Ask the Master Gardener: Advice for growing vegetables in small or shady spaces

Q: My only available gardening spot gets very little sun, a couple of hours a day, otherwise the area is in shade. Are there any vegetables I can grow under these conditions?

Although many vegetables require full sun to reach full maturity and produce as they should, there are many others that do very well with partial shade, particularly with a certain amount of morning sun. Leafy greens, root vegetables, and certain herbs do well with two to three hours of morning sun. An eastern exposure will also protect these plants during the hottest times of the day as the season progresses.

Leafy greens that do well in partial shade include spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, bok choy, mustard greens, and cabbage. Broccoli and cauliflower also fit into this category. Root vegetables including carrots, beets, scallions, and radishes also thrive with less sun. Although often forgotten, many herbs also flourish in shadier conditions, including mint, chives, coriander/cilantro, oregano, and parsley.

Many garden favorites such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and many others require six to eight hours of sun to reach their full potential, so will not do well with less sun.

What do the various terms for sun exposure in gardening actually mean?

Full sun is generally considered to be six to eight hours a day, particularly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Partial sun and partial shade usually fall into the four to six hours a day slot, with partial shade being at the lower end of the time frame. Full shade does not mean total lack of sun, but is usually two to four hours of sun, especially morning sun. Dense shade would be lack of direct sunlight, few plants will grow in these areas.

Q: My only outside space for gardening is a very small patio, only about 3' x 5', only have room for a few small containers. What can I do to maximize this space? I would really like to be able to grow some vegetables.

THINK UP! Any method that will allow vertical gardening will be your best option. There are many ways to go vertical, including shelves, multi-level plant stands, a trellis, hanging pots, whatever will work in your amount of space. If you are able to attach strings for some vining plants, such as squash or tomatoes, to climb, this will help in freeing up some space and allow the plants to reach more sunlight.

Choice of vegetables to grow will also help utilize your small space more efficiently. Some vegetables that require little space include most leafy greens, root crops such as radishes and turnips, certain pepper plants, many herbs. Tomatoes generally take up too much room for a small space, but check into smaller varieties, especially determinate varieties.

Remember, EVERYONE has room to grow a few vegetables!

Q: When is the 2024 Master Gardeners of Greene County Plant Sale?

This sale will be on Saturday April 27, starting at 8 a.m. until sold out, at Springfield Botanical Gardens near the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden Pavilion.

Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Mas-ter Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Exten-sion Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Ask the Master Gardener: Growing vegetables in small or shady spaces