How Much Sun Does Your Garden Need

Written by GardenGuides.com

How much sun does your garden really need?

Vegetables prefer a full day of sun, but if you live in a shady suburb you don’t have to give up the idea of growing vegetables. Here are some minimum sunlight requirements:

Fruiting vegetables - eight hours of sun. This includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and vine crops such as cucumbers, melons and squash.
Root vegetables - six hours of sun. This includes carrots, beets, etc.
Leafy vegetables - four hours of sun. These are your “greens” such as lettuce, spinach and collards.

* Keep in mind that these are minimums. Increasing the amount of sunlight your vegetables receive will increase the yield and quality of your crop.

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* Even though your vegetables may get enough light when planted near a tree, they will not get enough nourishment and water. Vegetables can’t compete with an established tree for essential nutrients and moisture.

Information from GardenGuides.com