7 Edible Crops Perfect for Growing in Shady Corners

[@HuwRichards]

I was going to post a different video but it needed a lot more work than I had time spare this week so I hope you find this super helpful and I look forward to seeing you all again next Friday😊

[@kingkongprimpinella774]

Just today I asked myself exactly this question and looked it up. I can add comfrey and lady's mantle and you had more good ideas, some of which I will implement. Many Thanks

[@CherylK.333]

It was super helpful! This is just the information I needed. Thank you!

[@rockjockchick]

I needed this actually! Thanks!

[@ajb.822]

Yes, definitely - a very good idea for a filler video ! More than worthy !

[@MrsBadger]

This video has given me the motivation I needed to start a big veggie patch in my backyard, which has varying degrees of shade…So thank you 🙏

[@TheFunctionalForce]

You’re a treasure, Huw. Currently waiting for your two books in the mail! 💛🌞🌊

[@HuwRichards]

Oh wow that's wonderful to hear and I hope you really enjoy them😊😊🌱

[@TheFunctionalForce]

@@HuwRichards glued to your newest one right now! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@HuwRichards]

@@TheFunctionalForce yay happy reading!!

[@TheFunctionalForce]

@@HuwRichards quick question, Huw… I see you use wooden planks to build the sides of your beds. Do they last without rotting or do you apply anything to protect them (or just change them every year/few years)? 💛🌞🌊 THANK U!

[@j.reneewhite915]

I really appreciate that you are educating people on the topic of growing food crops in the shaded areas of the garden. The property that I grow on is small and right against a forest. The house shades out the main area for my garden so I've learned a lot of tricks to gardening in the shade. I've also learned to bloom where I'm planted. Here are some notes that I've gathered from watching a lot of you tubes and experience. Enjoy..... Growing food in the Shade There are areas around the house, porch, under trees and on decks that only get 2 to 4 hours of light and can still produce a fair amount of food. If you understand how to adjust the variables and expectations you can grow very successfully in these micro-climates. Soil needs in the shade: The evaporation of moisture is minimal so the variable you have to address is soil that is too moist and creates disease or root rot. If you add a little sand and/or perlite to the soil when digging in your transplants to optimize drainage and hill up any plant that is susceptible to root rot such as strawberries then you will have great success with very little effort. Water needs in the shade: Don’t water as often as your other plants that get more sun. If you don’t know if it’s time to water then sink your finger 3 inches into the soil near the plant to detect if there is moisture. If it is dry then water. Otherwise the plants will tell you if they aren’t getting enough water. Use drip or soaker methods to water because the leaves will stay moist for long periods of time and become susceptible to disease. Light needs in the shade: Try to plant the determinate tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini in the area that gets the most light in the shade garden and if there is an option try for placement in the afternoon sun. Plant your leafy greens in the darkest areas and give every plant that tends to bolt a spot in the morning sun and dense afternoon shade to keep them cool and bolt free for longer. Some gardeners paint walls white to reflect more sun. Others use mirrors in the garden. Some even create beautiful pools of water next to the shade garden to reflect light to the plants. Although these steps are helpful they’re not necessary in most cases. Temperature micro-climate: Typically you’ll have multiple micro-climates around your house and when you identify them it allows you to choose plants that will thrive or tolerate that space successfully. As I mentioned earlier shade creates a cooler, more consistently moist climate that allows leafy greens, brassicas and all other plants that bolt or get bitter due to heat, an ideal growing space for most of your growing season. Growing and spacing needs in shade gardens: It’s always best to start your seeds indoors to create the optimal growth for a couple of weeks before transplanting them in the shade garden. Harden them off and expect the growth to slow down as soon as they are planted in the shade. You may want to protect the seedlings with clear plastic cups for another 2 weeks because slugs love the shade and are more active in those areas. You want to give your seedlings a bit more space to soak up the sun. You don’t want to crowd them and further restrict photosynthesis. If you have a wall to train perennials they’ll benefit by being espelliared against the wall. That’s a fancy way of training them flat against the wall with spacing between branches making a fan shape is most common. Change of growth characteristics and harvest potential in the shade: Add 15 days to the original harvest date due to slower growth. For leafy greens such as cilantro, parsley, mint, spinach and basil the leaf structure becomes larger, thinner and more tender. The harvest is extended by at least a month if not longer. Brassicas have a larger leaf structure and are less bitter when grown in shade. Tomatoes, squash, potatoes and other heat loving plants will give a smaller harvest but worth the effort. Tips from the pros. Is soak seeds before planting, give them an optimal situation to germinate and when they’re growing strong harden them off and plant into the shaded area. If you’re not sure how much sun they might need, plant them in a container such as grow bags, pots or crates and move around the space until you find a good spot for that plant. This helps to learn that microclimate more quickly with less plant failure. Perennial fruit bearing bushes that are suited for shade are: Currants Grapes Raspberries Blackberries Strawberries Gooseberries Sour Cherry Paw Paw Tree Annual Veggies that thrive in shade are: Lettuce Spinach Kale Swiss Chard Broccoli Peas Radish Kohlrabi Arugula Sorrel Endive Celery Collards All forms of Brassicas Garlic Mustard Watercress Chervil? Annual Veggies that tolerate shade are: Green Onions Leeks Garlic Det. Tomato Egg Plant Artichoke Potatoes Squash (short season) Beets Bush Beans Jerusalem Artichoke Plantain Hyacinth bean Turnips Rutabagas Choy Shade Tolerant Tomato Varieties Black Cherry. Evans Purple Pear. Golden Sweet. Ildi (Yellow) Isis Candy Cherry. Juliet Hybrid (Red) Principe Borghese (Red) Vernissage Yellow. Herbs that Love (*) or Tolerate shade: *Basil *Mint *Cilantro *Parsley Anise Rosemary Sage Dill AND OF COURSE MUSHROOMS LOVE THE SHADE.

