Sun Mapping

Sun mapping allows you to know exactly how much sun each area of your garden receives in a day. To make a sun map, pick a sunny day with little to no cloud cover. Next, you’re going to draw 5 identical diagrams of your yard.

Then at 9 am you’re going to go outside with your first diagram and you’re going to draw where the shadows hit the ground of your garden.

You’re going to repeat this process 3 more times throughout the day at  12 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm. By the end of the day, you’ll have 4 maps of your garden with different areas shaded in to represent shadows. Take the 5th map of your garden and use it to combine your other 4 maps into one master map. Sun mapping is also a great way to know exactly which areas of your garden are best for planting your favorite plants!