Anybody doing veggies in shade this year?

I am experimenting with veggies in shade again this coming year. The last time I tried it, a few years ago, I didn't water the area enough and I was growing cabbage, which did okay but smallish, and sprouting broccoli, which just could not hack the type of winter we have here in upstate NY. But based on the experience I had years ago in northern Minnesota growing cole crops & Asian greens in a little patch of trees I had (they grew great!), I thought I would try a the same things in a shade again. These are the plants I will try:

arugula
radicchio
escarole
Chinese broccoli
chard
pak choi
mizuna
hon tsai tai
mustard
komatsuna
bush beans
senposai
tah tsai
turnips
beats
snap peas
snow peas
parsley root

As you can see, it's mostly leafy stuff with a few roots. I'm in zone 6. The soil I'll be planting in is not bad, but it's surrounded by tree roots. I'll be using soaker hoses, organic foliar ferts, and a green manure of white clover. Not sure if I'll use a mulch after I turn that under or not.

I'd like to know if anyone else has experimented with growing leafy greens and roots in shade and what kind of results you have had. I figure this would probably be great for the south but in the north, where I'm at, I don't know. But since a lot of folks who live in the city have shady lots, I figure it would be something worth finding out about not only for me but for a lot of other people who don't have the best veggie growing conditions. It would be great to have someone to compare notes with.

I'm very interested in seeing how you do. Plus I need to look up some of those veggies I'm not familiar with.

I grew herbs in some planters last year, in quite a bit of shade, up against the house. The planters I put them in could have been pulled out into more sun, but they didn't need it. I was surprised at how well the herbs did. I had the best dill ever. I also grew oregano, basil, and some lettuce. The year before I grew cherry tomatoes and peppers there. the peppers did not do well at all, but the cherry tomatoes had a decent crop.

That's good to know that cherry tomatoes can grow in a pot in shade up here. I've been growing my tomatoes in pots at the edge of the carport, where they get about half a day's sun, and they do okay there. I hadn't thought of putting them in a shadier spot, but I will give it a try, because I sure have tons of shade. Peppers, it figures they wouldn't like shade. I grow them and eggplants in pots too, on the driveway, again with about half a day's sun, and they do all right. I've had good luck with herbs in shade too. I had a patch where I grew most of my veggies that's mostly shady now, and I put perennial herbs in there. The only ones not doing so great are the costmary and hyssop, both of which want more sun. I'm going to move them up front to my only full sun patch this season.

The Asian greens were easy to grow in northern MN, but I haven't tried them here yet. They made a lot of vegetable for very little work. They are great if you like the brassica family, which I do.

I've been looking up some of your Asian greens. May I ask where you get your seeds?

Fedco Seeds, Johnny's, and Stokes.

One seed company, Kitazawa, specializes in Asian veggie seeds. They are more expensive, but if you wanted a bunch it would save on shipping.

Thank you.

Unfortunately, the only spot in my yard suitable for a fenced garden (to keep out deer and rabbits--somehow the chipmunks still invade) has trees to the south and gets only about 3 hours of sun a day, so I guess that qualifies as shade. Nevertheless I have tried growing veggies there for the last 9 years. The ones that do best are
Lettuce (including radicchio, endive, escarolle, arugula, etc)
Chives
Cherry tomatoes (I have grown bigger tomatoes there but poor production)
Peas (Snap and Snow)
Pole Beans
Asian Greens (Mizuna, Pak Choi, etc)
Chard & Kale

Things that dont do well in that shady area:
Pepper
Squash (both winter and summer)
Melon
Large tomatoes
Eggplant
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Onions (surprising since chives are in same family)
Cucumbers (although some smaller varieties do ok in the shade)

Don - your shade sounds like mine. I was thinking of trying some spinach tucked in among perennials. Sounds like the leafier things can cope with part sun?