[@rockjockchick]

This was super helpful! Thanks

[@foreversettled9144]

Thank you.

[@jimanast3593]

VERY helpfull, nice effort!

[@cherylsalmon8429]

This is really helpful Renee. Thank you🙂

[@DawnRK3204]

Mint took over my raised bed, so now I only plant it in containers.

[@billyandrew]

I have some in containers and some restricted by a ha-ha fence, made from a washing up bowl with the bottom cut off, then pushed into the earth, until the rim of the bowl is just slightly proud of the soil. I use the ha-ha bowl for perennial nettles, too.

[@Kakashi713]

Mint is VERY invasive, so you wanna grow it in containers or else it'll overtake a bed. If you're going to grow on a bed, make it a Mint ONLY bed, or else you will have what you experienced again

[@rickytorres9089]

@@Kakashi713 It's a user error on their part. Mints are not like invasive bamboos and can be SAFELY grown in a bed if maintained properly. Chop and dropping EFFECTIVELY, harvesting it frequency enough, shade gardening it, etc are means of making sure it's not "dramatic".

[@rickytorres9089]

The mint didn't take it over, they grew in areas that the bed had available. They aren't like invasive bamboos and can effectively be maintained so this doesn't happens again.

[@Kakashi713]

@Ricky Torres ...you DO realize that mints and bamboos are Rhizome plants right? Hence why they get uncontrollable real quick if not really taken care of in contained areas?

[@charlottes6047]

Ive been following you for the last year from Zimbabwe as we forge a new way of gardening, using all your techniques and suggestions. Some work this side, some not but this is a brilliantly done video to show hope in the shade. Now it is becoming more important than ever to be self sufficient here, and your videos are always a great starting point for us. Thank you!

[@StephanieJacobs604]

YES, thank you! So many sources out there, even when the name of the video is "what to grow in shade", they then end up saying, basically, don't bother trying to grow anything in less than 4 hours of sun. Like, some of us live in the city, and our yards (and neighbours' yards) have trees. So nice to see a much less pessimistic take on shade - thank you!

