Luster Leaf’s SunCalc spots optimum sunlight for plants

Luster Leaf is best known for digital monitors that check the pH and moisture levels of your soil, but the company’s SunCalc targets a different variable: light. The “sunlight calculator” measures the amount of sunshine that actually reaches a specific spot during a 12-hour period -- key to determining which plants should go where. A University of Maine global warming monitoring station put the SunCalc through its paces, and it ultimately performed on a par with the school’s radiometer. The device costs about $30. To find retailers, go to www.lusterleaf.com and click on “where to buy.”

-- Jeff Spurrier