Vegetables: "Full sun" vs. actual sunlight?

I live in a part of California where the sun pretty much always shines in the summer. So lets say I'm trying to grow a vegetable that requires "full sun". Obviously during peak hours needed for growth, many parts of the U.S. will not experience our fairly reliable sunshine. So where they do fine with 6-8 hours of frequently cloudy skies, can we get by in a spot with fewer hours of theoretical sunshine (say 4-6) yet as many actual hours of sunshine and still raise happy "full sun" vegetables?

In other words, is it the total actual sunshine that matters, or the total possible sunshiine?

Does the occasional long day make up for consistent but shorter daily sunshine?

Vegetables: "Full sun" vs. actual sunlight?lyric opera

"Full sun" means in a place that is open to receive sunshine (where there is sun) most of the day. In other words, it's not a partly shaded place (by a tree or building). It doesn't mean how much actual sunlight although that does play a part. So, YES, you can have happy 'full sun' veges!

Vegetables: "Full sun" vs. actual sunlight?imax theater opera theater

This is the type of question I always ask!

I find the theory intriguing but I think in actuality it must not be so or else the theory could be applied to day length in controlled growing environments (like greenhouses/growrooms/etc.).

I have recently been using an Aerogrow - for example - on seedlings. I know the light is not really "sunlight" but the light generated is pretty broad spectrum and those lights are on for 18 hours a day - more than double what they would supposedly need of real sunlight - or "daylight".

Are you asking this question because you want to grow veggies in a spot that only gets the 4-6 hours of sunlight? If that is the case - I would still say go for it - especially if you are in California. You might need to do more pruning/staking of things like tomatoes since they tend to get leggier in less sun and you might not get a bumper crop but you will def get some veggies from your garden. I am in New Jersey (on a small neighborhood yard) and I grow just about everything - it does not all get the requisite 8 hours either and we still had veggies to share with the family and neighbors.