[@rickytorres9089]

Exactly HALF of our TINY "yard" that's really just a large patio is more or less half of this. And people in gardening communities act like you're either gonna get abyssal results (flower dropping immediately) or the plants are in survival all of the time.

[@marich91]

Thanks for the reminder Mr. Richards! So many veggies and fruits can grow or even grow better in shady areas, but somehow on the seed packs you'll always find "quite sunny to sunny", even with veggies as spinach and other leaves... Weird. Most berries, especially, are meant to grow in forests under the shadow of big trees, and they feel much better in the shade than in full sunlight :-) Love your video!

[@jerryjerryjerry6822]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@AnneGoggansQHHT]

I’ve grown sweet potatoes, lettuce, chard, potatoes, blackberries, herbs and sun chokes on the shady side of my house.

[@biblegachasstories5005]

Great

[@SebR-FR]

And where are you ? Here in south-western of France nothing really appreciate full sun exposure now.

[@spacefabi]

How did the sweet potatoes turn out?

[@elizabethflynn8455]

Great topic to discuss,Huw. It puts so many folks off starting up a garden. Lovely examples used in this post. Thanks.

[@HuwRichards]

My pleasure Elizabeth, I'm so glad you enjoyed this video :D

[@Mrpurple75]

Your barrel in the shade is a great idea. At work yesterday it was 9 degrees C and there was still ice in the shade. Little things like the water and the compost that people don’t usually think about but you do. Thank you. I have the opposite problem in spots. We have street lights in the front and back of our property. The power company calls the back one a courtesy light. Anyway they cause problems in the garden with day sensitive plants. The upside is that the raspberry plants under the light produce fruit from leafing out till winter death. They aren’t very big but are abundant. Most of the other plants suffer. I know you don’t have this problem but thought you might be interested as a master gardener. Thank you for another great video

[@Jardin-de-invierno]

Always love your videos

[@sierrrrrrrra]

Great points!! I live in the southeastern united states, I've been growing tons of things in the shade. My neighborhood is in a forest with tall trees, but i tried experimenting with different foods and I've had surprising success! Its always good to try things and see what works best for your situation.

[@topoftheplotshomestead]

Great advice thanks Huw Diolch

[@darongw]

One great crop for shady areas is miners lettuce. Tastes great and is perennial in areas that don't get too hot in the summer. And also check out local native edibles. I've found a number in my area they taste great and grow well in the shade since they're forest plants.

[@Concojone5]

I agree with miners lettuce. Did great in shady areas where spinach (supposedly shade-tolerant!) failed.

[@debbiehenri345]

@@Concojone5 Yes, I've given up with shade-tolerant spinach. They may be shade tolerant, but they're certainly not 'heat' tolerant from my experience. I stumbled across Miner's lettuce about 15 years ago, and the plants grow really well in the shade - to the size of a lettuce in some cases. The other advantage is - the deer seem to leave them alone.

[@MeadeFamilyFarm]

I love that you expanded your suggestions beyond just leafy greens :) and when you said to experiment with growing beans and different things in your garden in shady areas that makes so much sense. I love trying out different growing techniques and discovering unconventional shade lovers could be really fun.

[@Amy-qc2qq]

Thankyou so much for posting this. My whole plot is pretty shadey so this is exactly what I needed 😄😄 I've found woody herbs grow surprisingly well in the shade.

[@matthewfarrell317]

Had a chuckle at 19C we are heading into winter and still getting 25-30c days lol unusually warm for us tho in Melbourne. I find with the exception of a few, most plants can do part shade at least, just they take longer to get to their proper size. I have two red currants, one under the fruit trees and one in full sun, been told that the full sun one would taste better, but I can't tell the bloody difference lol.

[@DIGardening]

I bought a potted herb garden that had thyme, sage, basil, and dill. I kept on my north-facing front porch and they did beautifully. The thyme and sage have over-wintered for 2 years.

[@DawnRK3204]

I’m in US zone 8. Oregano and thyme do better for me with some shade, I’ve found. All my herbs are on my west-facing front patio. The sun and heat are brutal, so I use the dwarf tomatoes and fruit shrubs in pots to provide some shade for everything except basil.

