Too Much Sun?

If you live in Florida like me, we’re no strangers to the heat. A typical summer reaches upwards of 97° and shade often brings no relief. So when I read the back of my seed packets and saw “full sun” I was skeptical.

If you’re growing something like potatoes that can handle 6-8 hours that’s different, but especially with companion planting it’s important to find a “happy middle” that your plants will agree on.

I have found that “full sun” in Florida is more like 3-4 hours of direct sunlight, and the rest shade. Giving your plants 6-8 hours when the UV is as high as it is here will inevitably fry them.

So where do I put my beds?

I would take note of where and when the sun hits your space. Do you have any trees that bring shade? Try to find a spot in your yard that gets sunlight in the morning and shade in the afternoon or vice versa. The 1-3pm sunlight can be really harsh in Florida.

Rule of thumb is shoot for direct sunlight for part of the day, and spotty sunlight or shade for the rest.

Happy Gardening!