8 hours is usually considered full sun ... so you are shy a bit ...

the upside is.. its the intense sun of the day ... rather than a few hours at dusk or dawn ...

frankly ... im thinking you will get no direct response to your sun.. in your yard.. anyone who claims otherwise is just guessing ...

bottom line.. imo .. just plant things and find out what can tolerate it ...

nothing really dies lacking a few hours of sun ... they just might not perform to expectations ... less flowers.. not coloring properly .. etc ...

if you want info on specific perennials.. you are going to have to list them.. rather than hope for a blanket answer ...

roses are heavy feeders . and sunlight is the prime energy source .. and its hard to make up for it with fert ... try a couple.. and see how it works out ...

the only other thing that comes to mind.. is what kind of trees ... and if there will be significant root competition for water ... have you tried digging some random holes... to find out about your soil and roots??? .. might be a good place to start ...

oh.. and finally ... sun during the active growing season is the key ... doubt it would make much difference in fall and winter ... btw.. are they deciduous trees or conifers ... will light levels increase after the leaves fall ... might help evergreen plants ..

ken

My roses, and every other plant in my yard, fight with tree roots and less than optimal sun. I just lower my expectations and I’m ok with it. I wouldn’t be without my big leaf maples and I wouldn’t be without my garden. So we all gotta give a little:)

Here in the UK, 6 hours of sun in summer is considered full sun. Given our latitude (which is like mid-Canada), there is a huge difference between winter and summer daylight hours and our sun isn't strong. We also get a lot of overcast days. And we have small gardens shaded by houses and boundary fences.

I would consider 6 hours of sun for 4 months a luxury. Most of my roses get between 6 and 7 hours of sun but for a month or two.

"Full" sun is considered to be 6 or more hours pretty much anywhere.

You ask if 6+ hours of sun is considered “full sun” when it’s for part of the year.

The locals in Longyearbyen insist on at least 22 hrs. of sun to call it full sun.

How are your Roses doing? That would answer the question better since you already have some.

The OP’s question is “... shine full sun in my yard for 6+ hours. Is that “ full sun” when it’s for part of the year?”

You may have wanted her to phrase her question differently. But the answer to her question is not another question.

@rifis (zone 6b-7a NJ), "The OP’s question is “... shine full sun in my yard for 6+ hours. Is that “ full sun” when it’s for part of the year?”

You may have wanted her to phrase her question differently. But the answer to her question is not another question."

Fair enough.

I made an assumption that the question was asked to see if the Rose's were getting enough sun. And being in TX, so called full sun end up killing roses. So I am curious to know why the OP posted the question.

Sometimes the response is another question.

I'm back ----

I am in a funny situation with my rose garden (not so "funny").... I've had roses for over 10 years, BUT I have spent all my efforts and time fighting the deer that regularly graze in my yard. I finally "gave up" and have surrounded my rose garden with a protective mesh fence. I find it a bit unsightly, but I insist on growing roses! Now that the roses are actually growing(!) I am discovering that I am actually kind of "new" to growing them. I'm just now learning how much I haven't known.... dealing with insects, blackspot, proper feeding - and for the first time, I wondered about my sun exposure; wondering if not having more than 6+ hours "full sun" all year long negatively affects them in some way.

As far as the rest of my garden - along about 100+ feet of back fencing that delineates the property line between me and the woods, but doesn't keep out the deer - I've finally replaced the deer attracting plants with deer resistant plants. (Goodbye hostas, hello ferns). Sigh. It's been hard for me, as apparently the deer and I have the same taste in plants (even though I don't actually eat them).

Thanks for the input, all.....

Do you have trees close by? My previous house yard was all part shade and I found that tree roots were a bigger issue than lack of sun. Now I have 3 roses in part sun with large trees (neighbors) and they dont do well. OTOH, I have 4 or 5 that only get a few hrs of sun but no trees nearby and they do much better.

The term full sun is not about the amount of time but is about the intensity of the light. It means no shade. Direct, unobstructed sunlight. 6 hours of direct, unobstructed sunlight should be enough for your roses to grow, set buds and bloom.