[@smokiiburr4026]

How’d you know I needed this just now? 🤩 thank you for your uploads!

[@HuwRichards]

You are most welcome hehe :)

[@Magickfae]

Same ! 😂

[@janetskitchengarden2038]

I have a lot of shade to deal with in my yard, (I'm in Texas) and it was a pleasure to watch your video on planting "with" shade. Because of my shade I have been pushing the envelope on what I can grow and what will produce in my shade. I have found that my crops grown in shade will produce but tend to be about 1-2 weeks behind friends growing just in sun. I have grown all my leafy greens in my shade beds. They will be a little further behind than my sunny beds but still produce. Strawberries, broad beans, green beans, peppers, celery leaf and several of my herbs have all been grown in my shady beds. Thanks again and your channel continues to provide information and inspiration!.

[@kahae9858]

Great video! My most productive gooseberry is a self-seeded plant growing in virtually complete shade.

[@debbiehenri345]

I've just lifted and potted 2 self-sown gooseberries from really quite deep shade. Those gooseberry plants growing in partial shade are doing a great deal better than those in full sun. I also tried some parsnips in partial shade as well as full sun - with the yield being the same, but with the advantage of the shady ones needing less watering.

[@billyandrew]

@@debbiehenri345 The shaded parsnips also take longer to grow, staggering the harvest, which can be very useful.

[@fatherofchickens7951]

Thanks for the garden content as I wait for two to three feet of snow to melt away here in Alaska 😉

[@joshaklese4969]

If you build that greenhouse you can grow early and you get a bonus sun room.

[@roxanadcortessoto6440]

The best video of all time. The best video, excellent idea and thank you for your commitment to truthful and simple information. The idea of moving plants such as chives is very good, it also helps to have everything more organized and thus get the most out of it. Thanks a lot !!!

[@HuwRichards]

My pleasure Roxana, although I would disagree it's the best video of all time hehe😉

[@PatriciaJessup]

Thanks once again Huw for your worthy tips. My gardens are mostly in sunny locations with some shade...so these tips that you shared here today has verified the planting of some trees in some special spots in the garden. Trees add some enjoyable textures and interest that I really enjoy in a garden space. Thus the beginning of the food forest begins.

[@pamspray5254]

I have exactly 3 sunny beds in my garden and the rest are part shade(trials of living in a forest). You'd definitely be surprised how well "full-sun" plants flourish! Our tomatoes went NUTS last year and our potatoes were prolific. I have plans for this year and I am so excited to have broken into my seeds - saved and bought - for this growing season.

[@rickytorres9089]

Very neat in all respects, shade might not provides the BEST yields but it's not like it's "life or death" of at least many plants. Plus not all plants needs to be at their full potential, like seriously how many of us actually need herbs by the poundage verses just trimmings from here and then?

[@dawnhowcroft6051]

Huw, your videos are so informative and helpful. I have been binge watching your videos to help me this year. I have used the cardboard on seeds to start them off. I have had great success with this. Thank you so much and please keep going. :)

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

Great stuff!

[@Silvereagledude]

This gives me the encouragement to put some raised beds in shadier areas of my yard

[@dgill441]

Glad you put in storage options too! I have a very urban garden and limited space but have been surprised with how well some things grow in shade! Black eyed peas have grown everywhere in my garden so that’s another one 👍

[@alexboeve59]

Eating broad bean shoots! How delightful! Never knew that!

[@HuwRichards]

Enjoy them😊🌱

[@margaretodea7633]

Very good video!

[@LiliansGardens]

I am planning to use my north facing garden more this year. Thanks for these tips.

[@jamespeters2859]

Inspirational!

[@him050]

My neighbour has an oak tree right in the corner of his garden that blocks all of the sun out my garden from about 13:00 onwards. This video is much appreciated!

[@annakozlowski1774]

Thank you from across the pond Great Lakes area of Illinois our 3 day freeze is over can't wait to get my hands dirty.😊 you are so encouraging💌

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Anna😁 You are so welcome:)

[@moonafarms1621]

Thank you so much for all that you do here with your content! I've learned and applied so many techniques!

