Leafy veggies and maters in shade

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paracelsus Elmira, NY(Zone 6a) Jan 06, 2008

The other day I was paging through How to Make a Forest Garden by Patrick Whitefield. It describes growing leafy greens like chard, kale, and other similar stuff in an understory type deal with food-providing shrubs and fruit trees. I am going to give this a try this summer, since a lot of my yard has shade, but I am wondering if anyone has tried the understory part with these leafy greens and what kind of success you have had (if any).

I also came across a study from some ag school that showed that tomatoes could be grown in shade with decreased yields but fewer pest and disease problems. Anyone tried that? I already have my small sunny area divvied up, including space for maters, but one can always use more.

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tucsonjill Lincoln, NE(Zone 5a) Jan 06, 2008

I've had some success with tomatoes in light, dappled shade. They were definitely slower to come along than the ones in full sun, but they did get there. However, in Tucson, lots of things want more shade (and the slightly cooler temperatures that go with it) than they do in other parts of the country. I don't think I noticed any significant difference in pests and diseases--I still got just as many hornworms, for example. Based on my results with tomatoes, I'm going to try peppers and wax beans in that same bed this year, since they're both more sensitive to our heat when it hits.

If you give this a try, would you mind posting how it goes? I'd be very interested in what you get!

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Dean_W Central Texas, TX(Zone 8b) Jan 07, 2008

One time I grew some tomatoes in the shade of a Live Oak tree. It was and old wired chicken coup and the soil was rich. Those were some of the best tomatoes I ever grew. I guess it recieved about all day morning sun, and afternoon from 3-5pm. Of course that was during the heat of a Central Texas summer, where it's not unusual to get above 100F.

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