I tried cherry tomatoes in that spot a couple years ago, but they did very poorly. I wasn't giving them much water, though. Maybe I should try some there this year, just to see, because I don't have a lot of space for tomatoes--basically, they will edge the carport and be in pots. I hadn't thought of pole beans, but I am definitely going to try bush beans there. I've got a good pole bean spot by my patio. Looks like you're in a similar zone, Don, so I have more confidence now that I will get something good from my shade patch.

I live in a jungle on a small island in the Caribbean. Shade is everywhere. Our sunny spots are filled with tropical fruit trees. This leaves my vegetables in some shade conditions. I planted a bushy spinach under some coconut palms, chives the same. I'm trying to decide whether or not Oregano would work.

Rio - I love the "image" of spinach planted under coconut palms. Sounds very exotic to this Midwesterner. Gosh - I know there are several different types of "oregano". I'm not an expert herb grower but I'm thinking they'd all need some sun and good drainage. Can you grow it in a pot that you can place in a bit of sun?

If I grow anything in pots I can find them ample sun. There's LOTS of sun here, we've just shaded a lot of the property to keep ourselves cool. Those areas are the places nearby and convenient to water and keep an eye on. Also it would be nice for our guests to see beautiful plants in common areas, and realize it is edible gardening/landscaping.

I think I'll be cleaning out some of our pots in the next few days (they are filled with starter papaya trees) and mix in a good soil for oregano, more chives, and possibly throw in a sunflower for fun.

I can totally understand keeping the house shaded. I have mostly oaks so I love the shade in the summer and the sunlight in the winter when all of the leaves are gone. A sunflower in a pot would be great! A vision of the shorter white sunflowers springs to mind but not as whimsical as the tall, traditional types. I grow a lot of my herbs in pots because of the shade and just move them around to catch the sun.

Here is my veggie garden in the woods which gets some morning sun up to 11 am then it is shaded for the rest of the day..I have tomatoes,okra,squash and peppers growing in there..

It does gets hot n humid here but windy most of the week here. Wire cages made from concrete wire will be putting over the tomatoe plants this weekend..and staked to keep them from falling over from the weight of the tomatoe plants.

Nice! My tomatoes are still in their transplant pots and in a sheltered spot in a covered patio, which even so is really kind of too cold for them. Here, they don't produce much at all in shade. I've tried it. But where you are, yep!

I have a new yard with half-day shade and want to grow tomatoes. I called Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and asked for good varieties under such conditions. The person helping me said that tomatoes really do like full sun but the cherry type tomatoes may do okay with partial shade. So I guess that sounds like what several of you have experienced too.

BLKS - my tomatoes do get morning shade and afternoon sun if that's any help. I don't get bumper crops but I do get enough to make it fun to grow them. I have grown 'Better Boy' in the past as well as 'Sweet Million'. The 'Big Beef' didn't do too well but then it got the most shade. I am trying 'Boxcar Willy', 'Wisconsin 55' and 'Red Calabash' this year to test production rates. Doesn't cost me too much since I've started them from seed. They won't go outdoors for another month here. My spinach had a low germination rate so I need to get some more started this week. I really do want to plant those among the perennials.

Thank you CindyMzone5. I will try 'Better Boy' and look forward to hearing how your new varieties work this year. Good luck with the spinach second time around. I look forward to carrots too amongst the flowers too.

BLKS - Carrot foliage would be so cool tucked among my perennials but my soil isn't the best (clay) unless I try those cute little French carrots. Hmm....

Oh good idea, CinyMzone5. I might try mixing the carrots with the perennials. Since I have not plants in the beds yet I might add some potting soil that would be easier for the carrots to grow. I think the soil is heavy here too. I hope the French carrots do well for you. I also might try green beans mixed with flowers. Not sure how they do in morning shade.

You may want to check into flower companion planting for your veggies. I don't know the pairings for that and am hoping that companion plants aren't all sun-lovers. Depending on the type of beans, decorative trellis or tripods might be interesting.

Here is the gardens now..My 89 yr old daddy has claim it! He has been out there taking care of it..

From the photo, it looks like the veggie bed is not the typical squared-off straight rows and could be very ornamental on its own. I think I just heard over the past week that tomatoes can be a little forgiving with a little shade.