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

[@angalin368]

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!

[@hughewilkinson3643]

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.

[@annadalnoki9396]

Yes but taking photo from my deck would be different then taking pics from my back fence. So where should I stand to take these photos. I would normally stand with the sun hitting my back when taking the photos and I would do that 4 times a day on a very sunny day with little cloud. Does that sound correct. I’m learning and love the feedback

[@vaisnava]

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

[@karenpoole8957]

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.

[@beverlystufflebeam5731]

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

[@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

[@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!!

[@brookefrontiera8650]

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!

[@lizmade2296]

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

[@annadalnoki9396]

Sorry I’m confused can you provide step by step on how to do this ps I’m not great with computers. Thanks I want to learn

[@karenpoole8957]

Wow! I don’t use photo shop but this is a great idea!

[@chicagomrs2270]

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.

[@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.

[@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!!

[@jamestaylor8217]

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

[@annidee]

2:44 Google Earth has a perfect layout of my house and yard minus the new trees and new growth of established ones if it’s an older image. I actually made a design in my yard to be seen on Google Earth and although the color is almost monochrome, the pattern of my design is visible 😁 Anyway, find your house and zoom in to maximum, get a screenshot then crop, and your plot is ready to design 👍

[@MrLaz0rz]

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

[@HelenHollingsworth-hg5vv]

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

[@pongop]

Thank you! This is really helpful!

[@allysonvollmer7223]

very very easy to understand. thanks

[@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!

[@MissNancyLee]

So helpful, thank you

[@easyandnatural6320]

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

[@Coccinelf]

I'll do that soon seeing as the leaves have finally come out here. I was wondering for a long time what angle I need to include in my measurement because surely when the sun has just risen, it's not very strong and has a bad angle. So your tip completely erase my worries. I'm still a little bit boggled by the fact that 9AM is way farther from sunrise than 6PM is from sunset but I'm still very happy to have found this video. By the way, your gardening myths website is a lifesaver! So many myths!!! Thanks a lot!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

I have canoed the arctic. Sun rises and sets at almost the same spot, but during the day it traverses the sky.

[@rory6089]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Hi, I think your videos are great, very informative, and deserve a lot more views and subscriptions (much better than some of the information the "Hipsters" are putting out there). However in this one I think its slightly flawed. If you have 2 maps showing sun, over 2 periods, say 9-12 and 12-3, then this is 6 hours sun and so FULL SUN, and so labelling it as Part Shade because there is less than 3 maps showing either SUN or Part Sun would be incorrect. I've just discovered your videos and I'll be following them and taking plenty of notes. All the best from Ireland! :-)

[@theheidiberryable]

@Rory His individual maps each represent a specific time, rather than a range of time. Therefore, an area in the sun on 3 maps (such as 9:00, 12:00, & 3:00) would indicate that that location gets 6 hours or more of sunlight. The 'or more' would be before 9:00 and/or after 3:00, but not as late as 6:00. I hope that's helpful. Best to you in your gardening!

[@Pete.Ty1]

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

[@carupanero67]

Thanks what a great video !!!

[@KingColonel]

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

[@RobCooper]

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

[@JennySimon206]

There is an app and website apparently you can connect to a satellite and it will map your yard for you. I am gonna try it

[@carupanero67]

Can you please share the name of the app

[@kweli05]

What happened?

[@daytonaexpress7160]

Can reflection work to deliver light to an are?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Yes - but it is always a weaker light.

[@daytonaexpress7160]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 do you know any references on KZbin of anyone that show using it in the garden kinda for help doing it. Thank you for the reply!

[@Daltondoubledeuce]

I just found this September 4, 2021, I’m in zone 7a. If I create the sun map September 5th, how different will it be from say June 5th? Is the higher position of Sun in June add more sun to a location or less? Thx!

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

depends on where you live.

[@Daltondoubledeuce]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 silver spring Maryland 7a

[@biggus6633]

What’s with the eerie music at the end lol

[@Tolinar]

You spent 2+ minutes talking about nothing. Get to the point

[@Tolinar]

Oh God - your 'solution' is just to check every so often... Do you even understand why people buy sun calculators? It's because they aren't home all day to calculate shadows!! >:(

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Do you even understand you don't have to "calculate shadows" all day.

[@rory6089]

Try not to be an idiot - why are you even looking at this? Looking at your videos I'm guessing you are about 12 years old. Learn some manners child.

[@Kozickih]

This whole thread here is very aggresive. I feel the information was complete and struck a good balance between informative and conversational.

[@HelenHollingsworth-hg5vv]

@@Tolinar 4x over a period of several days can be accomplished by anyone. Did you ever hear of weekends?