You might be wondering if reflective sunlight is good for plants. If you are growing plants indoors, then you might have experienced dealing with less light that enters your home. Sunlight is very important to grow healthy plants. However, not all rooms have adequate sunlight. In this article, we will share tips and information about reflected sunlight and whether or not it can benefit your plants.
Is reflected sunlight good for plants? Reflected sunlight is good for plants. It is used by urban gardens to help produce healthy plants. The reflected light is indirect sunlight that bounces off from a reflective surface. The good thing is that they can bring energy to your plants.
Growing indoor plants can be challenging. Aside from finding the right kinds of plants that are perfect for indoor gardening, you also need to invest in the right tools. Moreover, creating the right environment so that your plants will thrive can be difficult. If your space does not get the right amount of natural light daily, you need to find ways for the plants to stay healthy. Let us learn more about this below.
Gardening Beneath a Wall Using Reflected Sunlight
Painting the walls with white or light colors can reflect light and heat. Moreover, the walls can provide shelter for the plants to keep them safe from wind and temperature changes. If your house is located in the northern hemisphere and you have a south-facing wall, you can use it as a tool to reflect light and warmth into the shady areas of your garden.
You can also use windows to reflect light for outdoor plants. By using a reflector you can increase the available light in the area. You can use sheet metal, aluminum foil-covered cardboard, and a board that is painted white for the reflector. Place the reflector at a sunny spot so that it reflects the light into the areas of your garden where it is needed the most. You can also use mirrors. On the other hand, you need to be cautious when placing mirrors outdoor because they can focus light and can start a fire. We have also shared this article titled, can sunlight off a mirror start a fire? You can check out the article for more tips and information.
Can Plants Get Sunlight from Mirrors?
Plants can get sunlight from mirrors. Strategically placing the mirror indoor and outdoor can provide light to the dark areas of your home and garden. Take note that plants can thrive under reflected light as they do under direct sunlight. Using mirrors to increase sunlight in the area can be beneficial to plants. We have also shared this article titled, do plants like mirrors? You can check out the article for more tips and information.
How to Increase Sunlight Reflection Using Mirrors
You can use mirrors to increase sunlight reflection by hanging mirrors into the dark areas and reflecting light from pale walls. This will help reflect sunlight into the garden and make the plants thrive.
Placing Mirrors on Walls
One way to increase sunlight reflection is to place mirrors on walls. Having a dark area in your home or garden can make it difficult for plants to grow and stay healthy because there is not enough light that can be used as food. To remedy this problem, you can hang a large mirror or a couple of mirrors in a wall or place them against a dark space so that they can reflect light into the surrounding areas.
Placing Mirrors on Shadowed Corners
Another way to increase sunlight is to place mirrors on the shadowed corners of your property. Mirrors provide natural light to the darkest areas and enable plants to grow healthier. If your garden is surrounded by bushes, trees, and vines, the environment can make it hard for flowering plants to grow. You can remedy this problem by installing a mirror at the back of the gazebo. Doing so will provide the area with additional light so it appears bright and open. With the additional brightness, the flowering plants can grow healthier. You can also read this article that discusses what garden mirrors are made of. We have shared helpful information that you can refer to.
Placing Mirrors to Reflect Light from Pale Walls
You can also place mirrors to reflect light from pale walls. If you have white walls, it can increase the brightness in the area because white is a reflective color. On the other hand, you can also use a mirror to reflect sunlight. Strategic mirror placement can help direct the brightness of the sun to the white walls. Mirrors can also reflect the light from the wall and into the plants.
✅ Video – DIY Light Reflector Under Five Dollars
WonderWaffo shared the video below on YouTube. It discusses how to create a DIY light reflector. It is an easy and useful way to reflect sunlight into the garden. Watch the video for the tutorial.
How Can Mirrors Help Redirect Sunlight?
Mirrors can reflect or redirect light. Placing the plant in front of the mirror can help it benefit from the light that is reflected from the mirror. You can also place the mirror at an angle so that it can redirect light to the surroundings. Take note that mirrors will not increase the amount of sunlight that hits. However, it can redirect the same amount of light to the dark area of your garden.
Do not place many mirrors in the same location because it reduces the light that is reflected in them. The reason for this is that light bounces off from each mirror which reduces it with every bounce. You can also enhance artificial light by adding a mirror to the wall that is located behind the plants. This will cause the rays of the lighting fixtures to bounce toward the plants. Moreover, this can help improve the level of light around the plants and balance the intensity of light.
Can Sunlight Affect Plants?
Sunlight affects plants and it plays an important role in the health and life of the plants. Plants need sunlight for their food. They require the blue and red portions of the spectrum of the sun to rearrange the molecules of carbon dioxide and water so that it turns to glucose. If the plant does not receive adequate sunlight, it will not be able to make food and eventually die. You can also check out this article that discusses what makes a mirror suitable for outdoor use. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.
Tips in Using Garden Mirrors for Sunlight
If you are planning to use mirrors for your garden, the first thing that you need to do is to find out the amount of light that the area receives and how much more it will need. This is necessary so that you can strategically place and angle mirrors so that they can reflect light where it is needed the most. Take note that the mirrors need to be adjusted as the position of the sun changes. You might need several mirrors to guarantee that the plant receives enough hours of sunlight.
Moreover, you need to consider the type of mirror that you use. Some mirrors are specifically made for outdoor use. Before placing them outdoor, you need to make the necessary steps so that they can weather and withstand the different changes in temperature and climate. Prepare the mirrors by sealing them so that water will not seep behind and damage the silver backing.
Make sure to place the mirror in a sequence so that you can get adequate hours of sunlight. Installed the mirror securely whether you place it on the wall, fence, or the ground. When installing, you need to take note of various factors like rain, wind, and snow. Use the right hardware to install the mirror securely.
Is Mirrored Light Good for Plants?
Mirrored light is good for plants because it helps increase light for plants through reflection and redirection. If your indoor plants need full sun, but there is no area indoors where the shine shines brightly. This can be challenging because, without adequate sunlight, your indoor plant could wither and die. The good thing is that you can use mirrors to reflect more light into the room. Moreover, you can direct light from the reflective surfaces to the plants so that they stay healthy and thrive.
What is the Best Way to Reflect Light?
The best way to reflect light into your plants is to use mirrors. Other than that, you can also use polished metal and other materials that have a smooth surface to reflect light. For outdoors, you can use white-painted walls as a reflector. If you have old CDs at home that you are no longer using, you can use their reflective backing to redirect sunlight for plants. You can also read this article that discusses why birds jump at mirrors. We have shared helpful information that you can refer to.
Conclusion
You have reached the end of this article that discusses if reflected sunlight is good for plants. We have found out that reflected sunlight is good for plants as it helps them grow and stay healthy. Moreover, we have shared above the different tips on how to improve light reflection in the dark and shady areas of your property. Thank you for reading!