In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

Bert Hyman wrote:
Our neighbors' giant maple trees continue to encroach on our view of
the sky and the sunniest parts of our garden now get only about 2 or
3 hours of direct sun during the summer. With the economy the way it
is, they're not interested in any serious pruning for a while. Other
than a fortuitous windstorm or maple blight, we're probably stuck
this way for years.

The growing season in Minnesota is short enough without this
additional handicap.

Can artificial light speed up the ripening of outdoor tomatoes? Can it
be done without us ending up with tomatoes at $10/each?

We only have 3 plants, which used to be enough; two "early" varieties
and one conventional. One of the early plants will have some fruit
ready this coming week, but September is coming fast.

I see Web sites selling all sorts of lighting systems, but I'd like to
hear from people who aren't trying to sell me anything.

With the cost of the lights and the power to run them it hardly seems worth
it to me.

How about this (I am making this up as I go along, never tried it) Could
the light intensity be enhanced cheaply with mirrors? I am thinking of an
arrangement on the three sides not facing the sun that would reflect on to
the plants. Maybe even a curved panel behind the plants. Not glass which
is always expensive but aluminium foil laid over (say) cardboard or whatever
is laying about. Or maybe thick plastic sheet like used for real estate
signs (called coreflute here) painted with silver paint. It would cost very
little and last long enough to find out if something more permanent is
worthwhile.

David

Memories Back in the seventies, my high school days, there was a
project in the Scientific American magazine for making a parabolic dish
for focusing and burning an object. Many art stores sell large sheets of
foil backed cardboard. I cut the cardboard out and made my dish and used
a fine plastic spray from a can that water proofed the cardboard dish.
At night I could put a mike in the center of the dish and hear people
talk at least half a mile away. Set sticks on fire when placed in the
sun. Scientific American Magazine was much better then than now. Today
with internet based news, many of their articles are just junky and
dated before the ink dries. Dish was six feet in diameter and Cost about
$20.

--
Enjoy Life... Dan

Garden in Zone 5 South East Michigan.