Sun Mapping Your Garden the Easy Way 🌞🌚🌗🌞Determine Sun, Shade and Part Shade

A sun map will tell you were to plant things for best results. It is easy to do and takes a few minutes.

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Sun Mapping Your Garden the Easy Way 🌞🌚🌗🌞Determine Sun, Shade and Part Shade
This video shows you how to create a simple sun map of your garden to determine where you have sun, shade or part shade. Then plant in the right location

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[angalin]

I've zero experience yet this is easy to understand. you have also managed to give me a pleasant experience by showing me how to do it. much thanks!

[beverlystufflebeam]

This is all new to me. Your instructions where do easy to follow. Thank you.

[vaisnava]

Thank you, this is a very simple and practical way to accomplish something that seems hard to remember.

[karenpoole]

I read your article about this and buying a sun calculator. I actually was considering buying the sun calculator so I’m glad I found your article before I did! I’ll be mapping my garden this week. I have some Lupines that are in their third year and have yet to flower. I planted from seed. I’m in Southern California in the desert region where the summers are very hot-on the 100’s. I’ve been told the spot I have is good but I’m concerned they may not be getting enough sun. The soil ph is good, watering is good, so this is the next thing. I agree about the sun exposure being different. Full sun in my area can cook an egg on the sidewalk, full sun in San Diego is much milder, in the low 80’s.

[chicagomrs]

This is what i was looking for but one crucial factor was left out. Time of year. An area of shade in May could be total sun in August or vice versa. So you may need to track the Sun over multiple months if trees or other structures are present.

[brookefrontiera]

This is great! Thanks for sharing this method of tracking and how to keep it simple so that I’ll actually do it and use it!

[ZeromuS_]

Wish I had found this sooner! We planted far too much in our veggie garden and the tomatoes shaded other plants leading to bad zuchinni yields.

I know the middle of my backyard would be perfect for another veggie bed, but want to make sure there is space for young kids to play. Will definitely be doing this next summer to find a better place to put the sunny veggies and move some shade tolerant ones elsewhere! I don't want to have to cut down my 4 trees for veggies, would rather find a way to keep everything nice and balanced. Cheer's from Ottawa and thanks for the video!!

[bigpallooka]

Thank you. As a new veg gardener I was stressing about where to plant what in my small front and back apartment yard. I was imagining having to go out regularly from sun up to sun down and then imagining that would change all year. You have taken some stress out of my new venture. I came here from your gardening myths website which I find a great resource too. Regards

[thenotsotypicals]

Thank you for sharing this information and how to use it! My son and I are creating a garden for an unschooling project and this will be perfect to add into a lesson plan I’m building. He will have much more fun mapping and coloring maps rather than just collecting data.

[HelenHollingsworth-hgvv]

This is very helpful. We had a 2.5' diameter tree get hit by lightning last fall and I was trying to figure out what to plant. It's affected our entire yard. Looking forward to fall! Thanks

[Aswaguespack]

Excellent suggestions. I have been using a variety of Apps that provides Solar information of the Sun’s Zenith at my location (Southeast Louisiana) and my neighbor owns a high tech Weather Station which also provides me with information on Solar Intensity in graph form for every moment of the day. I also have used vertical sticks in several places to determine when there is shade and shadow but the Solar Mapping idea is very convenient. I would also do one for each season because areas and shadows can very quite a bit. I have solar landscaping lights that work great in 7 and a half months of the year but the the other 4 and a half months are quite ineffective because of the declination of the Sun at my location and the shade created by my house blocking solar energy. Great video Robert!!

[jamestaylor]

Wow. And I've been using a sextant all these years. Thank you.
BTW, just finished "Plant Science for Gardeners.' Great book.

[lizmade]

If you like using photoshop/photo editors, grab your bird's eye view from google maps, color in the shaded parts for each of the 4 layers, then bring the opacity down to (i'm guessing) 25% for each and you'll have instant results for the "5th map" It's how we do celestial photography with telescopes, figured doing the opposite direction & inverse contrast level would work, too

[MrLazrz]

I think I might digitize this idea with a printable computer graph. Thanks for the explanation I just bought my own property in the country and am trying to go for fruiting/nut trees, found this video from your blog post about sun/shade detectors are dumb lol.
Having watched it I agree

[theheidiberryable]

This is very useful! I wish I'd done this mapping last year, rather than my casual observations. I'll be checking out your other videos. Thanks much!

[hughewilkinson]

You can use the camera on your phone or iPad to take photos of your garden at different times of the day/year. This can serve the same purpose as your drawings. It also serves as a visual record of seasonal changes in sun/shade.

[KingColonel]

felt like this video was from 2008 but the info that you are looking for as a beginner is here.

[easyandnatural]

I worked out through observation, but mapping is a good idea

[Pete.Ty]

Another brilliant idea, I'll make a map the next suitable day. Thank you.

[RobCooper]

have to say. Very cool emoji's in your title.