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10 best vegetable crops for shade
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Wednesday, 3 July 2019 at 9:00 am
We've picked our favourite vegetable crops to grow in shade.
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Although a sunny spot is ideal for most fruit and vegetables, many vegetable crops, including beetroot, radish and salad leaves, will grow well in shade.
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For some vegetable crops, a little shade can actually be an advantage. Sheltered from the sun, you will need to water the plants less often. What's more, some crops, such as salad crops, can struggle in heat, so will produce more lush growth in shade.
Discover 10 vegetables to grow in shade, below.
Swiss chard
Swiss chard
Pick the leaves when young for salads or when larger, as spinach. 'Bright Lights' has attractive colourful stems. Sow from March to September, and protect from frost with fleece. Find out how to grow Swiss chard in our guide.
Brassicas
Savoy cabbage
All brassicas are tolerant of shade, so as well as as cabbages try growing broccoli, spring greens or Brussels sprouts. Sow seeds in spring for late-season cropping. Net the plants to protect them from cabbage white butterflies - buy netting from Crocus.
- Buy brassica seeds from: Dobies, Suttons and Thompson & Morgan
Beetroot
Beetroot
Beetroots are tolerant of shade, but to get them off to a strong start, sow seeds in modules in bright conditions and then transplant when they're growing well. Sweet-tasting 'Boltardy' is a reliable variety, or try orange 'Burpee's Golden' or striped 'Chioggia'. Sow seeds every few weeks in spring and summer for a succession of roots.
- Buy beetroot seeds from: Suttons, Gardening Direct, Dobies and Thompson & Morgan
Salad leaves
Salad leaves
Try loose-leaf lettuces, including oak-leaf types and varieties such as 'Lollo Rosso', plus fast-growing, spicy leaves like mizuna. Once the soil has warmed up in spring, sow outside in small batches every few weeks for continuous cropping. Read how to sow salad leaves in a pot in or guide.
- Buy lettuce seeds from: Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Crocus and Dobies
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi
Sow kohlrabi seeds little and often, when temperatures are 10°C or above, and water plants regularly. Peel the swollen stems and toss in butter roast, add to stews or grate raw into salads. The leaves can be eaten like cabbage.
Explore our latest fruit and veg offers
There’s nothing like the taste of freshly harvested, home grown fruit and veg. Whether you've a large allotment or the smallest of spaces, there are plenty of things you can grow. Explore our latest fruit and veg offers
Radishes
Radishes
Radishes can be ready to eat within a few weeks of sowing. They're great for adding a spicy kick to salads. Repeat sow for low-effort, non-stop harvests. Read how to sow radishes in our guide.
Carrots
Carrots
Carrots can tolerate afternoon shade. Avoid squashing the leaves when thinning out seedlings, as the scent attracts carrot fly. Or try pest-resistant varieties 'Flyaway' from 'Crocus' and 'Resistafly' from Thompson & Morgan.
- Buy carrot seeds from: Thompson & Morgan, Dobies, Gardening Direct and Suttons
Leeks
Leeks
On shady plots that get morning sun and afternoon shade, you'll be able to grow leeks – they need some sun but can cope with some shade. Try reliable, hardy varieties such as 'Musselburgh' and 'Autumn Giant' for heavy crops.
- Buy leek seeds from: Crocus, Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Kale
Kale
Kale is a hardy crop that tolerates light shade. Grow a range of different shapes and colours, including 'Black Tuscany', 'Red Winter', 'Dwarf Green Curled' and 'Red Curled'. Pick the leaves regularly to encourage more to form. Read how to plant kale in our guide.
- Buy kale seeds from: Crocus, Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
Broad beans
Broad beans
Broad beans do well in dappled shade. Early maturing 'Aquadulce Claudia' is ready to pick a month earlier than other varieties.
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- Buy broad bean seeds from: Crocus, Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons
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