I actually just did some sun mapping with a piece of paper and my phone. I sketched out my garden and positioned it in diff directions East to west, on a bias almost a diamond shape to where my property line is instead of running vertical or horizontal , and north to south to see how my arched cattle panel trellis will cast the shadows. I positioned a pen vertically on the paper, like a sun dial, to be the “trellis post or trellis” and I put the flashlight on my phone to see if what I was imagining in my head was actually what would happen. If anyone is having a problem with what luke is saying, try this it actually helps. You have to kind of mimick with your phone flashlight where your sun will come up and the direction it will set but this just made it all come together for me!!

I always planted my crops in order of height in relation to the sun. Ends up looking pretty cool with the layers and is effective.

New gardeners keep in mind if you're starting a new garden that bare trees of winter do not show a true shadow. Not to mention the position of the sun is lower in the horizon early spring vs. more overhead during summer.

I plant my sugar snap peas so they will get morning sun. Then I plant my tomatoes in front of them. But my the time the tomatoes shade them out it’s so hot that the afternoon shade helps me get a few more weeks of Harvest! Then when it’s time to plant them for a fall harvest the tomatoes are still tall enough to give them shade. Last year I also added a sheet on too hot days to block the sun so the small seedlings wouldn’t burn. I had a fabulous fall harvest of our favorite sugar snap peas 🙌🏻💗

I had a lot of tomatoes in containers. early in season I have them on the south side of the house, when it got hot, I moved them to the east side of those.. it worked well.

This helps so much, I just moved into a new house with a big yard. I’ve been trying to plan my garden strategy. Very anxious for all of the snow to melt., and get gardening!! Thank you for this very useful information.👍🏻👍🏻

hi can you please bring back the old intro where you harvest a bunch of things, because the song is such a bop.

I'm in Iowa - 42nd parallel. In the part of winter when I need sun, the angle of the sun is around 30 degrees, in summer it's around 70 deg (almost straight up). My garden is on a gentle south facing slope so I plant N/S in rows to avoid shading the north side of the row. If I had a greenhouse I would build it E/W to gain full sun along the long south side of the greenhouse in winter.

THANK YOU!! My husband and I started planning our garden for the spring ! I’m so happy to see the video pop up! Good things to remember

Been planting seeds & transplants in containers for the past two weeks & ive been placing them on the south facing side of our home here in Daly City😁 everything is thriving!

Luuuuuke!!! Hi 😄. You're like the groundhog's shadow to me...when you make your videos around this time of year, I know spring is on it's way ☺️💚

Thank you for doing this video! I am currently planning out my garden for 2024 and my garden beds face North to South, so end to end they run east west. I did that because we get a very nice breeze through our property and it always runs east to West so I wanted good airflow Through my beds in between my beds and that was the best orientation for airflow. Now I know where to plant my taller plants, so thank you for the help! Always love your videos ❤

So glad you made this video! This is so important. A few years ago when I set up a couple of raised beds I put the wrong way. I was so limited and could only put my tomatoes in the last row in the back bed or it would shade everything out. You live and learn!

This topic was mine and my wife's conversation this morning and then you make a video about it that day...the Lord Jesus working through you to she her and I that we are headed on the right track starting a farm for his Glory! Thanks Luke. God Bless you and the family!

Thanks, Luke! I always learn something new from you!

I’m planning & hardening off now to plant now in southwest Louisiana. So appreciate your videos. Keep up the great information. Even lifers can learn different things from your videos 🤩

Awesome info. Learning new every day!

Yes this helped im in a new place and need to put this info into play thank you❤❤👍👍

You also help the adhd people like me that get overwhelmed and hyper focus on planning your garden down to howany seed and plants you nerd and where they're going

Good info here,thanks for the detailed information.

YESSS!! THANK YOU for doing this video! LOL. I've gone through TONS of your videos figuring out which one you said which direction you had your beds LOL. Came at the PERFECT TIME!

Yes, thank you from Florida! Already getting my beds ready.

