Can peppers thrive without full sunlight?
Written by
Kiana Okafor
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.Peppers require a lot of sunlight to produce fruit, but gardeners like to test boundaries in the shade. While leafy greens adapt well to low light, bell peppers and jalapeños will reach for light in partial shade and will have little fruit and weak stems. Peppers can be planted in an area that receives full sun.
Sunlight Requirements
- 6+ daily hours trigger flower/fruit development
- Use light meter apps to verify 800+ foot-candles
- Prune overhead branches blocking morning sun
Plant Health Risks
- Leggy stems increase 60% in partial shade
- Blossom drop rates rise by 40-50%
- Powdery mildew risks double in stagnant shade air
Alternative Crops
- Spinach: 3-4 hours sun, 30-day harvests
- Kale: Tolerates 4-hour filtered light
- Herbs: Mint, parsley thrive in full shade
Watering the plants in shaded areas is ideally done at dawn to limit the risk of disease and fungi. Also, use drip lines, watering plants with a half-gallon per plant each day. Make sure that the soil dries out just a little before the next watering, overwatering shaded plants will promote root rot, which occurs three times faster in shade than if your plants were grown in the sun.
Shaded peppers are obtained 1-2 weeks later than sun-grown peppers and treated fruits are smaller than the typical size, reaching about 60% of their size. Always use trimming shears and clip the plant's stems instead of pulling the fruit from the plant so as not to damage the very sensitive plant. Very good to 55°F for 10 days in paper bags.
For areas that receive less than 4 hours of sunshine, try planting Malabar spinach on trellises or fencing. It has a vining structure, making it suited for capturing dispersed sunlight. Expect to harvest 5-7 lbs of spinach per plant. Also plant lemon balm as an interplant to provide a delightful citrus scent throughout your garden, as well as to deter aphids.
Read the full article: 10 Shade Tolerant Vegetables for Your Garden
