How Much Sunlight Needed

On the west side of my house, outside my kitchen door, is a little piece of ground between the house and the woods. It is about 30' from the house to the woods. I would like to place a vegetable garden here, as it is right by the kitchen and out of sight. However, the area on gets four hours of sun during the day. Is this enough sunlight for typical garden fare, such as squash, zucs, etc.?

I would grow perennials and partial shade tolerant annuals there. Don't you have a spot with full sun on your property? 4 hours sunlight isn't much, when you think about it. Bush beans, chard and leafy salad greens should do well. Try zucchini or squash but I wouldn't expect a yield.

Dunkelheit wrote:
I would grow perennials and partial shade tolerant annuals there. Don't you have a spot with full sun on your property?

I do, but I also have a wife that doesn't want a garden there...

I edited my reply. Squash are quite aesthetically pleasing. I want to plant a squash in the middle of a lawn this year. I just dig out a hole half a meter in diameter and depth and refill the hole with half rotten compost.

well you might be able to increase the amount of sun for the vining crops by  growing them right up on trellises on the side of the house raising them up some for more sun..also reflected sun off of the house..but 4 hours isn't really a lot of sunshine.

however, west sun is strong sun in the summer..so you might be able to push the envelope there.

remember a lot of your crops really don't need full sun..so you might check into planting the crops that need less sun in that area.

Tom NJ wrote:
I do, but I also have a wife that doesn't want a garden there...

That's unfortunate, you'll be missing out on things that like sunlight hours more in the range of 6+ hours, but if that's what you're stuck with right now then yeah, look for the shade tolerant ones.

Maybe after she get's to enjoy the "fruits" of the first stuff you plant she'll come around to the idea.
Best of luck to ya! 

We have grown perennials on the west side of the house and it works for some plants very well, but not for the really sun loving ones.  We had a wisteria that never bloomed for about 8 years.  It sent out runners looking for the sun that grew so fast you would think they would attack and strangle you but it never bloomed.  Bulbs and rhododendron worked very nicely. 

I don't know how the zuchs would do considering they do need lots of sun.  If you plant close to the house and get that reflective light to hit them it might work.

You may also want to try a suntrap with the taller plants being in the back row and go progressively smaller toward the west.