What Garden Vegetables Do Not Require Sun All Day?

Grow lettuce in shaded areas in the garden.

When you are planning your garden, it is important to place vegetables where they receive the optimum amount of light. While there are many vegetables that only thrive in full sun -- defined as at least eight hours of sun per day, there are also plenty of vegetables that do well in partial shade or even full shade areas. Consider how much light your garden plot gets and plant appropriately. Even if you do not get full sun in your garden, there are still plenty of vegetable options open for you.

Broccoli

Broccoli produces edible stalks and a flowering head, though this will not be as large when grown in light shade. There are a number of varieties to choose from, and to keep your garden in plenty of broccoli, plant early, midseason and late varieties. Hot weather and direct sun causes broccoli plants to "bolt," or begin producing seed, which reduces the use of the flowering heads. Plant broccoli in a rich soil where it is protected from afternoon sun and fertilize regularly.

Lettuce

Lettuce is a leafy, cool-season vegetrable that prefers a rich, well-drained soil. Grow it in lightly shaded areas, which protect the tender leaves from sunburn. If you lack shade but wish to grow lettuce, plant it close to the bases of taller plants, like beans and corn. Start the seed indoors and then plant the seedlings in the garden when the weather starts to turn warn. There are several types of lettuce commonly grown in gardens. Some varieties of lettuce include crisphead lettuce, romaine lettuce and butterhead lettuce.

Spinach

Spinach is a dark green, leafy vegetable that does well in shade. If it is grown in the full sun, it tends to bolt straight to seed production. Grow your spinach in a rich, well-drained soil. Baby spinach, which is young and tender, is easily harvested from growing plants. To harvest baby spinach, remove only the outermost leaves from the plant and continue to do so throughout the season.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable that may be grown for its stalks or for its leaves. For the crispy stalks, plant swiss chard in a place that gets at least five hours of sun per day, but if you only want the tender leaves, a spot with three hours of sun will be enough. If you grow in shade, the plants tend to be smaller, but will otherwise thrive. Eat Swiss chard leaves in a stirfry or raw in salads.

References

• Colorado State University; Vegetables for the Shady Garden; John Durham
• University of Missouri Extension; Gardening in the Shade; Christoper J. Starbuck; 2002
• Arizona State University; Lettuce; Lucy Bradley, et al.; 1998
• "Mother Earth News"; Best Shade-Tolerant Vegetables; Colleen Vanderlinden