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Vegetable Gardening

If I used this as mulch, might it help my light problem?

13 years ago

I don't have 6 full hours of sun for my raised beds, even after having trees pruned. But it's all I have to work with. Last year I put Reflectix around the edges of the raised beds to try and increase light. I don't know if it helped or not. The beds get about 4 hours of sun between 11 and 5.

So this year I am thinking, what if I used it as mulch? The light would reflect directly up to the plants. Would it scorch and burn them?

Here is a link that might be useful: Reflectix

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Comments (5)

curt_grow
13 years ago
I would not worry about burning the plant. I would worry about air and moisture movement between soil and air. Can you find a white mulch. I know from growing under lights that white works as well as aluminum. I use white freezer paper. Of course that is not permeable either. Do you have a local newspaper or printing house close you could get a roll of paper there to try. Newspaper would yellow very fast I do not know about other papers. And one final thought do they make any type of permeable Reflectix Or could you make it so?
ditnc
Original Author
13 years ago
Interesting. I do have some white horticultural fabric (used to cover plants to protect them from the cold in the spring). That might work....

I also have unprinted newsprint paper (used for packing). It is not pure white, more beigey and has a slight sheen to it.
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susan2010
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I Googled around. Apparently they do make a reflective mulch that's been used in orchards. I didn't actually see any available for sale, but I didn't look terribly hard for it. There are some interesting studies. You might Google "Light Reflecting Mulch."
novice_2009
13 years ago
ditnc, I can sympathize with the sunlight problem. When I first started my garden, a big tree had been pruned. Now, three years later, even after making it bigger, it just doesn't get enough light. I can tell a real difference in my tomatoes.
ditnc
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, I was at a home a few weeks ago that had flat, cleared, sunny land - tons it it - and all I could think of was "wow, I could grow so many things here!" Until I move, I just have to deal with the limited sunlight. The front of my house gets full sun, but I cannot grow a garden there.

I ordered this today....maybe it will help. If it does, I will post to share with other light-challenged gardeners.

http://www.adcockmfg.com/div_tp-prod.ihtml?pid=1

Here is a link that might be useful: Brite'nup reflective mulch

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