5 Steps To Gauge Sun And Shade Levels In Your Landscape
When you purchase plants for your yard, you'll quickly encounter labels about how much sun or shade each plant prefers. But how do you know what shade, partial shade, or partial sun mean in practical terms? What categories does your yard fall into? Here are a few steps to match sun levels and your landscape.
1. Observe Your Yard. The first step is to observe your yard's sun and shade progression. The best time to do this is during the height of summer when trees are at their fullest and the sun is high. You don't need to sit outside all day and watch the grass grow, though. Head out about once every half hour or hour and write down some notes about where the sun and shade have moved.
2. Make Reference Maps. Once you have a sense of how the sun moves through your space, create two rough drawn maps as a reference. Label one for the morning hours and one for the late afternoon. These are key hours for plant growth. Darken in the areas of the yard that don't receive much sun and leave open those which have little or no shade. The rest of the yard will be colored or shaded based on two important distinctions.
3. Gauge Partial Sun and Shade. The most delicate distinction for plant growth is that between partial shade and partial sun. Partial shade-loving plants need several hours of sun in the morning with some shade relief in the afternoon. On the other hand, partial sun-loving plants prefer more sunlight during the morning and afternoon hours — with a bit of respite in the afternoon. Color or shade your maps based on these.
4. Talk With a Pro. Take your observations to a landscaping professional. They will help you make any further refinements and understand the quirks of your climate or geography. For instance, if you have a young tree that grows quickly, you may want to account for future canopy growth when deciding how much shade it will provide.
5. Reassess Regularly. Landscapes may seem stable, but they change regularly. Plants, vines, and trees grow — both on your property and on neighboring ones. Others are removed. The way you use your yard changes. Drainage and erosion change water patterns. And you might even alter your home's silhouette. So make a plan to reassess sun and shade levels once every year or two.
Contact a company like Estate Landscape to learn more.
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