Vegetables that grow in shade: a sun-hours chart

On this page: Sun-hours chart · The leafy vs fruiting rule · Counting sun hours · Balcony and patio orientation · Walls and reflected light · Growing in part shade · Checklist

Sun-hours chart: vegetables and herbs by minimum direct sun

Hours here mean direct sun on the plants, not daylight. Iowa State Extension uses four light classes: full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sun), light shade or partial sun (4–6 hours), moderate shade (2–4 hours) and heavy shade (under 2 hours). The third column gives the lowest figure any source names for that crop; the fourth shows where sources set the bar higher.

Treat the low figures as the point where a crop is worth trying, not where it does its best. Iowa State expects shaded crops to take longer to produce, with more muted leaf colors, possibly milder flavors and larger, less turgid leaves. For pot sizes of the same crops, see the vegetable container size chart.

The leafy vs fruiting rule

Every source opened here sorts crops the same way: by the part you eat. Clemson's planning factsheet puts it in two sentences: plants grown for their leaves or roots can be grown in partial shade, while vegetables that produce fruit, such as peppers and tomatoes, must be grown in full sun. UC Cooperative Extension in Placer County ranks three groups: fruiting crops need the most sun, root and flower crops (radishes, beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) can be tried with about 4 hours, and leafy crops with about 3. Colorado State gives fruiting crops "a full day of sunlight" and says leafy vegetables such as lettuce tolerate the most shade. Maryland Extension writes that many leafy crops grow well in less than full sun, while most other crops do best with at least 6–8 hours.

The sources part ways on two groups. Peas and beans are fruit-and-seed crops, so Clemson would keep them in the sunniest spot, yet Iowa State lists both for light shade of 4–6 hours. Broccoli-type crops sit at about 4 hours for UC Placer and 5–6 hours for Illinois. Where a site gets fewer than 5 hours, leafy greens are the safer bet; Iowa State says leaning into leafy greens and some herbs "will be more successful than growing tomatoes or cucumbers."

How to count sun hours

1. Pick a clear day. Colorado State suggests staking the edges of shadows once in the morning and once in the late afternoon; areas in full sun for 6 hours or longer are the ones that count as full sun.
2. On a balcony or patio, the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia suggest a photo every hour or two from sunrise to sunset, or a sketch of when the sun reaches each part. Some spots may get sun all day and others none.
3. Note whether the shade falls in the morning or the afternoon (Tennessee Extension); the difference matters for heat, below.
4. Repeat as the seasons change. Tennessee notes that nearby buildings can block more light in winter, when the sun is lower, and that porch roofs can block considerable sunlight.

The hours decide the crop list: under 2 hours, grow nothing edible there; 3–4 hours, greens; 4–6 hours, greens, roots, peas and most herbs; 6 or more, fruiting crops. More on sun, weight and wind for upper floors is on balcony gardening.

Balcony and patio orientation

Orientation sets both the hours and the heat. A garden ecology lab case study at Oregon State notes that in the Northern Hemisphere a south-facing balcony gets far more sun than a north-facing one, and that balconies are often shaded heavily by their own building or neighboring ones.

Some shade can help in hot weather. Maryland Extension notes that high day and night temperatures can interfere with pollination and fruit set in tomatoes, peppers, beans and summer squash, and suggests moving pepper plants to a spot with late-afternoon shade. UC Placer adds that partial shade cuts watering and helps quick-bolting crops such as lettuce and spinach last longer.

Walls, paving and reflected light

The sources measure direct sun; none gives reflected light as a substitute for missing hours. Tennessee Extension describes what nearby surfaces do: lighter or metallic surfaces reflect more light, metallic ones can reflect excess heat onto plants, and dark walls absorb and retain heat. It suggests placing containers closer to walls in cool seasons and farther away in summer heat. Oregon State's balcony study also lists heat reflected off the building as a factor. A pale wall behind pots may brighten a spot; it does not turn a 3-hour corner into a tomato site.

Growing in part shade

• Time cool-season crops. Iowa State finds spring and late-summer plantings for fall harvest more productive than growing cool-season crops in partial shade through midsummer. Re-sowing intervals are on succession planting.
• Keep beds away from trees. Clemson advises against gardens close to or beneath trees and shrubs, because shade and competition for water and nutrients reduce growth; if a bed must sit near trees, give its sunniest spot to crops grown for fruit or seeds. UC Placer adds that tree cover reduces the rain reaching the soil.
• Go up. UC Placer suggests growing vertically or hanging containers from high posts to catch more sun; supports are compared on vertical gardening.
• Move the pots. Iowa State suggests a container placed in full sun where no bed gets enough light, and UW–Madison notes that containers can be moved to take advantage of changing conditions such as sunlight. Moist mix is heavy, so a large pot is easier to move on casters. Watering pots that sit in full sun is covered on watering containers.

Where almost no direct sun reaches the space, Iowa State's advice is candid: buying from a local farmers market is a better use of time and money.

Shade garden checklist

• Count direct sun hours on a clear day, by the hour, and again later in the season.
• Under 2 hours: no food crops. 3–4 hours: lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, mustard, bok choy, mint.
• 4–6 hours: add radishes, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, peas, bush beans and most herbs.
• 6 hours or more: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash; 8–10 hours for the best yields.
• East and north sides: favor greens. West and south sides: watch heat and water.
• Expect slower growth in shade; sow greens in spring and late summer rather than midsummer.

Crop guides for shade-tolerant greens: lettuce, spinach and kale; for a full-sun crop in a pot, see growing tomatoes in containers.