What Counts as Full Sun?
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GardenSays
"Full sun" means at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and for fruiting vegetables, more is better.
- Full sun
- 6+ hrs direct
- Part sun/shade
- 4-6 hrs direct
- Fruiting crops ideal
- ~8 hrs (our estimate)
Nursery tags and seed packets use a shared scale. Full sun = 6+ hours of direct, unobstructed sunlight a day (UMD Extension: "at least 6 hours, preferably more"). Part sun / part shade = roughly 4-6 hours of direct light — the range UMD cites for leafy greens.
Calculated result · 2 verified sources · Checked 2026-07-17 · How we decide
Why
The hours don't need to be continuous: 3 hours of morning sun plus 3 in the afternoon counts as full sun. What doesn't count is dappled light through trees or bright-but-indirect light — thresholds refer to direct sun on the leaves.
- Fruiting a tomato or squash takes far more energy than growing leaves — that's why fruiting crops sit at the top of the sun scale and leafy crops at the bottom.
When this doesn't apply
- Count only hours of direct, unobstructed sun in the main growing season — morning and afternoon blocks add up. Dappled or reflected light doesn't count toward these thresholds.
How this was calculated
- 1. Full-sun threshold6+ hrs/day
UMD Extension: a vegetable garden needs at least 6 hours of full sun a day, preferably more
- 2. Part-shade threshold4-6 hrs/day
UMD Extension: leafy greens tolerate partial shade at 4-6 hours of direct light a day
Data sources
- University of Maryland Extension — Planning a Vegetable Garden — A vegetable garden should get at least 6 hours of full sun a day, preferably more. (checked 2026-07-16)
- University of Maryland Extension — Growing Leafy Greens in a Home Garden — Leafy greens tolerate partial shade (4-6 hours of direct light per day). (checked 2026-07-16)
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