SHINING A LIGHT ON REFLECTIVE MATERIALS
to be smooth and clean to remain
effective. By some estimates, reflective
materials working in concert with
an efficient set-up where plants are
carefully spaced can increase light
efficiency by up to 30%.
There are lots of reflective materials on the market, from the metals in
reflector hoods, to films, non-woven
fibrous sheets and paints. Let’s take a
look at a few different options to see
how they shine:
Aluminum Foil – A popular do-ityourself choice, aluminum foil isn’t
a particularly effective reflector,
even though it can produce an
impressive amount of glare. Generally
considered 50-55% reflective, that
number drops drastically when the
surface deforms, which can happen
easily, producing hot spots.
Mirrors – If you’ve thought of using
aluminum foil to reflect light onto
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Maximum Yield USA | June 2016
your plants, the notion of employing
a mirror probably wasn’t far behind.
Depending on the backing materials
involved (aluminum silver, gold),
mirrors absorb some light wavelengths,
while having the potential of disrupting
the wavelengths plants need most.
They create dangerous hot spots, too.
Almost as bad, mirrors are notoriously
susceptible to delamination in moist
conditions. After you realize the mirror
is hurting your plants, you’ll discover
you’ve ruined your mirror, too. There’s
a good reason you don’t see mirrors in
grow boxes or tents.
available and easy to use. When kept
clean, it is also one of the most reliable
light reflective surfaces around. Flat,
bright white paint from any local home
improvement store will be 75% reflective or more. Some reports place that
figure at closer to 90%. It may seem
counterintuitive, but glossy paint will
not reflect as well as flat paint, so keep
that part simple. It’s also worth noting
that a smooth wall will reflect light
more evenly than one with imperfections. Oh, and save yourself the hassle
White or Light Paint – You may have
noticed plants situated next to a white
or light-colored outdoor garden wall
grow faster than other like plants in
the landscape. This is due to the power
of reflected light energy in action. A
simple, light-colored paint can help
increase the available light to indoor
plants, too. Paint is inexpensive, readily
“Paint is inexpensive, readily
available and easy to use.
When kept clean, it is also
one of the most reliable light
reflective surfaces around.”