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I'm not so much asking a question as telling one of my solutions.
My garden is along an East facing concrete block wall and though shaded in the
afternoon there is still considerable heat coming off it during the
summer. .jpg) |
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Two years ago I stopped someone picking up election signs and
asked if I could have some. They said yes and I got enough to do most of
my garden. Through procrastination and adult life I didn't manage to get
them onto the wall until late June. My tomatoes were growing OK but they
were leaning away from the wall and you could really feel the heat when close
to the wall. I mounted the signs on the wall to kinda insulate it from
the sun in the hopes of reducing that reflected heat.
It worked really well as within two weeks the difference was
noticeable. The plants had started growing more upright and appeared to
take on a new life. This year I got some more and expanded the coverage
to the entire garden. Took less than two hours and I'm hoping it helps to
grow a bumper crop of tomatoes.
Pictures attached hopefully. You can use all of this if
desired but please, no name or e-mail address. Thanks.
Now if I could just figure out what's wrong with my peach tree I'd
be set.
I just hosed off then painted the block wall white.
ReplyDeleteI had to do it in two installments about a week apart. West facing on my side. My neighbor was amazed at the temperature difference between the painted versus unpainted half of the wall between weeks. The vegetation on his side responded favorably as well.
People were concerned that there would be too much reflected light burning adjacent trees. Instead the solar intensity seemed to promote greater growth (or the cooler area with less radiant heat coming from the wall or both). Once you get enough growth next to the wall (grapes) it is no longer much of an issue.