The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Muc on December 02, 2010, 11:29:52 am

Title: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: Muc on December 02, 2010, 11:29:52 am: Has anyone used mirrors to double the light in their growing areas? As the morning sun was dazzling me, from the West, reflecting in a shed window, I thought that I could use this to improve my winter harvest.
I suspose mirrors outdoors would be a danger to bird life but surely by lining the north wall of a greenhouse with mirrors, there'd be twice as much light and heat.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: Fleecewife on December 02, 2010, 01:33:59 pm: Aluminium foil is cheaper and safer but even painting the background white makes a difference. Foil works too if you have seedlings on an indoor windowsill. Putting something reflective on the ground under tomatoes and chillies makes a bit of difference to ripening as well.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: OhLaLa on December 03, 2010, 06:40:16 pm: Birds will fly into mirrors and kill themselves doing so. The foil is a better idea.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: Muc on December 03, 2010, 08:03:38 pm: I've seen stainless steel sheeting that is very reflective. I might try that if the price is right.

Any birds are clever enough to break into my greenhouse, are clever enough not to fly into mirrors.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: OhLaLa on December 05, 2010, 03:39:45 pm: Quote from: Muc on December 03, 2010, 08:03:38 pm
Any birds are clever enough to break into my greenhouse, are clever enough not to fly into mirrors.

Sadly not so.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: Muc on December 05, 2010, 04:34:19 pm: Please excuse my feeble attempt at wit as it now seems to be just plain rude.

I've heard of people putting teddy bears and other cuddly toys on their window-sills to prevent birds crashing into them. I wonder if it works.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: Fleecewife on December 06, 2010, 02:26:51 am: You can get stick-on spiders webs too, and big zigzags but I don't think they work. It's mainly young birds which crash into the windows and often break their necks. We changed all our windows on one side of the house into smaller panes but even then they occasionally crash into them, and on the other side there are still large panes. The main problem on the house is where they can see through another window opposite so they think they can fly straight through. My greenhouse is inside my polytunnel so I haven't had a problem with birds flying into that.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: Blonde on March 05, 2011, 07:09:10 am: Mirrors can be used but it is also hard on the eyes. What about skylights in your green houses bot creat a bit of heat in the winter time........or a plastic house creted by a soft drink container over somethng that isnot ding well. Creates warmth and heat and helps the little plants get along in life.
Title: Re: It's all done with mirrors
Post by: deepinthewoods on March 06, 2011, 04:05:33 pm: you can buy reflective sheeting quite reasonably, its called 'mylar' and is 90-95% reflective. hopefully the birds will see their reflection...