Determining Proper Sunlight for Planting

Have you ever been strolling through the garden center and find the perfect plant(s) only to read the sunlight requirements and not be certain if the plant will thrive in the location you had envisioned? This has happened to all of us - the best way to avoid the situation is to do a little planning.

Planting the right plants for the growing conditions is essential.  There are three intensities of sunlight that suit plants: full sun, partial sun, and shade. Generally, the lower the light, the slower the plant grows. Indoors, light requirements can be supplemented with artificial light, but this is not an option outdoors, so it is important to choose plants carefully for the existing light conditions of your garden space and plant groupings that share the same light requirements.   If a plant is sun-loving, it will not do well in a shady location and a plant that thrives in shade cannot adjust to full sunlight conditions

So how do you do this - we found an effective and inexpensive way to solve this problem it is called the SunStick Starter Plant Meter.  It measures the amount of sunlight a given area receives in one day. Simply attach a Sunshine Meter to a Stem, plant it in the ground in the morning and return at the end of the day.   We have tested the sunstick against an expensive light meters and they work. The downside is you can only use these meters once (sort of like a pregnancy test) so remember to check the meter at the end of the day.  Make sure the surronding trees have full leaves to ensure an accurate test.  For some of our testing we placed in a flower pot to elevate the meter.  A three pack costs around $10.00 at Yardiac.com