Berfy, you really have lots of options. If you add your USDA climate zone to your public profile, we'll know more about your last frost date.

But your leafy greens will probably be your best bet, and there are lots and lots to choose from, so don't even think that you need to limit yourself to lettuce and spinach.

I grow successive crops of mixed leafy greens all through the fall, most of the winter, and early spring. I purchase seed mixes and they will include leaf lettuces, radiccio, frisee, arugula, kale, chard, etc. These are grown in containers on my back patio and are shaded after noonish.

You could also grow radishes in the late winter/early spring, and even some sugar snap peas up a trellis.

Educate yourself about the best times to get some seeds in the pots; many are cool season crops. I grow chard in the spring and summer here, it can take the heat and is so pretty.

Quite honestly, I'd not waste my time on trying to grow standard veggies in the shade, but you really learn best by experimentation.

I STRONGLY urge you to select a very good potting medium, one that is coarse textured and fast draining. That's the stuff that will promote rapid and vigorous root development....which equals healthy and happy top growth.

Thanks rhizo, you're giving me some hope! I'm in zone 8b, by the way. Off to do some more research :)

I am also in Central Texas, and I have a plot on the west side of a house that only gets sun half the day. Your question seems to be about shade, and not about anything else.

I have no problem growing great peppers and tomatoes. My cherry vines grow to 8-feet high, and my indeterminate slicers try to grow to 6-feet. Very productive. So half shade in the fierce Texas heat seems to be no problem for those. My melons are in a full sun plot, and I think they may not tolerate half shade. Now, if you end up with additional shade from a tree, that's another matter.

If you have more shade from the tree, I'd agree that leafy greens (including basil), may be your best bet. I second the idea about peas. I plant peas in November (in my half-sun plot), and harvest them in March and April. Eat your heart out, northerners! Your tree won't be shading those. Peas can take temps down to 22F or so, which you'll have a good chance of avoiding in Central Texas.

In all likelihood, you will be able to grow those greens and a few others for 9 months out of the year.....not the summer for some. I buy LOTS of seed in order to keep new plants coming all the time.

I forgot to mention herbs. I grow thyme, chives, lemon balm, and cilantro in containers on my patio. My others are in sunny beds or tucked in amongst the veggies.

Agree with all rhizo posted and would add be sure to check out the Balcony Gardening forum here too for more tips from experienced balcony growers. I don't know how active the forum is right now as it is early for most but there is lots of good reading and tips there now.

Dave

You might try the Herb Gardening Forum, too. They often offer great ideas for growing herbs in shadier locations.

sorry stop push USDA zones in each question since in most cases it is irrelevant

gridgardener - You may find the gardening zones to be irrelevant but most of us do not. And most all participants here will routinely request that information.

Including at least that minimal information in your profile and posts is SOP and always has been on all gardening forums. Not only does it provide the responder with at least an idea of last frost/planting dates and regional disease and pest issues but it also tells the original poster which responses are relevant/benefit to them and which are not. Including one's location as well as zone, at least the state name, is of even greater help.

Dave

I strongly suggest that you don't tell me or anyone else what do, practice, teach, or anything else. Share relevant or interesting information IF you can. I've been waiting for that....not giving up hope for you, lol.

I too agree with the leafy greens and peas.. I would also say some bush beans can tolerate some shade too, but might have some reduced yields, so look for kinds that are supposed to be more shade tolerant or heavier producers.

A handful of the root crops can do ok too- radishes, beets, carrots, potatoes, turnips.

Some of the brassicas like kale, broccoli, and cauliflower can produce too, sometimes with lesser yields than if they would get more sun.

A whole handful of herbs can do well in the shade.

And one of my favorite garden flowers, nasturtiums can grow in the shade, but often produce less blooms in the shade than in full sun- but their peppery leaves are wonderful, the blooms tasty, and the green seeds can be pickled like capers. And they help attract pollinators and act as great trap plants.

folks, this gridgardener needs to be looked at by the forum moderators. There is something really wrong here.

This argument about grid is carrying across threads. There may be something wrong with him, but he's right that hardiness zones, which are simply indicators of the coldest wintertime temperatures, are mainly of value for perennials. They are not particularly good at giving clues about location. If he wants to blather on and on about stuff like that, I can ignore it. But a point has been made. If folks want to discuss that point, let's do so, but let's separate that discussion from personal judgements. I don't see that discussion happening here.

Berfy--As one very familiar with growing herbs, with that little direct sun you are limited on the most well known culinary ones. Basil, while it may not like full Texas midsummer sun, does require more than dappled shade for less than 4 hours per day. You may get some small plants if there's enough reflective light, but they'll probably not thrive. On the other hand, it's easy and cheap to seed so may be worth trying spring or fall when the tree isn't fully shading. Otherwise, cilantro or mints (inc lemon balm), chives, parsley may be worth a try. The arid Mediterranean types like rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc need more sun. Lots of trial and error in your future--don't give up! Try the leafy greens and peas for starters (this year I'll be trying a dwarf container pea called half pint).

On the secondary topic of zones, they do have usefulness for basic info. Yes, there is a lot of variation in climate between different locations zoned the same, but they do provide some good basic starting point info. The more of that type we have, the more useful our answers can be--that's why we ask, and those who seem to know the most will continue to ask and have found the way to include that in their name.

Wow. Sunset Climate Zones. I was not aware of these, and they seem quite nice. As they say on their website ...

"A plant's performance is governed by the total climate: length of
growing season, timing and amount of rainfall, winter lows, summer
highs, wind, and humidity.
Sunset's climate zone maps take all these factors into account,
unlike the familiar hardiness zone maps devised by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, which divides most of North America into zones based
strictly on winter lows.

The U.S.D.A. maps tell you only where a plant may survive the winter;
our climate zone maps let you see where that plant will thrive
year-round."

That's precisely what I've been saying.

Also, I see that the Houzz folks are listening hard to us, and have included a text field for garden zones in their Advanced Settings. Thanks! I need to fill that in for myself. Now as I've been saying, inclusion of some identification of garden zone is a great idea. The question is what text provides the best identification.