[@HuwRichards]

You are most welcome, thank you so much!

[@MorningsattheAllotment]

Perfect timing for me, Huw, and very helpful! Most of our garden is in full sun all day for most of the main growing season - but we have an area behind the shed that is completely shaded by noon in high summer - which is perfect for an early harvest of winter brassicas since our summers are very hot and dry. We grow wild garlic right next to the shed (basically an hour of morning sun and that's it...) but the rest of it will be a mix of all kinds of crops this year, just to see what does best where.

[@microheavy21]

Good stuff Huw. I've had great success with broad beans and over wintering onions + garlic in my shady beds.

[@skashax777x]

I love that you grow rhubarb in the shade, I have mine in the shade and a fellow allotmenteer has said to me I should move it to a suny part, how evr my rhubarb is doing just fine where it is, they have huge green leaves and so ar a good crop for shady area

[@cassieoz1702]

I use rhubarb, blackcurrants, mint, parsley and strawberries as understory in my orchard

[@SustainablyVegan]

This is really helpful! Our raised beds are north facing but we've had a surprising amount of luck with a range of veggies!

[@nkaradogan34]

If you're looking for gardening advice as I know you've recently started. This channel is great as well as Charles dowding and roots and refuge farm. Also gardener world is on BBC tonight X

[@SustainablyVegan]

@@nkaradogan34 Thank youuu!

[@fainitesbarley2245]

I find many seed packets say ‘full sun’ when actually they do better in part sun part shade as long as it’s not actually deep shade! Lettuces for example. Not that there’s much nutrition in those. Cauliflowers, beets. As long as it gets a few hours sun. When I started as a novice allotment holder I accidentally put my polytunnel in shade for at least half the day. My tomatoes and chillies won prizes at the allotment show. I’m definitely going to try pea shoots having watched this video.

[@rogerizaguirre7156]

What type of veggie did u grow

[@Yukon_Actual]

These videos are more calming than a Xanax

[@DIGardening]

I have also heard about using those shady areas as microclimates to relocate cooler weather veggies as the Temps rise for containers

[@TheWeedyGarden]

You always come with great tips Huw. Thanks again.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much David, really appreciate this😊

[@TheWeedyGarden]

@@HuwRichards You are the YT guru atm mate

[@HevdawgUK]

Brilliant video! Thank you, I have a lot of shade in my new garden and you’ve given me good ideas.

[@KlausM4]

Big fan of this channel. Have learnt a lot. Greeting from Netherlands 👍🙂

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much that means a lot! :)

[@Mo-mr8vv]

Thank you! I was worried about two shady areas at both ends of my garden... now I'm not! 👏🏻🌱💗🇺🇸

[@rossjackson6050]

Perfect timing for this video! One of my raised beds get shade from about 3pm so I'll follow your advice. Cheers

[@seanwaters8886]

I look forward to watching your growth beyond No Dig!

[@lindahipple4817]

I've been growing Tumeric and Ginger in pots in my shady end of the garden. Tumeric bloomed beautifully last summer! I cook with both herbs. Blessings.

[@SteelSongbird]

Linda did you grow turmeric and ginger from the root itself? Or seeds?

[@lindahipple4817]

@@SteelSongbird from tubers. Get the from a local organic grocery store or order from on line.

[@ninjabrown8560]

Was this in the UK? I really want to grow these too haha

[@lindahipple4817]

@@ninjabrown8560 try growing ginger and tumeric! You'd be surprised how easy it is, and there are lots of videos available to see how others in your growing zone do it successfully. Garden on.

[@hotpepper7782]

because of the tempreture difference between you and I we grow simular but different things, all in all, nice vid.

[@gayezimhuycke]

Thanks I have a tiny city garden and have some great new ideas now for the shady bits.

[@bravelily2581]

Wonderful, timely information. Thank you!!

[@HuwRichards]

My pleasure Tracy, have a fab weekend!

