10 best vegetable crops for shade

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

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.

• Buy Swiss chard seeds from: Suttons, Dobies and Crocus

Brassicas

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

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

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

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.

• Buy kohlrabi seeds from: Dobies, Suttons and Crocus

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.

• Buy radish seeds from: Suttons, Crocus and Dobies

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

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 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 do well in dappled shade. Early maturing 'Aquadulce Claudia' is ready to pick a month earlier than other varieties.

• Buy broad bean seeds from: Crocus, Dobies, Thompson & Morgan and Suttons