How to Grow a Vegetable Garden With Limited Sunlight
If you have a green thumb, you probably always want to improve on your gardening skills. In this guide, you will learn what types of vegetables grow best in low light, how to take advantage of the light you have, and ways to increase the light that the vegetables in your garden receive. Follow these easy pointers to grow your own thriving, healthy vegetable garden, even in limited sunlight. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Seeds or seedlings from the garden center
- 10 lb. bag of soil per vegetable plant, if using containers
- Small shovel
Instructions
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Starting Your Vegetable Garden
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Choose the best space for your vegetable garden. A small plot of land (10 by 5 feet) or a corner of a patio is suitable. If you use land, it should be flat and have good soil. If you choose a space on a patio, you will need enough room for a planter (at least 2 feet square and 1.5 feet deep) for each vegetable you want to grow. Container gardening can be a great solution if your sun exposure is limited, since you can move the plants to wherever the sun is shining.
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Choose the best vegetables for your garden. Leafy vegetables and some roots vegetables grow well in limited sunlight. Choose lettuce, cabbage, spinach, kale, mustard greens, radishes or beets for your garden. Once you have selected your vegetables, you can either start them from seed in the spring, or visit your local garden center to buy seedlings.
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After the last frost date for your area, plant your seedlings in your garden. To take advantage of limited light, position the vegetable plants so any surrounding plants or trees do not block the sunlight. Remember that some of your vegetables will grow large leaves that could block light from others. Position the vegetables that will grow the largest leaves (beets, radishes and mustard greens) so that they will not come between the sunlight and the other vegetables as they grow.
Maximize Sun Exposure and Nutrients in Your Vegetable Garden
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Cut back any branches or shrubs that may be blocking sunlight from getting to your garden. Remember that the sun changes position throughout the day, so larger plants that let morning sun through may still block your garden's afternoon sun. Note the shade patterns created by larger plants or trees throughout the day and them trim back accordingly.
If using containers, notice where the sun shines the most in the morning, midday and in the afternoon. Whenever possible, move your containers so that the vegetable plants are in the optimum location for catching sun at each time of day.
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After you have maximized your garden's exposure to sunlight, use plant nutrients in your garden to help your vegetables grow in low light. Fertilizers, plant nutrient mixes and compost will help your vegetable garden thrive even if it spends some time in the shade. Once a week, feed your vegetable plants with an organic nutrient mix or fertilizer. You can find these at your garden center. If you have access to compost, spread it over the soil monthly.
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If your garden is under a covered area like a porch and is close to a source of electricity, you can purchase a grow light for your plants, which will provide the light spectrum your vegetables require. You can find grow lights online for as low as $30.
Harvest the Rewards of Your Vegetable Garden
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Check your garden daily to be sure that your vegetable plants are healthy and growing, and to troubleshoot any problems.
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If a plant seems to be stunted, it may need more or less water. If the soil remains soggy or starts to grow mold, you are probably over-watering the plant. If the plant becomes droopy or wilted, it may need more water. Check the Garden wesbite to find specific information about the watering needs of vegetables in your garden.
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If the vegetables start to grow but do not get larger, your plant may need specific nutrients to help it along. Most organic fertilizers work well for all varieties of vegetables, but if one plant seems to be struggling, you may want to call your garden center for advice on adding specific nutrients to the soil.
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When they are ripe, you can pick your vegetables straight from the garden and prepare them just as you would a vegetable from the supermarket. If they are a little smaller than what you are used to, don't worry. Low light gardens will often result in small (but still very healthy) produce. Don't be surprised if your home grown vegetables are much tastier than those from the store.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure not to over-water your vegetable garden, as mold is more likely to grow in shady or low light areas. Mold can damage your vegetable plants, stunt their growth, or even kill them. If your garden will be in a cool area in addition to a shady one, dark leafy vegetables like spinach and kale will grow best for you. Keep a garden journal, noting any observations that will be useful to you next time you plant a garden, such as how much water your veggies liked, what type of fertilizer or compost you used, and how long the vegetables took to ripen. Visit gardening blogs and websites such as You Grow Girl or Garden for expert advice about growing vegetables in limited sun exposure. Remember that vegetables grown in limited sunlight may be smaller than expected, but they are still perfectly edible and delicious.
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Comments
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There is very limited information here. One can use a bordering white wall to reflect light near your garden. Possibly even reflectors, as in getting a suntan. I might even use my outdoor lights for part of the day, since an oak tree has grown above my usual planting area.