[@Wendy420T]

These are brilliant ideas! Thanks, Huw

[@CampK9DogWalking]

having just build perimeter raised beds round my veggie garden, which runs from fullsun round to almost total shade, this video just came at the right time. thank you!!!!

[@hannahpriddle4354]

Thank you soo much Huw! This is very helpful. I have recently bought your book Grow food for free. It is very inspiring and giving me such fantastic tips! I am reading it cover to cover. Keep doing what you are doing many of us really appreciate it. 🙏

[@Just-Nikki]

I actually just planted hops so they will have time to grow and provide afternoon shade for my nightshade plants so they will set fruit in July and August in my hot climate. I grow peas, medicinal herbs and greens in shady areas. You’re a wealth of knowledge Huw, thanks 😀

[@kerollo5163]

Great video. I noticed this year how the lettuce and celery did fantastic in the shade. You can be better off with a vegetable growing in the shade where the soil stays moist instead of a vegetable growing in the sun where the soil is constantly drying out. That can certainly be true for sand soil.

[@jsbadger]

This helps amazingly with unused portions. Thank you so much

[@jim6235]

I love your gardening videos. You are very articulate making it easy to understand. Your ideas are very helpful, many thanks!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Jim for your really kind comment and for watching. I'm so glad to hear that the videos are helpful for you😊

[@joeseatat]

Our first time gardening, we planted cherry tomatoes beneath trees. They were fine!

[@jasminthiaa]

wonderful ideas I too have a shady yard, gets maybe 6 hrs of dappled sunlight but I still grow lots of yummy food! I especially like the tip about rain barrels- I have to get mine hooked up this year! Thank you sir for the encouragement! Also seriously considering moving my lettuce bed. Good point!

[@karlitobergkamp8082]

Genuinely nice lad and some really good advice 👍🏻

[@daniellebissonnette3304]

We live in a northern deciduous woodland with very tall trees and our entire area is partial to full shade. When we moved here, the yard was neglected and he fire pit was filled with rubbish. Because we never make campfires, we decided to make a vegetable garden. We had no idea what we were doing, having never gardened before, so when it came time to plant things like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers etc, I did not realize my lot was not ideal, so I just planted them. Everything grew, albeit much slower than normal. I had a lot of success with the small, yellow pear tomatoes. I am currently growing amazing roman lettuces there, and potatoes. What is interesting is that the plot is in full sun, southern exposure from November to May (which of course coincides with our frost period), and it is sloped and curved like an amphitheater, providing some shelter from the wind. Next year, I want to experiment planting some covered crops like tomatoes and cucumbers a few weeks before the last frost date, to see if giving an early boost of sunlight is going to promote earlier and greater yield.

[@deidrespencer5467]

I'm in Central Victoria in Australia and we are currently having days of 38 degrees Celsius! Everything in my veggie gardens need shadecloth over them. I've decided next year will be focusing on growing my veggies in the more shaded areas. Thank you for your suggestions, Huw. 😊🌿

[@j.b.4340]

I grew wax peppers in abundance last year. They were at the foot of a dense pecan tree in a 3x3 bed.

[@roxyc5345]

19C seems just lovely and refreshing. 22C at 2100hrs in autumn where I am. Gentle cooler weather would be delightful

[@annburge291]

That was a really thoughtful video especially if one is into food forests because the down side is that one runs out of sunny ground space. Thanks. The 'hungry gap' phrase still gets to me because it was highly promoted by the green revolution thinking and about eating a small amount of particular edible plants. There is no hungry gap if one has sunny house windows for sprouts and herbs, if one grows frost resistant plants like brassicas and onions, if one knows what new spring leaves can be eaten.... it's people in dark apartments that depend on supermarket supplies that can suffer hunger when they lose their employment and they are forced into lock down. It's people in refugee camps where they have no access to viable seeds and land is over crowded that can cause hunger gap situations. It's people forced to live on the streets that have a hunger gap. Change the 'hunger gap' term for... how to continue harvesting throughout all seasons... It's all about learning which spring weeds, flowers and tree leaves are edible while waiting for traditional crops to grow.

