If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts 50% of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september. How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount of
sunlight you gain.

Hope you can help, I think I've made a mistake with my choice of allotment
:-(

"anne" wrote in message
...
If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts 50%
of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september. How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount
of
sunlight you gain.

Hope you can help, I think I've made a mistake with my choice of allotment
:-(

If I have this straight your hedge runs East -West. If this is the case I
would expect that during the Winter when the sun is lower then every foot
you take off the hedge will release much more than a foot from being shaded.
When the sun is higher in the summer the effect will not be so great & may
even be less than a 1:1 ratio.

You could work it out for yourself. Measure the height of the hedge and then
measure how far out the shaded area is from the side of the hedge (not the
middle). If the hedge is 8 foot high and creates 16 foot of shade then you
know that each foot you take off the hedge will release 2 foot of ground
from the shade.

So measure the two distances and divide the width of the shaded area by the
height of the hedge to see how much you will release from the shade for
every foot you take off the hedge. This will be a "more or less" calculation
!!

I.

--
(remove the troll to reply)

http://uk.profiles.yahoo.com/aquitanium

Always look on the bright side of life.... di do di do di doody doody do
"Iain Miller" wrote in message
...

"anne" wrote in message
...
If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot
more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a
hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts
50%
of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september.
How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount
of
sunlight you gain.

Hope you can help, I think I've made a mistake with my choice of
allotment
:-(

If I have this straight your hedge runs East -West. If this is the case I
would expect that during the Winter when the sun is lower then every foot
you take off the hedge will release much more than a foot from being
shaded.
When the sun is higher in the summer the effect will not be so great & may
even be less than a 1:1 ratio.

You could work it out for yourself. Measure the height of the hedge and
then
measure how far out the shaded area is from the side of the hedge (not the
middle). If the hedge is 8 foot high and creates 16 foot of shade then you
know that each foot you take off the hedge will release 2 foot of ground
from the shade.

So measure the two distances and divide the width of the shaded area by
the
height of the hedge to see how much you will release from the shade for
every foot you take off the hedge. This will be a "more or less"
calculation
!!

I.



-
I would agree with the above, but also there is the warmth factor to. As
the angle between the earth and the sun becomes more acute (as in winter)
the greater the area, per sq.ft. beam of sunshine, has to cover.

Jeff

Iain Miller wrote in message
...

"anne" wrote in message
...
If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot
more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a
hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts
50%
of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september.
How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount
of
sunlight you gain.

Hope you can help, I think I've made a mistake with my choice of
allotment
:-(

If I have this straight your hedge runs East -West. If this is the case I
would expect that during the Winter when the sun is lower then every foot
you take off the hedge will release much more than a foot from being
shaded.
When the sun is higher in the summer the effect will not be so great & may
even be less than a 1:1 ratio.

You could work it out for yourself. Measure the height of the hedge and
then
measure how far out the shaded area is from the side of the hedge (not the
middle). If the hedge is 8 foot high and creates 16 foot of shade then you
know that each foot you take off the hedge will release 2 foot of ground
from the shade.

So measure the two distances and divide the width of the shaded area by
the
height of the hedge to see how much you will release from the shade for
every foot you take off the hedge. This will be a "more or less"
calculation
!!

I.



Thanks Iain. Yes, the hedge runs east to west. Thanks for the maths bit -
not my best point. I will measure the thing tomorrow but I think the hedge
is approx 10 foot high and is casting approx 15 foot of shade all day long
:-(

The sunlight you receive is not only 'direct' from the sun, a lot is
scattered by cloud etc, cos otherwise it would be completely dark in the
shade! It isn't a simple issue, as it depends so much on the type of cloud.
I guess you could try measuring it in different conditions with one of those
light meters photographers used to use.

Stuart

"anne" wrote in message
...
If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts 50%
of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september. How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount
of
sunlight you gain.

Hope you can help, I think I've made a mistake with my choice of allotment
:-(

"anne" wrote in message
...
If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts 50%
of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september. How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount
of
sunlight you gain.

Hope you can help, I think I've made a mistake with my choice of allotment
:-(

4' is bound to help a lot, more in winter than summer, the sun is 46 degrees
lower at noon in mid winter as compared to mid summer. most of the uk is in
the low 50's latitude

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

The message
from "Stuart Meier" contains
these words:

I guess you could try measuring it in different conditions with one of those
light meters photographers used to use.

