Tracking The Sun
Every gardening guide on the internet says the same thing.
"You need 8+ hours of full, uninterrupted sun or don't even bother."
Here's the thing: that advice was not written for Florida.
I'm here to tell you — as someone actually gardening in this state — you do not need 8 hours. If you don't have a spot with 8 hours of blazing sun, it is completely okay.
Six hours works here. Because the sun we're dealing with is on a whole different level.
We're closer to the equator. Our sun is intense. Like, genuinely intense. Your plants feel every minute of it. That extra power means they can get away with a little less time under the spotlight.
The real secret to Florida gardening isn't finding the sunniest spot. It's learning to work with what you've got.
Morning Sun is the Holy Grail
If you're choosing between a few spots in your yard or on your balcony, always go for the one with the best morning light.
Always.
Morning sun is gentle. It wakes the plants up, dries off the morning dew (huge for preventing fungal disease in our humidity), and clocks out before Florida gets completely unhinged with the afternoon heat.
And here's something that surprises a lot of beginners: a broken sun schedule can still grow a spectacular garden.
Four hours of direct morning sun, shade during the worst of midday, then another three-ish hours in the late afternoon? That works. Don't stress if your sun isn't one long continuous block. Ours rarely is.
The Winter Shadow Trap (Yes, I've Fallen For This Multiple Times)
This is a mistake I've made more than once.
Honestly, I still catch myself making it.
When you're scoping out your garden spot in spring or summer, the sun is high. Shadows are short. Everything looks open and bright and totally usable.
But Florida's prime growing season is fall and winter. And as the year winds down, the sun drops way lower in the sky — further south. Suddenly the shadow from your house, your fence, or that big oak tree stretches out way longer than it did in June.
A spot that looked perfect in summer can be near pitch-black by November.
Map your light before you commit. Not after.
Two Ways to Map Your Light
You don't need to spend any money on this. Just a little time.
Method 1: The Photo Check (Free, Takes Almost No Effort)
Pick a day you're home and check your spot at four times: 9 AM, noon, 3 PM, and 6 PM. Snap a quick photo each time.
That's it. Four photos break your whole day into useful data. Save them to an album on your phone so you can compare how things change as the seasons shift.
Method 2: Use a Sun Tracking App (The Fast Track)
If you'd rather not wait around, grab a sun position app. I use one on Android simply called Sun Position. Point your phone's camera at your yard and it shows you exactly where the sun will be at any time of year — including winter.
iPhone users, search "sun seeker" in the App Store. Plenty of solid options.
Either way, the goal is the same: know what your spot actually gets, not what it looks like on a nice April afternoon.
➔ Up Next: Choosing Your Setup
You've found your spot. You know your light situation.
Now let's figure out what you're actually planting into. Raised bed, in-ground, pots, hydro towers — they all work in Florida, but the right call depends on your space.
Up Next · Lesson 4 of 10 Choosing Your Garden Beds →