Chicago Home and Lifestyles – 8 vegetables you can plant in the shade

Think your outside space is too shady to grow vegetables? Maybe for tomatoes that need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight a day, that’s true! Lucky for us there are vegetables that not only prefer shady areas but actually do better without so much sunlight. Here are my favorites:

Peas are a great cool season crop that will thrive even without direct sunlight. They grow well in zones 2-11 and you can grow them on the north side of the house. Just use good moisture retaining soil and water regularly!

Carrots will also thrive in most shady spots with some light. Germination may take a bit longer and the plants will not be so compact, but they will still be tasty. As with peas, plant in well drained fertile soil and water regularly. 

Garlic has fragrant leaves and, depending on the variety, may have large pink and white flowers. They do well also on a north facing bed. They only need a couple hours of full sun and will thrive in the shade for the majority of the day. In zones 2-11, they grow up to 16 inches tall in well drained fertile soil. 

Dwarf peppers do great in light shade and are wonderful if you have limited space. They can thrive in a large container on your deck or under taller tomato plants. They grow up to 2 feet tall, and the peppers are great in salad or stuffed and grilled. 

Spinach is perfect for a small garden that may be north facing as it stays compact and thrives in partial shade. Harvesting the baby leaves keeps the plant even smaller. It grows in almost all zones. 

Cilantro, so popular today in many Latin dishes, grows well in light shade. You can let the plant go to seed and have a large supply ready for winter. It grows in zones 2-11 and is compact, growing only 2 feet tall. Parsley also grows in partial shade, but make sure to give each plant a little more space than usual to avoid it getting too stringy. 

Baby Bok Choy is so delicious in stir fry! You harvest the leaves when they’re only 3 or so inches tall so you don’t have problems with insufficient light. Water them regularly and frequently harvest the leaves. 

Ginger thrives in shaded areas and is another good choice for small gardens. The roots make a wonderful healthy tea and are used widely in many Asian recipes. You can even grow it in containers. Always use well drained fertile soil and water heavily.  

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago