10 tips for growing veg in shade
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Wednesday, 1 January 2020 at 11:01 am
Follow our 10 top tips for growing veg in a shady spot.
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Most veg crops prefer a sunny spot, and in an ideal world, you would grow your veg in the sunniest spot in your garden.
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That's not always possible, however, as the sunnniest spot is often also the best place for a greenhouse, sun-loving perennials, a cut flower patch and a seating area.
If you have no choice but to grow your veg in shade, there are plenty of ways you can help make up for limited sunlight on the veg plot.
Grow veg that can tolerate shade
Although a sunny spot is ideal for most vegetables, some, including beetroot, radish and salad leaves, will grow in shade. For some crops, such as salad, protection from summer heat can be a positive advantage. Discover the 10 best vegetable crops for shade.
A bunch of radishes
Sow seeds in a bright spot
Sow seeds in a sunny spot, to get them off to the best start, then transplant to a shadier area once they have established a good root system. Alternatively sow on a bright windowsill.
Sowing seeds outdoors in a shallow drill
Grow crops up supports
Choose crops that can be grown up supports and into the light, such as runner beans, French beans and courgette 'Tromboncino' - this needs sun but can be trained up a frame so that the fruit can ripen in the warm light.
Runner beans growing up a wigwam support
Attract pollinating insects
Grow annual flowers, such as cornflowers and borage, among veg to lure pollinating and beneficial insects - there will be fewer of these in shade.
Blue flowers and furry foliage of borage
Plant away from the base of walls
Plant slightly away from the base of walls, where shade is most dense and the soil is often poor and dry. Add plenty of well-rotted garden compost or animal manure to help the soil retain water, improve its structure and encourage plants to establish.
Sowing seeds at the front of a border beside a wall
Thin out seedlings
Give plants space by thinning out seedlings and don't overcrowd beds. Poor air circulation can encourage problems such as botrytis and mildews, and shady places can be damp, perfect for fungal diseases to thrive.
Thinning out seedlings
Protect against slugs and snails
Protect plants against slugs and snails, which love damp shade. Place cloches or gritty compost around young plants and use all the traps and deterrents you can, from beer traps to copper tape on pots.
Snail on a leaf
Bounce light around
Maximise available light by creating reflective surfaces around your growing space. Paint walls and fences white, or attach mirrors or boards covered in aluminium foil to bounce light around.
A white wall behind tomato plants
Grow in raised beds
Build raised beds or grow in containers to lift plants up and out of the densest shade. Grow crops in light plastic or fibreglass pots so they can be moved to the sun to help them fruit and ripen.
Growing in raised beds
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Give plants space
Don't overplant beds and containers. Give crops plenty of space to allow as much light to get to each plant as possible.
Space between cabbages
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