Maybe this should be the SunStick® vs SunCalc showdown at high noon? Two sunlight calculators battling it out for world domination. The SunCalc was designed for the left-brained thinker while the SunStick is for the visually adept.
Whatever the case, there’s a new sun test tool available that can help you discern where your optimum gardening sites are. While most gardeners can recognise the path of the sun and the affect it has on their garden beds, it usually takes years for this level of experience to be honed and perfected.
Which is where these sun test tools come into their own. They take the guesswork out of deciphering nature’s moods and report it without favour.
The SunStick works by placing the artificial flower in any spot within the garden. Leave it there until the end of the day and then compare the inner shade with the colour chart. Could it be any easier? The chart will then inform you whether your growing area is Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade or Full Shade and you can start planting accordingly – or chop down that tree that holds your garden back.
Admittedly, I’ve never used such a product but there was a time when I first started gardening that I wish they were available. It seemed like I kept placing my plants in the wrong location and losing them more often than not. Yet, after years of making stupid decisions I finally learned and now have much more success in getting the growing spot just right.
I can understand then if new gardeners are interested in products like these, which cost less than an average plant. Experience can be an expensive teacher.
And for those gardeners who like to grow inside, the makers of the SunStick have also produced an indoor version as well. It helps you gauge which areas of the room get light during the day and where are the best planting positions within your house.
Where can you get them from? It appears that the manufacturers are also the retailers – possibly the reason why they’re cheaper than the SunCalc, so you have to buy them online here.