Wodjer mean - used to use?

--
Rusty Hinge
No m'lud, it wasn't a sneg. My joints creak.

In message , anne
writes
If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts 50% of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september. How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount of
sunlight you gain.

You do better than that in winter (but the sun is weak) and worse in
summer. You also potentially lose some protection from wind too.

Maximum altitude of the sun is at transit due south (approx 1pm BST)
Summer 90 - latitude + 23.5 ~60 degrees
Equinoxes 90 - latitude ~37.5
Winter 90 - latitude - 23.5 ~14

(Assuming a latitude of middle England say 53.5 degrees)

So the gain in illuminated ground at midday as a proportion of hedge
lopped off is roughly 58% in midsummer, 130% at the equinoxes and 400%
mid winter (although the sun then is so feeble as to be useless). The
overall influence is about half to two thirds of these values in
practice since the sun isn't permanently due south or at its maximum
altitude.

NB You can always lop the N side with a chamfer to allow more light in
but without chopping as much off the overall height.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

If I trim 4 foot from the height of a hedge will this give me 4 foot more
light on my allotment?

The problem is, that during the day the sun travels the length of a hedge
that runs all the way up the side of the allotment and the hedge puts 50% of
the allotments's entire length in the shade. This is now - september. How
much will it decrease in winter and how much will it increase in summer?

My main question though, is does the amount you cut off equal the amount of
sunlight you gain.

You do better than that in winter (but the sun is weak) and worse in
summer. You also potentially lose some protection from wind too.

Maximum altitude of the sun is at transit due south (approx 1pm BST)
Summer 90 - latitude + 23.5 ~60 degrees
Equinoxes 90 - latitude ~37.5
Winter 90 - latitude - 23.5 ~14

(Assuming a latitude of middle England say 53.5 degrees)

So the gain in illuminated ground at midday as a proportion of hedge
lopped off is roughly 58% in midsummer, 130% at the equinoxes and 400%
mid winter (although the sun then is so feeble as to be useless). The
overall influence is about half to two thirds of these values in
practice since the sun isn't permanently due south or at its maximum
altitude.

NB You can always lop the N side with a chamfer to allow more light in
but without chopping as much off the overall height.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown





Sorry, but this is becoming too much like a maths lesson and not enough like an
exercise in improving the light levels on your allotment for my liking. I know
I run the risk of upsetting you (and several other people) but why don't you
stop messing about and just go and cut the bloody hedge down to a more
reasonable height?

Sometimes less (talk) is more (action).

Dave.

DaveDay34 wrote in message
...

Snip

You do better than that in winter (but the sun is weak) and worse in
summer. You also potentially lose some protection from wind too.

Maximum altitude of the sun is at transit due south (approx 1pm BST)
Summer 90 - latitude + 23.5 ~60 degrees
Equinoxes 90 - latitude ~37.5
Winter 90 - latitude - 23.5 ~14

(Assuming a latitude of middle England say 53.5 degrees)

So the gain in illuminated ground at midday as a proportion of hedge
lopped off is roughly 58% in midsummer, 130% at the equinoxes and 400%
mid winter (although the sun then is so feeble as to be useless). The
overall influence is about half to two thirds of these values in
practice since the sun isn't permanently due south or at its maximum
altitude.

NB You can always lop the N side with a chamfer to allow more light in
but without chopping as much off the overall height.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown





Sorry, but this is becoming too much like a maths lesson and not enough
like an
exercise in improving the light levels on your allotment for my liking. I
know
I run the risk of upsetting you (and several other people) but why don't
you
stop messing about and just go and cut the bloody hedge down to a more
reasonable height?

Sometimes less (talk) is more (action).

Dave.


Dave, I have lol! Well about a quarter of it. The reason I asked the
question in the first place was because I could tell it would not be an easy
job (and I was right). I guess I could have gone into "action" immediately
and see for myself, but finding out first was very helpful in getting myself
towards the "action" bit. The hedge incidentally is 13 foot high and I've
managed to get rid of 5 foot with a hedge trimmer and secateurs, the rest is
too compacted (it's privet) and I think I'd need a chain saw to slice it off
or something, so it will have to stay at its new 8 foot height.