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What does 'partial shade' really mean?

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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited April 2022
    Some gardens' light changes dramatically during the year. One, west facing, bit of my garden gets six hours of direct sun around the summer solstice but doesn't get any around the equinoxes as there is a house in the way at that point. North end of my north facing garden gets 'full sun' more or less, from equinox to equinox over the summer solstice. So I count this end of my garden as "full sun" as it has this during the months of the main growing season.

    The beds at the south end of my garden, that gets six hours of sun around the summer solstice, I count as in 'partial shade'.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Don’t forget, to make things more difficult, partial dry shade, is very different from partial damp shade.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Full sun is around 6 hours or more. It's calculated by summer conditions.
    Partial shade can mean a few hours of sun per day, or it can be dappled shade because of other planting - usually trees and shrubs, which filter the amount of sun getting in.

    The aspect can be a factor, but again - other things can affect that. A plant can be in a south facing position, but a building or wall/fence, as well as other planting, can affect the amount of light. Equally, a plant in a north facing position can be in full sun if there's nothing around to block it.  

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    There are many variables at play.

    Plants in my south facing front garden in some positions get less sun than plants in my north facing back garden.  Time of year; things in the way; how wet/dry the soil is etc etc

    It requires thought and monitoring.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096

    It requires thought and monitoring.
    Yes indeed

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That was my point exactly @TheGreenMan - the aspect alone isn't always the only factor.  :)
    Another thing people often forget is that plants grow, so a plant that's got plenty of sun initially, can be crowded out and shaded by others over time- especially by shrubs or trees. That can also affect the soil conditions.
    Some plants can cope with varying conditions, but the guidance re sun or shade is often there to show the optimum conditions for any plant to perform best.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Yeah I must look mad when I'm planting out and I pretend I'm the sun so I can make sure that the new plant won't become a sun-blocker for the ones that are already there :D
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