What vegetables to plant in small shade area? Zone 8

[mathewbroderick]

Hey everyone,

I tried searching to see if this topic was already posted and I didn't see anything similar!

I have a vegetable garden area that I've been working on for a few years. The soil is really nice, I usually rotate what I grow year-to-year. Zone 8, PNW USA. I rent so I can't do anything too crazy.

I'm blessed to have some big healthy trees in our yard but they shade 80% of it! The left side of my vegetable bed gets full sun and I put my tomatoes there. The onions do well in the partial sun, but the end of the right side is almost full shade and anything I plant there is super wimpy. It's a 3x3.5 ft area, see image below. Still have to do a little weeding! Ignore my ghastly white hand we've seen about 2 hours of sunlight in the past 8 months.

I was thinking of doing something ornamental as slug bait but man I'd love to plant something I can eat there. Any ideas? I come from Zone 4 and it amazes me how about everything you plant in the ground here grows! There's so much I don't know about yet so I figured I'd come to you guys for suggestions. I obviously can't plant anything that gets huge unless it was a vining plant I could train up the fence or off that area to the right. I know not to plant most anything yet unless I start it indoors.

 

[Meadowlark]

I'd love to plant something I can eat there. Any ideas?

Leafy greens are a good bet; shade keeps them tender and slows bolting.

Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Kale etc. are some edible examples.

 

[mathewbroderick]

Leafy greens are a good bet; shade keeps them tender and slows bolting.

Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Kale etc. are some edible examples.

That's what I was thinking too...I don't really like eating leafy greens but maybe it's a sign to start eating healthier

Any recommendations? I did grow Territorial Seed's 'Olympia' spinach* a couple years ago but my dog dug up every single plant before I could try it :,)

 

[Meadowlark]

Some varieties I grow:

Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Little Gem, Romain are some I've grown and liked.

Mizuna is a very tasty loose leaf green that I like.

The rhubarb Swiss Chard is good.

I grow the Bloomsdale spinach and also a climbing variety that does well here in hot weather... the Malabar spinach.

Curly leaf Kale is good and Purple Kale.

Mustard greens have a different taste.

Collard greens are a Southern staple and tolerate some shade.

And so on...

 

[LionGardener]

If you want grow vertical you can grow; peas, beans and cucumbers.

 

[mathewbroderick]

Some varieties I grow:

Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Little Gem, Romain are some I've grown and liked.

I looked that first variety up online and it looked like something I might actually eat. Found some seeds at the farm store today, excited to put them in the ground. Thanks for your advice and I'll keep those others in mind as well. Mizuna looks interesting, I've never seen/heard of it before.

Off topic but found this healthy specimen when I was out weeding. Never saw them get to this size until I moved out here...

 

[mathewbroderick]

If you want grow vertical you can grow; peas, beans and cucumbers.

I do tons of peas and beans out here - still scared of cucumbers but I LOVE pickles so this might have to be the year. Thanks for the suggestions and I'll keep them in mind. Might make some use of the space outside the bed as well.

 

[Meadowlark]

... Mizuna looks interesting, I've never seen/heard of it before.

@zigs introduced me to it several years back and I was really surprised how much I liked it. It is a great "cut and come again" cool weather plant.

 

[Meadowlark]

... still scared of cucumbers but I LOVE pickles so this might have to be the year.

Straight 8 is a variety that several folks on this Forum grow...including myself. Great for pickling or just eating "straight". They do very well on a trellis or trained up a fence.

 

[mathewbroderick]

Straight 8 is a variety that several folks on this Forum grow...including myself. Great for pickling or just eating "straight". They do very well on a trellis or trained up a fence.

Looked this one up and one of my favorite nurseries here stocks it. Guess I'll have to plan a trip out there!! Thanks so much for your help and I'll update you all in a few months :^)