Here’s the One App Every Gardener—and Photographer—Should Download Immediately
Never miss a golden hour or scorch another plant again with this app that tells you exactly how much sunlight a given patch of ground will get each day
Courtesy of Sun Seeker
Men and women have gazed at the heavens for as long as we’ve had necks to crane skyward, struggling to describe the arc of the stars, the tilt of the sun. More than 400 years ago, Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was punished for asking questions such as “Does the Earth actually revolve around the Sun?” as well as his lesser known inquires “Are you sure this is a good corner in which to stick my Turkey-Leaf Fig Tree?” and “Where should we set up our picnic for optimal magic hour glow? This manuscript won’t illuminate itself, people!”
Point being, whether you’re an astronomer, gardener, or photographer there’s often a need to scout the sun’s path across the sky. And while you’ve probably got a favorite weather app and might enjoy Augmented Reality constellation hunting with your kids via Night Sky, chances are you haven’t heard of this app quite yet.
Called Sun Seeker, the tool offers everything from basic sunrise and sunset data to full-on augmented reality pathing, showing the Sun’s arc, hour-by-hour, day-by-day.
Why bother dropping $9.99? Well, if you’re looking for accurate intel on just how much light that Dwarf Umbrella plant is receiving—not only now but a month from now—you can either sit in your back yard for a season with a stopwatch and a notepad—or you can take five minutes to point your phone at the sky, job done.
What’s more, whereas your local weather app details the sun’s rise and fall, it won’t show you the path in a live, real-time camera view—accounting for obstacles such as tree canopy overhangs, roof eaves, and more. For low-light or light-hungry plants, an extra hour might just make the difference between a bumper crop and a lackluster yield.
And let’s say you’re an amateur Ansel Adams: Where to set up that picnic to get the perfect backlight, or the sunlit sheen? Sun Seeker shows you exactly where the glowing orb will plop, and how to position yourself for maximum glow.
Once you download the app you’ll find yourself using it in all kinds of situations. The perfect patch of sand at the beach. Where to sit at the baseball stadium. And so on.
At least you will, this fall, when (fingers crossed) we’re all allowed out of our yards again. Sigh.
