Mylar Mulch

Salsacharley · July 12, 2013

I have a couple of beds in my tomato patch that barely get 6 hours of sunlight and the plants in those spots are visibly smaller than those in full sunlight. The plants are nice and healthy but they don't produce like their neighbors.

I decided to try putting Mylar down as a mulch on those beds to see if it would make a difference. The first bed has had Mylar on it for about a week and the difference is already visible in bigger leaves and more flowers on the plants.

I just laid the Mylar on a bigger bed that has 18 plants in it, so I am going to have one more thing to be anxious about watching what happens.

Has anyone else or does anyone else use Mylar as a mulch? Or is there such a precedent? I got the Mylar for enhancing the lighting for my seedlings next year but I realized I could try it now.

Charley

Redbaron · July 13, 2013

There is a writer for Organic Gardening magazine that uses mylar mulch. I haven't used it myself, but she claims good results.

July 12, 2013	#1
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Mylar Mulch I have a couple of beds in my tomato patch that barely get 6 hours of sunlight and the plants in those spots are visibly smaller than those in full sunlight. The plants are nice and healthy but they don't produce like their neighbors. I decided to try putting Mylar down as a mulch on those beds to see if it would make a difference. The first bed has had Mylar on it for about a week and the difference is already visible in bigger leaves and more flowers on the plants. I just laid the Mylar on a bigger bed that has 18 plants in it, so I am going to have one more thing to be anxious about watching what happens. Has anyone else or does anyone else use Mylar as a mulch? Or is there such a precedent? I got the Mylar for enhancing the lighting for my seedlings next year but I realized I could try it now. Charley

July 13, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	There is a writer for Organic Gardening magazine that uses mylar mulch. I haven't used it myself, but she claims good results. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture