Sunlight Calculator

Sunlight Calculator measures accumulated sunlight falling on a specific spot in your garden. Use this tool to place plants where they will grow and thrive.

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Overview

Most gardeners contend with a variety of light conditions on their property. Sunlight intensity is affected by environmental factors such as the season, path of the sun, shadows from nearby structures, and shade from surrounding trees. A spot that was once "full sun" might become "partial shade" as a garden fills out over time. These factors can significantly reduce the amount of sunlight available to a plant.

By using the Sunlight Calculator gardeners can easily measure the amount of accumulated sunlight falling on a specific garden location. It allows you to match a plant's nursery tag light requirements (full sun, partial sun, partial shade, or shade) with the actual sunlight conditions as measured by the light meter. This will help you position plants in light conditions where they will grow best and indicate why certain plants are not thriving. Measuring areas of sun and shade will also help you establish zones of differing watering needs in your garden.

How It Works

Designed to measure light conditions during the growing season. Select a day when you expect a full day of sunlight with few clouds. In the morning place the meter as close as possible to your specific planting location. It will measure the amount of accumulated photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) light over a period of 12 hours. After completing its readings, an indicator will appear next to the light level measured in that location. Sunlight Calculator's results match common planting guidelines: Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade or Full Shade.

The Sunlight Calculator is durable, water resistant and it can be used many times before replacing the batteries. Runs on 3 button cell batteries, which are included.