I've gone and done something very silly! I built a deck next to some of my planter boxes and now I have 16 lineal feet of planting space that gets no more than 2-3 hours of direct sun (if that) during the summer. It's somewhat seclude so I have no use for ornamental plants; besides, what my daughter really wants is lots of veggies. Can anyone tell me what veggies will grow best in the shade? Almost every seed pack says full sun. Perhaps someone could also comment on a hare-brained scheme I came up with. I thought I would start one of the giant variety pumpkins in a sunny spot. Could I then transplant the stem to the shady area but with the vine and pumpkin itself reaching down my rows of planters into the sun? If so, how long would be the maximum I might let the plant grow before transplanting?
I grow sorrel, parsley and mint in the shade under a tree. Also leafy veg, green onions from sets, peas, and beans in areas that are sunny for only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the day. I've heard that rhubarb also does well in part shade, but haven't tried this yet.
The Complete Shade Gardener by George Schenk (Houghton-Mifflin) has a chapter Vegetabes in the Shade you might like to read.
