Knowledgebase
Is my garden getting enough sun? #905103
Asked June 09, 2025, 7:51 PM EDT
Hi,
I have an 14'x10' garden in the back NE corner of my yard. My house faces West and have a tall tree line on the East side of my property. I just want to know if my garden gets enough sunlight? The pictures were taken Mid-May. The trees do block the sun in the morning but the garden gets mid-day thru early evening sun with one corner getting sun a bit longer from between the houses.
I submitted a question in mid-May looking for advice bc I've been pretty unsuccessful and right now it seems most of my seedlings are being eaten or they're not as big as they should be. That question number is 0171015 for reference.
At the end of the day, if the garden is t every going to work I need cut my loses or maybe couple higher, garden planters would work. Any advice you can provide is very appreciated!
Franklin County Ohio
Expert Response
However, some vegetables can tolerate less sunlight:
Leafy greens: Leafy crops like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, collards, and endive can be grown with as little as 3-4 hours of sun per day. They will generally still produce well, although possibly with reduced yields compared to full-sun conditions.
Root crops: Vegetables like carrots, radishes, beets, onions, and potatoes can grow with 5-6 hours of sun daily.
Fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and beans, are more demanding of sunlight and typically require 7-8 hours or more of direct sun for successful fruit development.
From your photos it looks like you have 6 - 6.5 hours of sunlight. So you can certainly grow leafy greens and root crops. Plants that produce fruits like tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc. may struggle.
Following is a link to a Cornell University site with more info about the light required to grow certain plants:
https://cals.cornell.edu/school-integrative-plant-science/school-sections/horticulture-section/outreach-and-extension/pandemic-vegetable-gardening/pandemic-vegetable-gardening-2020-archive/sunlight-key-great-vegetables
If you have a porch or patio or driveway that gets more sunlight, consider planting vegetables in containers like pots or grow bags and placing them in these sunnier areas.
Following are a few links to university sites about growing in containers:
https://u.osu.edu/growingfranklin/2020/04/23/no-garden-no-problem-container-gardening-basics/
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/FS055/
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/growing-vegetables-containers/
On a side note, the plants in my garden seem to be slower this year than last year. I think the cooler and wetter weather has delayed growth.