“Partial sun” usually implies that the plant needs more sun and is more heat tolerant. Using Garden Spray Recipes 101: Neem Oil, Peppermint Oil, Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide Sprays Explained! More plants tolerate dappled shade than can live in really deep shade. Gardeners with a lot of space can try an unheated hoop house, or high tunnel: http://clark.wsu.edu/volunteer/mg/gm_tips/hoophouses.html. Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) and winter squash (Cucurbita maxima) are annual vegetables that thrive in full sun. “Partial sun” or “partial shade” means that the plant needs 3-6 hours of direct sun per day. For a typical mountain summer day in Gilpin County the calculation might look like this: (79 + 45 / 2) – 50 = 12 GDU. Even ultra-early ‘Siberian’ or ‘Arctic’ tomatoes require 1,100 GDUs for the first ripe fruit, and extra-early corn can require 1,870 GDUs, which explains why it is so difficult to grow warm season crops in the mountains. DISCOUNT SHOWS IN CART***, ← Older Post To make life a bit easier for you, we’ve put together this list of shade tolerant vegetables. (‘Household Use Only’ means there are no outdoor water rights while ‘Domestic Use’ means you can water up to an acre). Of the warm season vegetables, bush beans and summer squash are the most likely to succeed. If you would like to learn more... Over 800 Garden Videos Designed to Quickly Present Information! Other desirable mountain characteristics to look for on a seed packet include “cold-tolerant,” “reliable in cool weather,” ‘easy to grow’, ‘vigorous’, ‘productive’, and ‘great flavor’. Cherry and smaller tomatoes are easier to ripen. Vegetable plants are generally classified into 3 groups when you do research: Full Sun, Partial Sun and Light/Partial Shade. For the purposes of this fact sheet, ‘high elevation’ or ‘mountains’ means anything over 7,500 feet in elevation in Colorado. Floating row covers are a good way to gain a couple weeks of growing on either side of the season. A general rule of thumb is that leafy green plants used for salads can do better with less sun. Poke numerous large holes in the bottom of the plastic for drainage. UV-stabilized greenhouse film will last more seasons than untreated plastic, but it costs more. The Rusted Garden Original Blog on Blogspot, Seed Planting Instructions: Farmer's Almanac, Direct Sun Requirements for Vegetable Plants Vary - The Rusted Garden, Kale Does Well in Partial Sun - The Rusted Garden, Beets Do Their Best in Partial Sun - The Rusted Garden. They are also good for gardeners who may have trouble bending down. Regardless of a plant’s label, how much sun it needs or will tolerate varies with the strength of the sun and on how much you water. I love it. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. If frost threatens, these plants can be protected by placing an inexpensive cloche made from a gallon milk jug (with the bottom cut off and the cap removed). 7 hours would be okay. Even if you initially have some trouble, you will still get plenty of vegetables as you develop your skills and abilities over the seasons. It’s super helpful for planning out your whole garden, and wven has a square foot gardening option that tells you how many plants per square foot. Colorado vegetable gardening success depends, in part, on which part of the state you live in. Vegetables will often need to be watered daily during the summer unless it rains, and seed beds may need to be watered twice a day. This is due to the much shorter growing season, cool nights, wind, critters, and possible watering restrictions. Make sure they are fertilized regularly and are getting good light so the plants are stocky and healthy, and harden them off before placing outside.