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Entry Date
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Location
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Wednesday, July 08, 2026
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Matt D.
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Connecticut
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Entry 16 of 16 |
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Under a Shady Tree
On the same sunny July day, a second measurement was taken approximately 100 feet from the full sun control reading of 1915 μmol/m�/s, this time beneath a large maple tree. The resulting PAR value dropped to 105 μmol/m�/s, clearly demonstrating the substantial reduction in light intensity caused by canopy shading. For pumpkin growers, it is well understood that planting near trees should be avoided; however, this comparison highlights an important parallel within the plant itself. When a pumpkin leaf grows beneath another leaf, it receives similarly limited light.
This underscores the importance of maintaining a disciplined pruning strategy that keeps leaves on a uniform plane with minimal overlap. The goal is a pond lily pad canopy which is a broad, evenly spaced leaves that fully cover the area without shading one another.
Although this example uses a tree canopy, the same principle applies under a pumpkin leaf, and the reduction in PAR can be nearly as extreme. In this case, the shaded reading represents roughly a 95% decrease in light intensity compared to the control measurement.
Growers have also asked how these PAR reading may change based on the time of day and I will refer you to this DeBacco University "Student Series" video that was taken on a different day in a different location, but demonstrates the basis trend... YouTube
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