Outdoor Plant Light Requirements

One of the most confusing thing with growing plants is where to plant them so that they will actually thrive, grow, and produce. If you look at plant tags most will state if the plant likes full sun, part sun, part shade, or shade. It is important to know what kind of light requirements your yard, balcony, or deck has and what kind of light it gets in spring vs summer vs fall. Putting a shade loving plant in an area where it will receive 14+ hours of sun will doom the plant and the plant will most likely quickly die. Most vegetables are sun loving and need as much sun as possible. There are some herbs that are okay with part sun and actually prefer not being in the blazing afternoon sun.

Full Sun is 6-8+ hours of sun a day and is usually a southern exposure.

Partial sun is 4-5 hours of sun a day and is usually a western exposure. This term means the plant needs more sun and is more heat tolerant than plants labeled partial shade.

Partial shade is 2-4 hours of sun a day and is usually a eastern exposure. This term means that the plant will need shade from the afternoon sun.

Full shade is less than 1 hour of sun a day and is usually a northern exposure. It is still important that the plant gets at least some sun for it to grow properly

Sun is important to plants as it provides energy to the plant. The important thing to note is that some plants love the sun all day and some plants love the morning sun and dislike the afternoon sun. By planting plants in appropriate places you will be insuring you have more success in them growing and thriving.