[@billyandrew]

*Ann Burge* The expression, _hunger gap,_ along with _lean gap,_ is from centuries back, before supermarkets or even grocers were a thing, when populations were less, by billions, and folk worked the land to feed themselves, local hamlets, some towns and the few cities. The people had far less choice of vegetables, etc, so there were a couple of months each year when these items were scarce or non existent. The political borrowing of the term cannot change it's history.

[@BlackDogDesigns]

Fantastic video Hew, I too have a lot of shady areas that I try to put to use and now I have a few new ideas, thank you for sharing 👩🏼‍🌾

[@HuwRichards]

Awh my pleasure and good luck!!!😁

[@FlowerBoyWorld]

what an awesome channel :) first gardening channel i truly enjoy and is helpful to me!

[@patricianathan4676]

Yes Huw, someone else has mentioned mint, I also only grow it in a large container, never in the raised bed, it does take over. It’s good to grow a variety of different mints, for sauce, teas and general cooking. Love your vlogs. WCL

[@edwi3719]

I’ve been watching your videos since you were just a kid. Lots of good info

[@HuwRichards]

Awhh thank you Ed that's so kind and thanks too for watching for so long!

[@ohio_gardener]

Love your Rhubarb bed! With the hot, dry summers here, it is necessary to provide afternoon shade for Rhubarb. It grows profusely with some shade, but barely survives in full sun.

[@helen2061]

Really helpful! I have a lot of shade...put raised beds in my front lawn...the only sunny spot 😁

[@manners7483]

I grow my Super sweet 100 cherry tomatoes in my shady areas. I had a few extra a few years ago and put them in the shade because it was the only place I had space. Turns out they outgrew all of my full sun ss100 by almost 2x. The next year I did the same experiment and got the same result. for the last 5 years I have grown all but one in a highly shaded area and without fail they do far better than the full sun plants. They also seem to resist blight far better as a few years they were putting on fruit until the frost and snow killed them off. Amazing really and by far my favorite tasting. I have been testing other tomatoes varieties but they all do better in full sun.

[@MeiMoony]

Thank you - this is really helpful. I'm just setting up raised beds in a small garden and want to make the most of them.

[@HuwRichards]

I'm so glad it's helpful and have a great growing season🌱

[@tubeagespank]

I had big pile of wood chips tarped for about a year. I've finally used most of them and have a bare, shady spot I was going to let go back to grass but now I'm going to lasagna bed it into greens and herbs. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@lyndaturner6686]

Thanks Huw , must sow more veggies

[@dn744]

I love to catch a video and a brew between tasks. Rhubarb bed just finished.

[@Suburbanoasis]

Same!!

[@robertirving5293]

Hi Huw been up your way today me and my wife for run out your garden look's spot on as all way's.

[@Karoline_g]

Have you tried Hostas? I know most consider them ornamentals but I understand that they’re related to asparagus, the shoots are tasty if you get them before they open, do well in shade, and are close to impossible to kill. I’m planning to try them. :)

[@HuwRichards]

Yes! I even nearly put it in the video (having filmed a short section!) They're great!

[@Karoline_g]

Oh awesome! I am officially encouraged. Would love to see more on that. I’m really new to this.

[@dlr978]

Hostas are edible?!? I had no idea! They sound a lot like a herb I bought seeds for this year: Good King Henry . Claims are similar to what you mention: young shoots similar to asparagus, edible leaves, perennial, and can live in shade. (The two are not related though; hostas are a lily, good king henry is an amaranth.)

[@fainitesbarley2245]

Gosh. I had no idea hostas were edible

[@1Lightdancer]

I've been seeing posts about hostess as well! I love my Good King Henry - it's an early relative of spinach and quinoa, and is one of my earliest greens, then crops throughout the year, into late fall - and good greens all those months. You can cook the seed heads along with the greens, or harvest, then an cook with some quinoa!

