Shade-Tolerant Vegetables and Herbs — Seattle's Favorite Garden Store Since 1924 - Swansons Nursery (2024)

FAQs

Shade-Tolerant Vegetables and Herbs — Seattle's Favorite Garden Store Since 1924 - Swansons Nursery? ›

Salad greens such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and celery can be grown in shaded gardens. Roots crops such as beets, leeks, potatoes, and turnips can be grown in shady gardens. A garden site that receives as few as two hours of direct sunlight a day can grow vegetables.

Salad greens such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and celery can be grown in shaded gardens. Roots crops such as beets, leeks, potatoes, and turnips can be grown in shady gardens. A garden site that receives as few as two hours of direct sunlight a day can grow vegetables.

Which Types of Vegetables Do Well in Shade? Cole crops are tolerant of partial sun or partial shade. Broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnips, kale, and rutabagas will grow well with less than a full day of sun but may take longer to mature. Cabbage will also grow in the shade, but they may not form tight heads.

Our climate is cool and wet in the spring and fall, and usually above freezing in the winter. That allows gardeners to plant fall and over- wintering crops like kale, collards, sprouting broccoli, leeks and carrots in late July, August and early September, and garlic or cover crops in October.

Among vegetables, leafy greens are the most tolerant of shade, including kale, lettuce, spinach, arugula and chard. Related to both beets and spinach, Swiss chard tastes a little like both and is fairly easy to grow.

Basil is a tropical herb, and plants need sun and heat to thrive. Give it a spot that receives six to eight hours of sun daily, except in the South and Southwest, where afternoon shade is a must. Basil needs moist, nutrient-rich soil that drains well.

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

These cool season root vegetables prefer full sun, but they can grow in partial shade. Just make sure they are getting closer to 6 rather than 4 hours of direct sunlight per day to keep the top growth feeding the tubers beneath.

Western Washington is home to a variety of native plants like Salal, Oregon Grape, Sword Fern that are low-maintenance and help support local wildlife. Non-native plants like Rhododendrons, Hydrangeas also do well here. Soil Preparation: Western Washington soils can be clay-heavy and acidic.

Wapato, camas, springbank clover, Pacific silverweed, fernleaf biscuitroot, harvest brodiaea, beaked sedge, and Indian ricegrass are all examples of staple crops native to Washington State.

A mild Seattle summer day, with a high of 70 degrees and a low of 50, yields 10 heat units. So we need 130 of those, or warmer, days from May through October. The gardener's job is to “maximize every aspect of tomato growing,” Dillon says. Managing temperature is job one.

Will cucumbers grow in shade? ›

Vegetables that produce fruits, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant, need all the sun they can get. If you are going to try growing vegetables in shade, remember that they still need plenty of water––and water and shade are perfect conditions for snails and slugs.

Although it's not easy to grow a garden in the shade, tomato plants are fairly adaptable. Many varieties of tomatoes for shade gardens will produce quality fruit, but gardeners often experience smaller yields.

Vegetables that produce fruits, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant, need all the sun they can get. If you are going to try growing vegetables in shade, remember that they still need plenty of water––and water and shade are perfect conditions for snails and slugs.

Our favorite shade-loving plants have striking foliage and bright blooms, both of which add much-needed vibrancy to dim areas. On our list of the shade plants we love, we've included evergreen shrubs like azaleas and boxwoods as well as seasonal bloomers such as begonias and hostas.

Pepper plants can still healthily grow in partially shaded areas. However, if the location is fully shaded, avoid planting there. Growing in fully shaded areas will result in a major lack of energy to the plants for photosynthesis.