Relentless Gardner

You probably already guessed that cool-season crops benefit the most from partial shade. But why is shade more beneficial to some vegetables than others? There are two reasons. One, shade keeps the the leafy vegetables such as kale, lettuce, and spinach more tender. With less sunlight, the plants will not grow to the same size as they would with more sun. Naturally, the more sun, the more energy and photosynthesis the plant produces.

What is partial shade in terms of hours of sun per day? Partial shade is less than six hours of sun but a minimum of four hours. When we define full sun, this mea...