[@c.kainoabugado7935]

Great video! Not much on this topic. Loved the ideas and practical ways to integrate shade lover plants 🪴 in the garden. Much appreciated 🙌

[@kirstyprice5536]

This was so helpful and very timely as we are just planning out our garden and one huge section is in a lot of shade from an oak and we are upping the game on food production as we have a much bigger garden than before. Looking forward to next weeks video 😊😊

[@liorkeinan980]

Great video!

[@jean-pierreposman7282]

love youre channel plaese plaese more of this huw richards you doing so well and you leaned me a lot of information . thank you so much .

[@hannahlockyer3135]

This is brilliant and so helpful. Can’t wait to start my shadow area in my garden.

[@elegantsufficiency2866]

Loads of good ideas, Thank you so much. I have a corner of my new mixed edible border that I'll be planting up for the first time this year. I'm so pleased that I've got plenty of options beyond ornamentals. 🙌💚

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

Hi Huw, Greetings from Windermere, Florida zone 9b Happy Easter 🐣and Spring 🌸 We are having a last cold 🥶front where we dropped to 48°F this morning. Not really cold, but we had to run for long pants and jackets before going outside. I'm planting every day because it has been in the 80's for several weeks. Take care and I enjoyed learning more even after 50 years of playing in the dirt 👩‍🌾👍

[@aw6707]

Contrary to many opiniona here I am rooting for your mint to be a success. I too put two different kinds in different beds and plan to use it heavily. Cheers to a minty future!

[@Pr0pheT0252]

6:18 uf, good to know... I just planted rhubarb in my garden and then realised that it is kinda in a lot of shade. good to hear that it will stil be probably fine

[@gardennonsense]

I learned a lot from you big inspiration keep up the good work

[@angelasheppard7197]

Thanks for sharing

[@reuse_or_die]

I have rocket leaf and rosemary perennials growing well in acidic shade under an old fallen pine tree stump. Thank you ❣️

[@Pigearvet]

Mid summer is hot here in Ontario. I move my peppers into the shade for more fruit.

[@ritzileclaire5990]

I removed a few hostas this year from a shadier spot and put in Swiss Chard, spinach, and a Brussels Sprout. I’m Chicago zone 5B but out summers get tropical (35-40 degrees and 80+% humidity). So far these crops are thriving. And the area is still leafy which I like to see. I think I will try rhubarb in another spot where I just removed the giant leaf hostas (giving the hostas to my work as a border between us and our littering neighbors for a natural fencing).

[@captnsnafu]

Me, le french living in the north east where we have droughts and 42°c every summer : "well, shade is the only place where you can actually hope to grow anything from june to september" ... Me, very jealous of your rain falls and all this greeneeshness ;)

[@SeeStuDo]

2 years ago I crammed tomatoes, Peppers and leftover plants in a fenceline that only got sun till noon and was surprised to get production. This year I added Eggplant, huckleberry, jerusulem artichoke, and toms and peps, Bloody Dock and Catnip and Klip Dagga as well. Grows slower and less yield, but adds huge production to my garden overall.

[@rickytorres9089]

Exactly and let's be real, do we all really need like five pounds of catnip by the end of the season? Or just enough for our kitties to nibble here and then right?

[@SeeStuDo]

@@rickytorres9089 I started cooking with it and throwing it in tea, since I don't even have a cat 🤣

[@rickytorres9089]

@@SeeStuDo Ah very interesting, I didn't know people actually eats and prepares with this! :)

[@izzywizzy2361]

I have a shady back garden (north east facing). I have tried many times to grow runners beans but have had underwhelming results. However broad beans, lettuce and rhubarb and gooseberries all thrive!

[@susanjordan2130]

I find most my plants like part shade. Utah severe desert drought with 100 degree sun burns up some of my plants. So I place pots under some tree shade and I plant many mammoth sunflowers to provide a little shade onto other plants. Works in this location, especially with water restrictions only once or twice a week. I also have a couple shade cloths over arches.

[@LindaPenney]

Lovely update thank you for sharing Huw

[@a.a.a.8365]

Happy Spring Hue,🌱🌞

[@HuwRichards]

And to you too😊🌿