Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [sunlight]

For questions about quantity of sunlight.

Light is essential for photosynthesis. With the exception of houseplants under artificial lighting, all plants receive this in the form of solar radiation (aka 'sun').

Plants vary greatly with regard to the amount of light they require or tolerate. Use this tag for questions about how much sunlight a plant should receive or can tolerate. Sunlight can vary by length of time and intensity.

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What vegetables will grow well in limited sunlight?

Our backyard receives limited sunlight due to three massive trees in a small area. There is only about 2 hours of direct sunlight per day to my vegetable patch. Could I get some suggestions for vegetables that can be grown with limited sunlight? I…
going
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How do I help my kitchen window herb garden thrive?

For the last couple of years, I've been nursing along a sort of kitchen window herb garden consisting of cilantro, parsley, basil and chives. What I've done is bought live herb plants at our local grocery store and re-potted them in individual pots…
Jon 'links in bio' Ericson
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Which side of a house will get the most sunlight?

Which side of a house will get the most sunlight? Articles on the internet seem to have conflicting answers. Is this because it is dependent on location?
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How and when to plant young grafted fruit tree?

Our backyard is in a Mediterranean climate (Adelaide plains, South Australia) and we've been gifted a young grafted apple tree which has its root ball still wrapped in plastic. It's about 1.3m (4ft) high now. It's a Pink Lady cultivar grafted onto…
Lisa
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How do I grow chilis in limited light?

I have been growing a few varieties of chili pepper (incl. Scotch Bonnets) in my garden since April (Spring). Due to trees, other houses, etc., they only get about 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Is this amount of sunlight sufficient? Is there…
Dan
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Is condensation on my seed tray an issue?

I'm growing some seedlings in a tray that has a plastic lid. The sun causes moisture to condense on the lid. I was wondering: is this counter-productive, as the condensation then blocks the sun?
Dan
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What herbs/vegetables/greens can be grown in a balcony garden with limited sunlight?

Growing up in a house with a yard, we had a pretty decent sized garden with fruits, vegetables, and herbs galore. Since moving to "the city", I haven't had a yard, and I miss being able to grow things The situation: The only space I have for a…
Jonathan
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Is my Schefflera arboricola getting the right amount of light and water?

I have a Schefflera arboricola (also known as Strahlenaralie in German). I've placed it in my office so that it receives some sunshine, but not directly - I've put it behind a plastic plant (on the right on the photo). The blinds are often closed in…
axel22
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What color should a greenhouse be?

I'm shopping for a greenhouse to protect my tropical fruit trees from winter frosts. While browsing, I noticed that greenhouses are predominantly green or clear. What are the advantages of each color? I don't quite see the advantage of a green…
JoJo
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Direct sunlight measuring device?

Is there a device on the market (preferably battery or solar operated) which can be left in a garden from dawn to dusk, and afterwards, report on how many hours of direct sunlight it received? I would like to see which of the sometimes building…
Henry Taylor
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How can I help a sunburned jade tree recover?

I put my jade tree out to get some sun yesterday, and apparently the sun was a little too blazingly direct. Instead of the healthy red edges I was expecting to see, several of the leaves are now collapsed-looking and have a greyish-brown…
jscs
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How are peppers and mulch used in a desert environment?

I have a couple of pepper plants that I've recently procured. Since I do not want these to go the way every other plant that has been gifted to me (i.e. death), I transplanted them into some large planters and used "moisture-control" potting soil,…
russjman
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How do I keep my balcony flowers hydrated while I'm away?

Seeing this indoor question made me look for an outdoor version of the same but found nothing, so here goes: We've got a balcony with a very large planter on the outside in which we have planted some small flowering plants for decoration. The…
Torben Gundtofte-Bruun
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Should containerized plants be periodically rotated relative to the sun?

I have the assumption that plants grow more foliage towards the arc of the sun. With containerized plants, I assumed I could rotate it every week to help it develop more balanced foliage. Are the assumptions correct? Is rotating plants beneficial or…
JoJo
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Glass vs plastic greenhouse covering: pros and cons

When building or buying a greenhouse, it seems to me that the material to use is one of the first concerns. The two options I'm trying to compare right now are glass and plastic films. The characteristics that seemed important to me were…
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