Plotting Sun Angles Gardening For Lazy Bones Only!
Guest Article by His Laziness Stravo Lukos
The best (i.e. laziest) way to plot the angle of the sun at any time of the year is to buy a sun chart like Robert Bennett’s, Sun Angles for Design. I bought mine used, and unless the Earth changes its orbit or the sun goes supernova, there is no problem with the information, even though it’s old. If you’re the methodical and mathematical type, there are sun angle charts online, such as this gem: http://solardat.uoregon.edu/index.html
Of course, if you want the most accurate sun chart for your yard, you will work it out yourself. It’s a bit involved, but not quantum physics. Pick a location where you can observe the sun’s path across the eastern, southern and western skies, assuming you live in the Americas and north of the equator. Find a solid, nonmetallic base, about chest level, that won’t be moved, because you will take your readings from there. You need six items: a watch that’s accurate, a good compass (I like my military lensatic compass), a notepad and pen, a large, half-circle, plastic protractor, like students use in geometry class— the bigger the better— and 10 inches of string, because I said so.
Take three readings a day each time you plot the sun’s angle, and be sure to take these readings at the same time of day, for example: In mid-December, you take your readings at 0800 hrs., 1200 hrs., and 1600 hrs. (8:00 a.m., noon, and 4:00 p.m., respectively). In mid-March, you must use the same times for readings, if you want to chart the change in angles accurately. Got it? If not, think about it awhile. You’ll see the light.
Just before 0800, align your compass with magnetic north. At 0800, turn your compass, as though it is nailed through its center into the base, until the sight lines up with the sun. Read the azimuth (direction in degrees), and jot it on your notepad. Do this at noon and at 1600 hrs. Mark the spot you placed the compass, and put it there for every reading. Mark where you are standing, even if you must pound a spike into the ground or a brass tack into your deck— whatever floats the boat. You will sight the sun’s angle from this spot forever more. In winter, you’ll note the lower elevation and shorter arc of the sun’s daily travels. If you have harsh winters, wait at least until you have cold-frame weather, maybe late February or March. Who cares where the sun’s going if you cannot plant yet?
Look at your protractor. On the flat bottom, there should be a ruler marking of zero to six or more inches. At the far end of that ruler, say at six inches, pinch or glue one end of the string, then lift the protractor to your eye level. Sight and align the horizon along the straight side of the ruler edge. Without moving the protractor, take the string with your free hand and align the sun along the string, holding it taut against the protractor. Don’t release this position until you read the angle, then jot it in your notepad. Go inside.
Pull out a nice big piece of sketching paper. Draw a vertical line (the sky) and horizontal line (the horizon) through the center of the page. Put the center of the ruler edge of the protractor over the intersection (usually, there’s a hole in the middle so you can see what you’re doing), and put a dot above and below the same degree mark you noted during your sighting. Write this degree of inclination next to the dots. Draw a line from the intersection through these points, and label that line as the date and time of your sighting, for example: 15 December 2003 C.E. If you need help with this, find a high-school senior who’s passing math to show you what to do. Don’t sweat it; you’ll get it.
Take your next series of readings in February or March, depending on your hardiness zone, and every month thereafter, until the autumnal equinox, harvest time. Make sure to plot your readings carefully on your sun chart. After the final plotting of the year, connect the dots in a graceful, curved line. Bravo! You’ve made a sun-angle chart for your yard. It will be the same every year you live and well beyond. I’ll stick to my book.
Another advantage to a professional chart is the ease in finding the shade factor. I can glimpse at the chart for my area and plan where the shadows will fall from my house and trees. My book cost about ten bucks used. New, I’ve seen it for twenty bucks as of this date (10 January 2003). Make life simple. If you have the cash, spend it on the book, or at least photocopy the necessary pages at your library. As far as I know, there is no penalty for copying this information for personal, non-commercial use. Check the latest copyright laws to be sure. There are online sites for this information, for example:
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/
This chart will prove invaluable as you design the layout and location of your garden or raised beds. Most plants don’t like extremes of heat and moisture levels. A good six hours of morning to noon sunlight is all you need for a healthy, productive garden. As I’ve mentioned before, you might even want to plant shrubs or trees to block the sun if it gets too hot during the afternoon. Should your garden lie on the south side of your house, put in deciduous plants so as not to block those precious rays of winter. Evergreens will work anywhere else, especially against the cold northern exposures. If winds are a problem in your area, think about planting a mixed windbreak of shrubs and trees, or put up a fence to slow the blow. I have a small yard, so I planted tall, deciduous shade trees along the western side, medium-sized deciduous trees in the front, and native shrubs among all of them. Any openings are filled with meadow flowers and indigenous groundcover.
My garden beds are protected on the north and east sides by fences, on the west by my house, and along the south side by a hedgerow of barberries and a parallel row of hazelnut shrubs along the street side of the sidewalk. My veggies receive a comfortable six to seven hours of direct sun during the summer months. This yard works, because I was conscious of the sun factor.
Plan now for a well-designed and happy garden.
Stravo Lukos has been gardening and landscaping since he was eight years old. "Every oldtime Greek and Italian had a garden. It was the 11th commandment." Now, 44 years later, he still is learning and experimenting in lazier, more efficient, less expensive ways to grow plants. He has a BA in English, with several courses in forestry and soon, a certificate in horticulture. His yard is a wildlife sanctuary, veggie gardens, and a fruit-nut-and-berry patch.
Other interests include hiking slowly, camping in luxury, teaching kids how to garden, reading in bed, road bicycling on level ground, hugging his dog, smoking cigars, and cuddling with his wife in front of the television. Life is good.
You can contact him at freeman@rovin.net ,but it'll take forever to receive a reply-- if he gets around to it.