Thx Luke great advice working on this very thing for upcoming greenhouse👍😊

Great info! Moving into a new house last year I had to see how the sun and shade w surrounding trees hit the property. This year w. a few location adjustments to get better sun, will be a great season. 🌞

Thank you for explaining this in great detail. I pay attention to how you plant yours out but this added to my understanding.

THIS is the video I've been needing as I am planning my garden!!! Thank you!

I appreciate the info, and yes, I am in southern California and I am getting ready to plant my seedlings soon. Thank you

Thank you for another fantastic video Luke, have a great day🌱

Hey Luke! Great to see you again!

I need this!! Thanks

As always Luke, I did enjoy and I am learning new things every time I watch your videos 🧤🪴 Thank you!

Yes thank you for doing this video now Luke. I’m in Northern California and my planting season is now. Last frost date was estimated 2/26 but the forecast doesn’t show it going below 40° in the 10 day forecast. I have a friend who is new to gardening this year and she’s a little further north of me so this perfect for her.

I was so glad to hear you say that the sun never goes completely overhead. I am in the same situation and people look at me like I am crazy when I say that.

Just seeing the first five seconds of your videos brightens my day!!

Good information thanks.

I’m a first time gardener but I’ve already considered this in my planning. 😀

Thank you this was very helpful I had it backwards in my head as we are creating a 60x60 fenced garden and will be doing raised beds against the fence Sun rises EAST in front of garden Now I see the planned cucumber trellises need to go on the EAST side and the peppers tomatoes can go on the North and South sides there will be no west fence as that’s my house except for patio full sun area THANK YOU 😊

land slope has to be considered as well, think north side of a hill

Planting time is basically here in the Bay Area thanks for all the videos and hard work you put in!!! 🙏🏽 🙏🏽 🤗

I live in Maine. I love the beans hat!!!

In Michigan in the summertime when the Sun rises in the Northeast and Shines on the north side of my house later that day it shines on the east only then moves to the South only then moves to the West only and sets in the Northwest shining on the Northside 360 sound effect

Luke, YOU ROCK.

I do mine on contour. As you build soil, you create elevated beds, which stop and sink the water and nutrients coming down the hill.

Great video! This may sound simple but it is very effective- my garden was on the back northside of the property after getting out color pencils and a map I drew my backyard with all the trees, everything that would affect shadowing. I found to my surprise the sunniest spot closer to the house. The garden was in the wrong spot I moved it up closer to the house facing south getting much more sun and more productive! Plus side I am able to keep a better eye on the plants. Try it-you may think you know but you might get a surprise. Also there is a Sun surveyor app

Thanks Luke!!!!!

Thank you!

I am so thankful for this, mainly just because I am craving spring. Our snow is still melting at the moment but we’ve had 70 degree days this week so I am in full garden planning mode! Thank you for thinking of those of us that will be planting sooner than you. We are so thankful for your expertise!

You also want to take in consideration that the location the sun rises and sets in winter vs. Spring & summer will be different so don't just go outside and look at the sun this time of year! I based my garden plan off of looking at the sun in the early spring, at the property we were in the process of buying, and I didn't Account for the shift in the sunrise/set (I never paid attention until this year 🙃) so by the time we closed on late spring the sun rose /set on the other side of my house & I was like what!?!

I plant leftover tiny plants around my tomatoes (basil, dill). These I do not expect to grow quickly. When the rest of the basil and dill has grown and died, some of these stick around, providing fresh additions to meals late into the fall.

I Love Gardening🌱🌲🌳

My garden is on grade on the south side of the property, and last year I ran my rows N-S perpendicular to the slope. I had allot of problems with the fact that water runs downhill. This year I will be running my rows E-W in a terraced like pattern and will be planting the tall stuff on the north end.

Very useful information for me since I’m setting up my first garden beds. Do you know when you will be getting more seeds in stock on your website?

I learned my lesson last year. I planted smaller pepper plants behind zucchini plants and they were forever in the shade

A good tool is suncalc.org . It lets you see your location on a satellite view and plug in any date / time of the year to see the location and path of the sun.

