any one out there used mirrors to get light to plants in dark locations? I have seedlings going in a bed on the north side of a fence. put up a few mirrors to point light at the seedlings. The bed has gotten warmer and does get about 3 hours of mirror sunlight. I live in Phoenix and have just planted spinach, lettuces, cabbage, radishes, Zee
Please site sources backing your statement...I've looked but have not been able to find any sources that state that mirrors absorb the important light for plants. I have dome this for inside plants for years and have had them growing pretty well... this is the first time I have done this for outside plants. So far they seem to like the light. Mostly I think that it has helped to increase the soil temp. Have you a suggestion that may help my plants to grow in the limited light situation that I grow in?? I rent and am very limited for space and trty to get the most I can from every square inch. Please keep looking for me and my posts..on the way to starting a FARM for real in the coming year...got my hands on 10 acres and am heading out in March to get it all started. Plant heavily and do not forget to water
Topher is correct.. but really hes quoting on the specs needed to grow Mj.. The light your relflecting, is absorbed by the glass, then reabsorbed being redirected.. Basically the light must pass through the glass twice..bending the spectums at levels unseen by the naked eye.. While too the light might look brighter. This is because the visible spectrum has been increased.. could be increased to a level thats not healthy for some plants to convert to energy.. While using mirrors to increase lighting in a area that gets very little light at all will help house plants and indoor garden starts.. ,but may not be extremely effective..
White paint reflects nearly every wavelength. Just get that NASTY INSTITUTIONAL white. I read this one in an old Better Homes and Gardens book.
I know that most mirrors are of the type you mention but there are also silver surface mirrors, where the light doesn't go through the glass, it would seem that would negate the problem you describe or at least minimize the problem.
Are you saying that just using a white painted piece of plywood say, would reflect the light need to grow plants in the shade?
Well its been about 6 weeks since I put in my garden with the mirrors to get sun light to the plants. They are doing just great. Seems that all those glass greenhouses had it right. The glass absorbs such an insignificant amount of light that it is not worth mentioning for a gardening application. I'm picking everything except tomatoes and eggplants Every week I add a small area of salad greens and they just keep coming and coming in the shady spots. Have just started a worm composting bin and placed an order for worms from a worm farm in Penn. Hope the worms survive being shipped to the hot desert. Here in Phoenix it is full on growing season. I know that the rest of the country has a few weeks still to go 'till it is time to plant outside but I hope that there are seedlings sitting on window sills. Hope you all have a great gardening season. Plant and water...Plant and water...Plant and water...Weed...Water...HARVEST
I know you've probably already thought of it but I just read an article about "foreign" worms up north causing deforestation, so make sure your worms won't be a problem. http://www.wormdigest.org/content/view/372/2/
