What constitutes full sun, part sun, part shade, etc.?

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KaylyRed Watertown, WI(Zone 5a) May 03, 2008

I've tried to find a breakdown online of how many hours of sun constitutes full sun, part sun, part shade, and so on. Maybe I'm using the wrong search terms. Can anyone help?

Also, is there a difference in the "quality" of sun that needs to be considered, such as morning or late afternoon sun vs. full midday sun?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) May 03, 2008

Generally, I think 6 hrs or more counts as full sun, 4-6 hrs is part sun, etc. Afternoon sun tends to be stronger and hotter than morning sun, so if you have plants that don't want full sun, they can probably handle more hours of morning sun than they could of afternoon sun. And the temperature of your summers can make a difference too--even some plants that are labeled full sun like some afternoon shade in hot summer climates. So the guidelines on what's considered full sun or not are just rules of thumb, use your own judgement based on what you know about your climate, the area you're planting them, and what you know about the plant when making decisions on where to put things.

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VirginiaMG Palmyra, VA May 03, 2008

Hi I hope I can help you. My Master Gardeners text from Virginia Tech states...for full sun, min of 6 hours is required but prefers to have 10 hours daily for max growth. Partial shade, will do well with fewer that 8 hours of sunshine per day, but probably needs at least 5 hours per day. Shade, is considered only 3-4 hours of filtered light daily. Also the day is broken up into sections, morning sun 7-10 gentle, noon day sun 10-4 strongest, afternoon sun 4-sunset less strong. I live in zone 7 so it is best to check your sun pattern to be sure of these hours. For more information on this check with your local county extension agent for help and your local Master Gardeners help desk.

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KaylyRed Watertown, WI(Zone 5a) May 03, 2008

Thanks, ecrane and Virginia! That's very helpful. :)

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