Yes that is great. Getting so enthusiastic about you garden in February snow. Way to go. Fun to watch here in California. Doggone avocados 🥑 are shading everything out summer and winter. Garden grew better in Wisconsin tho.

Its good to know I've got the arugula, lettuce, and so forth in the right place. But the potatoes could be better located. They're established though, so I'm going to have to figure out a work around. Thanks a LOT. j/k Seriously, thanks.

It is import to talk about direction but like rob mentions large structures small pond or other micro climate causing structures like a tree need to be considered.

Planning ahead is key for sure but some of us, have challenges like steep slopes, abutting forest, wildlife pressures, erosion, tons of water saturation. I work around the trouble and it is a challenge for sure. Your talk helped me to amend my plan to include a short high tunnel in the north part so it can capture and keep the sensitive plants like tomatoes productive. I'm not sure if that will help but I will try your cowpanel design and maybe put plastic on to create the hothouse.. But then there is hose access to keep it watered. If we all could just have clean cut flat land to grow in! My growing area is up, up, up from street so everything I add is a haul, a lot of work just climbing to it. Can you comment on the challenges?

Great topic, Luke but how do you get around the "replanting" in the same areas? God Bless, stay safe.

I’m in Vegas where it gets 115 all summer. My garden is facing east with the house on the west side of the garden. It works perfectly because the garden stars getting shade around 1pm when it is peak temperature. All the stuff that gets full sun doesn’t do too well

I'm calling it, this year will be the year you reach 1 million subscribers

Sorry for a very good question, but I am new to gardening and also newly moved to a house. Not sure how to know right directions of what side gets more sun and what side doesn't. Thanks in advance. Really a big fan of you.

Great video, I have a question. Most of my garden is brutal east to west full sun. I am planning a couple of beds that will take advantage of house shade.one on the west, and one on the east ends of my house. Morning sun and evening sun...one will get sun from sunrise til noon, the other will get the more brutal noon till sunset sun. What plants or plant families will do good there? Im in a zone 5. Starting in late may to early June...but it gets hot fast. Im wanting Brassicas and had no luck with peas last year.. thinking of east, sunrise side for peas.

"it's a very simple concept to explain" checks video length 11:04 yup, sounds about right for MIgardener!

I have my rows running north and south, that way each plant in that row gets the same amount of light, I do have my taller plants on the east side of the plot

Hey Luke, you mentioned in the video that because your trellis is running north-south it really only casts a shadow directly below at certain times. Would you be able to put a trellis over the entire bed, and still grow crops there?

My beds are located on north part of yard and facing south. Originally running north -south lengthwise but I switched to east - west as I wanted more surface area facing directly south. I keep going back and forth on whether I made the right call. Just have to remember to keep tall stuff in north I guess

Have you ever shared a planting schedule? I think we're in a similar climate, and I'd love to see when you direct seed different things into your garden. I know most of the transplant ones for the general season, it's the cool weather crops on the shoulders I'm having a hard time figuring out. Thanks

Thanks for the video! *QUESTION - * I’m a new gardener in NYC. This will be my 3rd year gardening in my small backyard. The first year was amazing, got lots of big tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis etc, but last year (2nd year) was completely the opposite. The weather was super hot then super cold which has a huge impact on how and when the plants were growing. I’m also learning that it may have been due to the lack of crop rotation as well. In that case how do we crop rotate while giving all plant the right amount of sunlight, and not castings shadows factoring in unpredictable weather conditions?

Is there a best direction to do a cattle panel? I'm thinking of doing separate smaller beds just for the panel vs adding it to my 4x12 beds. Ends at east and west, or ends north and south?

I plant according to the plants ..... Shadow ........ Height etc......

Another thing that wasn't talked about was being able to tell what the shade will be in the fall season. Today for instance has the sun angle as October 16th, 64 days before the solstice. February 24th is 64 days after the solstice. Roughly the same sun angle.

