How can I measure light intensity?

[Alchemilla]

I think veggiechicken is right. If you wanted to go down the route of light measurements, labels like "sunny" etc. are meaningless, as too imprecise. Comparable results could come from a lux meter. But how many lux a particular plant species needs to thrive also depends on the specific conditions of your plot: soil, water, temperature, seasonality etc. I think beyond taking into account very generic preferences (shady vs. sunny), your best bet is to just start growing and "learn the land".

Are there edibles you could grow which are of Australian origin and which are hence optimally adapted to your climate? Finger lime, quandongs, macadamia, bush apples etc?

[lolie]

lolie, do you have Aldi in Aus ? if so & you make your raised beds a metre square you could use this for heat loving plants ... https://www.aldi.co.uk/raised-bed-po...68881025022105 ... & this for those that like it a little cooler ... https://www.aldi.co.uk/raised-bed-fl...68881025021904 ... if you have a problem with birds pecking at crops that don't need heat/light protection ... https://www.aldi.co.uk/raised-bed-ne...68881019176800

Even if these are not immediately available you might be able to replicate something similar


As an aside for UK members the items above are in store this Thursday coming

We do have Aldi. I get a lot of my garden stuff there. I haven't seen cloches at Aldi but they're easily obtainable elsewhere.

I'll be getting these for pest control and they also come in heavy, clear PVC.

[bramble]

Indeed they are Bm, strenthwise , but 6 hours is still six hours i think

Jackarmy, 6 hours at 18deg and 6 hours at 28 deg are two very different heats dont you think.?

[lolie]

Jackarmy, 6 hours at 18deg and 6 hours at 28 deg are two very different heats dont you think.?

38 C at the moment. Our sunlight is extremely intense in summer. I get sunburn within 15 minutes in summer. UV index is included in our whether forecasts. In winter, I could be out in the sun for half the day or more before I'd need to worry about sunburn, plus we get a lot of overcast days in winter.

Lost half my poppy seedling yesterday because I remembered to shade the vegie seedlings but forgot to shade those.

I just realised I can probably use each day's predicted UV index as a guide on when I need to shade my plants.

This is the slab where I'll be putting most of my raised beds. The photo was taken 10 minutes ago at 6.40 am solar time. The fences are at the southern end of my yard, so that's the gentlest sunlight the area will receive all day.