how much shade is to much?

[hades]

if, this is only hypothetical of course, some one were growing say between two fences or in between a fence and a shed with about 4.5 feet of space, big trees sorounding the edges, and there was not much direct sunlight but it was lighted would that stunt the plants alot or only slightly due to the fact that the sun is the most powerful light in the solar system? If this would stunt te plants would addig mylar to the fence closest to the plants greatly increase lighting on the plants. Laslty were could mylar be bought, lowes apparently doesnt carry it.

 

[Dewayne]

Well, usually people figure time ratio's of their area, how much day and how much night. it's 12/12 here and i have about 4 hours of shade on mine total, 8 of direct light. I would say at least 6 hours of direct light and if it's not so direct but light, then at least 8 hours i'd say.

What i'd do is take a whole day, get up when the sun does and write down the time that the plants actually get light light (any at all, like when the sun comes up), then go there and time just light where they arent direct but it's getting some sun, and write it down. keep checking them every 20-30 mins and see when the regular light ends and when it gets direct sunlight and then write down the regular light end, then the direct sun light beginning. then go check when it changes again to something else and write down the direct sun light end and the new phase beginning, just do that till it's night time and you'll have a time chart of when your plant gets direct light, normal light, and no light. then you'll figure your ratio and how much direct light etc...

About the mylar, you should try to go to home depot or some place like that. Yes it would help because the light would reflect, but only if the light comes from the opposite direction that you have the mylar but might be a bit obvious because you can see through fence cracks so if someone looked over they'd see a big shiny mylar on the fence and wonder what it was, that is if your hypothetical situation isn't so "hypothetical" lol.

anyways good luck bro

 

[hades]

thanks for the advice. I still am curious though, if you were to grow a plant outside but in the shade for say 8 of the 12 possible hours of sunlight available in the floridian summer would they do terrible or not so bad because the sun has what like 10 to the 16 amount of lumens available.

 

[Dewayne]

With 8 hours in a day you should do fine, regarldess as long as it has that 8 hours of light they'll still thrive.

 

[Firepower]

i had a hard time finding Mylar at home depot and lowes, you can order it online on ebay, or go to walmart or any outdoor sports store and ask for a security blanket, it comes in a small box the size of yiour hand....

 

[LaserKittensGoPewPew]

I think your plants will do fine even with some shade. They will grow/stretch towards the light. The yield wont be as large as it would with hours and hours of direct sunlight, but it will still survive. Conditions in the wild are never perfect and they've still managed to survive.

For mylar, you can buy some from a hydroponics store like htgsupply.com. They sell it pretty cheap. Or you can go even cheaper (my style) and buy space blankets. Also known as emergency blankets. They are also made of mylar and will reflect around 90-95% of the light. And they don't come with a big price tag at all. You'd be looking at about $2 a blanket.