Having planned as you have suggested what orientation is best for the beds, polytunnel and greenhouse? Should I place them east west or north south? Does it matter?

Video idea: can you talk about what percentage of the food your family eats is grown in your garden? Maybe do a challenge where you go a month eating only food you grow/forage yourself? Epic Gardening and Self Sufficient Me (2 of my other favorite gardening channels) have done challenges like this and I love them!

Last year I planted cucumbers on one side of my trellis and pole beans on the other side. The problem I had was that the trellis got to hot. Any answers for this? Wrong plants etc?

My question on this subject is in 1 bed of all the same crop lets say lettuce should the rows go N/S or E/W?

I'm outside of Chicago. When should I uncover my garden?

Some advice please i have small polytunnel. Best way to install it facing North/South or East/West?

I made the mistake of planting tomatoes that shaded my peppers 2 years ago.

Winter is just getting ready to come to the southern hemisphere. They would be in their fall right now

Also the heat tapes you are using in the garden ??? In the Winter time for you??? I have been doing this but Luke how about this potatoes red ones in the winter time sprouted in the house can I plant them ? They are growing great and I was told not to plant store bought potatoes ??? Got some white baker potatoes sprouting also what AM I TO DO LUKE???

Luke, when I plant by this method of watching where shadows fall, how can I do crop rotation next year? I only have 1 garden, so I can't switch the beds I put the tall plants in. My tomatoes and cucumbers always end up in the same spot. Does this matter?

scary white cold stuff! what is that? i thought it was just in movies. lol. i have to think about where the shade is in my garden... hello from the valley of the sun!

Is there a list somewhere that tells how much sun each kind of crop needs?

Sun mapping in the winter will give you completely different results than if you sun mapped in the summer.....

I live in Pennsylvania I'm ready to grow a garden. 🙂

I need to know what you are seeding, I am practically a neighbour. Thanks

Your enthusiasm is great, please consider using diagrams or illustrations for the visual learners.

Can you make your own seed potato set with sweet potatos?

I think depending on latitude that it really doesn't matter because in the summer the sun is high and not much shadow. Just don't put verticals too close to other plantings.

Can you grow herbs high density?

Re: The Cattle Panel Trellis - HOWDY from North Texas Zone 8A/Latitude 32.72. We are are in our late 60s...relatively new to gardening like this (but experts in harvesting from our childhood chores!) Last year, I was "accidentally" introduced to vertical growing when the cantelope decided to grow up the 3 ft garden fence. I embraced it to see what would happen. Made little "hammocks" from old tube socks. It did really well! This year we bought 5 ft cattle panel for our cantelope and small watermelon to grow them vertically on purpose. THEN, I saw yours. Can you please tell me what gauge fence it is? I'm concerned what we bought is not heavy enough for the arch. I see the posts you used, but any other tips in actually putting it up? I am SO excited about this trellis! THANK YOU in advance...love your videos!

I live in Petoskey and I have a garden in Wolverine Michigan.? IS BOTH GET SUN A GOOD 8 OR MORE HOURS IN WOLVERINE WE DON'T DO WELL WHAT COULD BE WRONG

Hi wondering how bad should be gardening in north facing backyard ?

Unless you live in the high desert, like me. El Paso, Texas. I need shade to grow almost everything... lol

Ours is southwest facing. We get in average about 10 hours of direct sunlight in the summer. No trees around, so it gets intense. Did I mention we’re at 6500 ft above sea level?

So do you recommend the rows run south to north or East to west? I've been trying to figure that one out and was excited that perhaps you would have a difinitive answer. I will be moving to the west side of the state and want to establish a new garden. Any preference's?

Not sure if you answered this fully in here, but should rows be planted longways east/west or north/south? I've done mine perpendicular to south but that requires that my tallest plants not shade the shorter plants in the next row. I imagine that if you planted the other way all the plants would get more consistent sun relative to each other but for shorter periods.

Do squashes, cucumbers, zucchini need southward planting? (In Vancouver). North backyard probably not enough sun?

Can you do a video with Kevin from Epic Gardening?