Do you feel certain that your plants get the right amount of sun?
If you want the plants you buy to thrive, you need to plant them in the right amount of sun. Because if there’s not enough they will either become leggy, weak, or not bloom well. Or if there’s too much sun they’ll get scorched, wilt every day, and not thrive.
When plants struggle to survive they’re more susceptible to pests and diseases because they’re weaker.
It can be hard to know how much sun you need. But if you make a good effort of how many hours of sun an area of your landscape gets,
How much sun is mostly about duration rather than intensity
Full sun is defined as 6 or more hours of direct sun. The hours can occur in shorter periods, but as long as the plant gets 6 hrs. or more total throughout the day, it’s good.
It doesn’t matter that your lavender gets “some” hot sun when it’s only for 3 hrs. a day. It must be 6 hrs. minimum.
Plant labels guide you as to how much sun the pant needs. So let’s take a look at what you most likely find on a label and how many hours of sun that means.
What do the plant labels mean?
Full Sun: 6 or more hrs. of direct sun per day
Sun to part sun: 6 or more hrs. of sun but handles less, to 4 hrs. with mostly afternoon sun, and plants bloom better in more sun
Full sun to part shade: this one depends on sun intensity. It’s really the same as sun to part sun. Our Nevada County sun is pretty intense in summer, so an afternoon respite from the sun is best for these plants. Shade from a few passing trees would be good.
Part Sun: 4-6 hrs. of sun, including some afternoon sun
Part Shade: 4-6 hrs. of direct sun per day, including some afternoon sun but not most
Part Shade: less than 4 hrs. of direct sun per day with mostly morning or late afternoon sun, or dappled shade all day
Full Shade: less than 4 hrs. of sun per day with mostly morning or late afternoon sun, or dappled shade all day (dappled shade is the same as filtered shade)
Dense Shade: no sun, deep dark shade, suitable for mushrooms. (Think of statuary if you have such a spot.)
Some plants, like vegetable, herb, and cutting flower gardens do better with more than 6 hrs. so keep that in mind.
Any time your plants have any leaves on them is when you need to note how much sun they get. So keep track of what areas of you landscape get what kind of sun. Really count the hours. Write it down so you keep it straight. It will of course vary with the seasons, so observe and record over all the seasons. Take into consideration the shade from trees, deciduous trees, and whether trees will be coming out.
If you’re ever in doubt, I think it’s best to assume there is less sun than you think. So that means choose the plants that need lower amounts of sun.
Related Reading:
What’s Our Plant Zone in Nevada County?
How to Deal With Deer in Your Yard
Deer Resistant Plants for Nevada County