Sunlight is essential to photosynthesizing and reaching maturity in most vegetables. However, there are still some which thrive under partial or shade conditions, including landscape plants like coral bells and false spirea.
Fastest growing vegetables require full sun – at least six hours of direct sunlight every day without blockages from trees, shrubs or fences – in order to thrive, such as leafy greens or early bolting vegetables such as mustard greens.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are an integral part of many home gardens and greenhouse farms around the world. Commonly found in cooler climates, cucumbers can also be found growing wild or grown as an annual crop in greenhouses and field farms worldwide. Cucumbers are popularly eaten raw in salads or sandwiches or pickled with dill or other ingredients; other common uses include pickling them. Cucumbers contain negligible fat and provide significant vitamin K benefits that support bone health; they consist of 95% water with 4% carbohydrates and 1% protein for an 100-gram serving providing 65 kilojoules (16 kilocalories).
Fruit and vegetables differ primarily based on culinary usage; botanically speaking, however, fruits originate from flowers of plants with seeds while vegetables come from other parts of them. Fast-growing plants that do not produce flowers (leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables) are considered vegetables while those which flower and have seeds (beans, capsicums, chillies, tomatoes or squash) are classified as fruits.
Cucumber plants feature both male and female flowers, but only the females produce fruit. Pollen from male flowers must then be transported from them via bees or insects and transferred over to female flowers; gardeners may therefore see many cucumbers blossom but ultimately experience no harvest due to never developing fruit.
Vegetables that feed off of stems, buds and leaves typically require lower light requirements and do well under partial shade conditions. This includes brassicas like kale, broccoli and cabbage as well as leaf crops such as silverbeet, spinach rocket lettuce or cucumbers – each packed full of antioxidants including the family of lignans which serve as natural medicine by clearing away substances that damage cells or contribute to disease like cardiovascular diseases or cancers.
Peppers
Vegetables that produce flowers or fruit need direct sunlight in order to thrive and produce flowers or fruit, including peppers, eggplants and tomatoes (along with cucumbers, squash and melons). Peppers need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day in order to set fruit.
Cucumbers and leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach may still flourish under partial shade conditions, though maturity times will take longer and yield lower quality yields. Culinary herbs like chives, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, and thyme are great additions for such gardens.
Root vegetables such as carrots, beets and onions require slightly less than full sunlight but still thrive when exposed to at least six hours per day. Even though root crops like radishes and beets may take twice as long to mature in this kind of environment, their production won’t be nearly as prolific either.
Morning sun combined with afternoon shade is ideal for leafy greens and landscape plants such as coral bells (Heuchera spp) and false spirea (Astilbe spp). In gardens receiving only 3-6 hours of direct sunlight each day, some vegetables such as lettuce may produce fruit or flowers; they won’t fare so well though. You could try planting some in dark shade to see how they perform; some such as kale and collards have proven very adaptable while spinach and mustard greens will not survive this treatment at all.
Squash
Just like a factory that suddenly goes offline, a vegetable plant requires energy in the form of sunlight to continue producing fruitful harvests. Photosynthesis provides that power; by turning carbon dioxide and water into essential components necessary for life through this process.
Squash plants (Cucurbita spp) thrive best in full sun with moist yet well-draining soil. Compost can help provide nutrients while suppressing weeds and soil-borne disease from touching squash leaves and fruit. Squash require plenty of water throughout their growth; at least an inch every week or up to two inches during extreme summer heat days for lush growth.
Squash plants rely on pollinators to transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers for fruit production, otherwise small squash may never reach full maturity and ripen properly. To increase pollinator visits and ensure successful pollination of male flowers, interplant squash with flowering herbs or other pollinator-attracting vegetables such as sunflower seeds.
Vegetables that do not produce fruit, such as leafy greens and spinach, require significantly less sunlight than other crops to thrive. Spinach requires only 3-4 hours of direct sunlight daily in order to flourish.
Even if your garden only receives eight hours of direct sunlight per day, you can still grow a wide array of vegetable varieties. Consider planting some shade-tolerant crops such as kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard or root crops which thrive under partial shade such as carrots, turnips, radishes and beets – or try starting seeds indoors before transplanting in spring and summer!
Tomatoes
Just as factories require electricity, plants need sunlight to begin photosynthesis and generate food for themselves. Sunlight fuels their powerhouse that converts carbon dioxide and water into energy for growth – eventually yielding succulent fruits like tomatoes!
Beans, capsicums (chillies), peppers, eggplants and melons all require direct sunlight in order to thrive and produce fruit; for optimal growth they require between 6-8 hours a day in full sun exposure. Leafy vegetables and root crops (carrots, beetroot and onions) may still bear some fruit but will not reach their full potential without sufficient exposure to light.
Tomato plants require a warm and sunny planting site free from shade from trees or buildings. Their optimal location should face south or west and shouldn’t block late afternoon sun from reaching them through overhanging branches, hedges or fences.
Ideal soil should consist of a rich loamy mix of clay, silt and sand with excellent drainage and an even texture for maximum plant health and productivity. This will allow sufficient nutrients for the tomato plant to flourish.
Before planting, prepare the garden bed by clearing away large weeds with a hand trowel or hoe, raking gently to create an even surface, and adding organic mulch such as compost, shredded bark or grass clippings free from weeds as a layer that keeps weeds at bay and retains soil moisture.
Mulching can also improve soil quality by decomposing over time and mixing into its uppermost layer, adding vital organic matter and strengthening its structure. As with regular watering for healthy tomatoes during dry weather conditions, regular irrigation with 5-5-5 liquid plant food (see package directions for use) should also help promote their wellbeing.
Beans & Peas
Similar to factories connected to an electricity source, vegetable plants require power in order to initiate photosynthesis and start growing. Though certain crops will still germinate even without as much sunlight, their growth will slow significantly and may not reach full maturity.
Fruit plants need plenty of sunlight in order to produce sugars essential for their taste, such as beans, capsicums, chillies and eggplants (which should also be planted in their respective gardens’ sunniest locations), cucumbers squash melons and tomatoes.
Leaf crops such as kale, silverbeet, spinach, rocket and lettuce do best when grown under partial shade conditions – an area with morning sun followed by afternoon shade, such as from trees or tall vegetation; such conditions also suit cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower as well as legumes like peas and beans.
Root vegetables such as carrots, radishes and potatoes require moderate sunlight in order to thrive and produce. While these plants will still do fine in areas that receive less than 6 hours of direct sun each day, their productivity may not reach its potential.
Culinary herbs such as chives, cilantro (leggier cilantro), mint, oregano and parsley grow best in areas that receive several hours of shade each day. Furthermore, these varieties make an ideal candidate for creating winter salads to harvest during colder months when other vegetables have gone to seed.