How To Tell How Much Sun You Will Get, Without Standing In Your Yard All Day

Space is usually the first concern with new gardeners. While that is important, let us start with the sun. Light is of foremost importance because dirt in the dark will only grow mushrooms (and/or mold). Getting your bearings (N.E.W.S.) is the first step. The sun tracks east to west in the southern sky in the spring, and here, the sun tracks overhead in the summer. So, any obstacles (shade) in the south will give you a late planting. Any obstacles to the east will shorten light during the cool part of the day. Any obstacles to the west will shorten light during the heat of the day. Did I lose you?  Obstacles are bad! We can work with it though.

Now, most of the popular garden plants like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers…need at least six hours of sun light a day. Some other plants like lots of light but can’t take the heat. Check in with future blogs about placement of plants. There is an easy way to calculate how much sun a particular spot will get without standing in your yard for 6 hours.

 Sorry about the fuzzy crude drawing. That blob on the left is a tree.

Because the sun travels around (360*) the Earth in a day, we can look at its path as a 24 hour clock. Every number can represent 2 hours if that helps. Therefore, ¼ of the clock (90*) equals six hours. If the picture on the right is your view facing north in your yard, then line “A” represents the eastern most spot that can receive 6 hours of sun between your obstacles. “B” represents the western most spot. “C” would represent the area that garden plants that like “full sun” could be planted in.

South obstacles are a bit trickier to calculate as the seasons change, but a good rule of thumb is to position your garden to the north, away from southern obstacles.

Now, if you’re thinking to yourself “I only have a western facing balcony outside my apartment”, still try this method to calculate your light and we can find plants and methods to adapt. You may be limited to what you can grow, but you can always grow more than you need and trade your harvest with your friends.

Well that’s it; my first blog. My plan is to post future blogs discussing other elements of garden planning and then move on to methods, plant types, tips and tricks... Please post comments so I know how I’m doing and to encourage me to continue trying to encourage you.

Thanks,

-Rik clay soil, fix clay soil, amending clay soil, planting in clay soil, gardening in clay, clay, soil, vegetables, vegetables in clay, organic vegetables, soil amendments, compost, composting, making compost, vegetable gardening, organic gardening, Merced clay, Merced gardening