As landscapers, you’ve probably talked to your residential clients about the importance of soil health, conserving water, and good soil drainage for landscape plants.
Have you ever considered discussing how sunlight difference plays a vital role in the health and beauty of your landscape designs?
Indeed, plants have different lighting needs, and sunlight is needed for chlorophyll production. You, therefore, need to harness sunlight’s difference to perfect your customers’ landscapes.
In this blog post, you’ll learn the following:
- The sunlight difference: the dynamics of morning vs. afternoon lighting
- How you, the landscape professional, can create a landscape design based on plants’ sunlight needs
- Introducing microclimates and how they affect plants’ sunlight needs.
The Sunlight Difference: The Dynamics of Morning vs. Afternoon Lighting
When discussing sunlight differences, it’s essential first to understand their impact on landscaping. According to LSU’s Ag Center, you need to understand full sun versus full shade and consider how the light changes throughout the day by imagining a compass.
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The sun rises in the east, and as the earth rotates, the sun’s direction also changes. From the east, the sun moves to the south, where its most significant impact is on full-sun plants. Then, it continues, moving toward the west.
The sun’s rays from the south and west become more intense as the day progresses. Finally, the sun lands in the west and stays until sunset.
Here’s why the compass is essential:
- The earth’s tilt in the northern hemisphere also influences sunlight difference. Since we live in the northern hemisphere, the sun’s movement creates various light differences during the day.
- These sunlight differences include the sun interacting with objects like trees, large shrubs, hardscapes, and the client’s home. For example, a space will receive full sun in the east with cooler morning temperatures.
- As the sun moves to the southern exposure on a property, the open spaces will receive the most extended amount of sunlight and are considered full sun.
- Continuing, the sun moves toward the west later in the day, where there will be a sunset. The western part of the property gets partial sun.
- The northern exposure is considered shade because the sun in the southern sky casts shadows on the north side of a homeowner’s property.
- The compass element doesn’t completely explain full sun, partial shade, and total shade. Indeed, hardscapes, trees, and large shrubs contribute to shady areas, regardless of the sun’s position in the sky.
- You, the landscaper, must walk your client’s entire property to see where there is full sun, how the sun moves across their property, and which parts are in complete shade.
- Once you take notes based on the sun’s position and how objects create shadows in the landscape, then sketch that into a landscape design that provides a more complete picture.
- Use sunlight and shadow in your landscape design to ensure the bedding plants’ success and create drama and interest.
How You Can Create a Landscape Design Based on Plants’ Sunlight Needs
Once you know the full sun, partial shade, and shady areas, you can decide how to buy plants for a customer’s landscape based on the property’s sunlight difference.
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Here are the various plant needs to make note of while drawing up the master landscape plan and picking plants based on sunlight difference:
- Full sun means that the plant needs at least six hours of full sunlight daily
- Part sun indicates that the plant needs at least three to six hours of sunlight per day
- Part or partial shade means that the plant needs at least three to six hours of sunlight and needs protection from the hot afternoon sun
- Full shade indicates that plants prefer dappled sunlight and shady areas with less than three hours of sun daily.
As a professional landscaper, you know that nursery plants come with tags that point out how much sunlight they need, their watering needs, and their soil preferences. Keep a sharp eye on these tags to guarantee they’ll thrive in your customer’s flowerbeds and other landscapes.
Introducing Microclimates: How They Affect Plants’ Sunlight Needs
Now, use your knowledge of microclimates to ensure that the trees, shrubs, and perennials will flourish in the placement areas.
A homeowner’s property can have many microclimates based on sunlight differences and the amount of heat, water, and wind an area receives daily.
A Southern Living Plant Collection article states that microclimates can also include a property’s slopes, valleys, rooftops, and other structural elements in the landscape. A pool, stream, or koi pond can also affect microclimates.
When planning a landscape design, in addition to sunlight difference, you need to be aware of how to finesse a microclimate to create an environment that’s friendly to your plant choices.
For example, you can add fences, hardscapes, and patios with seatwalls to absorb more heat and block the wind from damaging tender plants.
You can also create a rock garden on a slope that’s an arid and warmer microclimate compared to the bottom of the slope, where excess water drains, making it cooler.
Also, the eastern side of the property will be warm and sunny, compared to the north side, which will be shaded, cooler, and wetter.
All of these microclimates play a part in successful planting regarding sunlight differences.
Spyker Spreaders Help You Maximize Landscape Potential with Sunlight Difference
Spyker Spreaders has been helping landscapers for 185 years. We recently expanded our product line to include sprayers, which help with liquid fertilizers, weed control, and pest control.
Our sprayers are compatible with Spyker and Lesco Spreaders, allowing you to spend more time designing and beautifying your customers’ landscapes.
At Spyker, we have spreaders, lawn rollers, and sprayers to help you create healthy lawns and landscapes.
You can find our Spyker lawn sprayers and other landscaping products at your local dealer, online, or at the Spyker store.
Spyker Customer Service: For warranty, service parts, or help at any time, contact our team by filling out our contact form. Replacement parts can also be ordered online at Spyker’s website.
Sources:
SouthernLivingPlants.com, A Gardener’s Guide to Sun Exposure.
Ibid, What Is a Microclimate?
TotalLandscapeCare.com, Harnessing the Power of Sun and Shadows in the Landscape.
