On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 23:52:00 GMT, "Dave Rut"
wrote:

When a plant requires full sun, what does that mean? I thought I heard that
meant 6 hours.

A second question, is there some kind of measuring device you can put in
your yard to check for full sun, partial shade, etc.

"Full sun" generally means *at least* 6hrs/day of unobstructed
sunlight. That is, a location where, if it's not a cloudy day, the sun
will beam down full strength for that length of time.

The "measuring device" is usually your own observation. Eg., my
east-facing front porch gets early morning (full) sunlight, but it's
in shadow beginning in late morning. NOT full sun. The back side of
the house is in shadow in the morning, and sunny later. At least as
far as the shadow of the house is concerned. Big trees keep most of
the back yard in shade.

"Partial shade" means either full sun for a brief period (usually
morning sun for 3-4 hrs) or filtered sun. That is, a location where a
not-dense canopy of trees blocks much full sun but allows a good
amount of light to pass through. "Shade" is an area little or no
direct sun ever reaches.

If a recommendations for a plant say "full sun to partial shade," it
doesn't mean it'll thrive in partial shade. It means it can *tolerate*
a little shade.