed receives only four to six hours of sunlight, you can grow potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, radishes and turnips.<\/p>\n<p>Leafy herbs, too, can be grown in lower-sun areas. In fact, protection from those blistering rays will prevent leaf scorch (browning or burning of leaves) and bolting (when a plant produces seeds prematurely and its leaves become bitter). Basil, chervil, chives, cilantro, lemon balm, mint and parsley are great choices for part shade.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to help your plants do better in the shade<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When growing crops in shady spots, it\u2019s best to start seeds indoors or buy starter plants at the nursery. Most seeds require sunlight to germinate, so their sprouting may be hampered outdoors or at least take longer.<\/p>\n<p>Shady gardens can benefit from the addition of reflective surfaces. Paint the fence white, or hang a strategically placed mirror. The sun\u2019s rays will bounce off it, providing the energy plants need to photosynthesize.<\/p>\n<p>If the sunniest spot in your landscape is already planted with flowers and other ornamentals, consider mixing in some edibles. Cherry tomatoes, rainbow chard, chives, sage and amaranth are beautiful plants that will fit in exceptionally well.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m growing garlic under my roses, and no one has noticed. In fact, they make fantastic bedmates, as the garlic chases away pests that would attack the roses. Its antimicrobial properties also help thwart fungal diseases.<\/p>\n<p>Although it can be challenging to grow some plants in the shade, there are upsides.<\/p>\n<p>For one, you\u2019ll have to water less because soil moisture doesn\u2019t evaporate as quickly as it does in full sun.<\/p>\n<p>And, aside from slugs, most pests set their sights on sunny spots, so you\u2019ll also have fewer infestations to deal with.<\/p>\n<p>Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the Weekly Dirt Newsletter. Sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.<\/p>\n<p>For more AP gardening stories, go to https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/gardening.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3374\">QUIDNUNC: Tina Peters is out and reminding everyone she\u2019s like Trump \u2014 a stable genius<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3376\">Yacht owners and public housing residents once shared Venezuela\u2019s coast. Now they share its ruin<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3378\">\u2018Being Heumann,\u2019 about a disability rights activist, to open Toronto film festival<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conventional wisdom says vegetable gardens need full sun, but a productive garden doesn\u2019t always require the recommended six to eight hours of direct sunlight. If fences, trees or your house cast shade on your soil, growing vegetables won\u2019t be out of reach if you stick to plants that are grown for their leaves, stems or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1101,1102,149,152,1103,1104],"tags":[3514,5441,5442,5443,5444,2484],"class_list":["post-3380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-0-no-apple-publish","category-1gridmagazine","category-a-town-magazine","category-sentinel-lifestyle","category-uncategorized","category-z-other-galley","tag-jessica-damiano","tag-leafy-greens","tag-leafy-herbs","tag-potatoes","tag-root-vegetables","tag-tomatoes"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Who says a vegetable garden needs full sun? 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