Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sunlight

How can I direct or reflect sunlight into a shaded part of my garden?

Sevenupcan — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:16:38 -0800

How can I direct or reflect sunlight into a shaded part of my garden? Hi. I've just recently moved into a new house and just noticed that our back garden gets a lot of light in the back half of the garden but not the front half. I'd like to be able to sit in the front half of the garden and enjoy the sun but at the moment it's just too dark. The shade is created by the house and fence, so there isn't much I can do to remove the shade.

I was thinking of using some reflective material like foil to direct sunlight into the front half of the garden. But I'm not sure if this will even provide sufficient light for it to be worth my while.

What are your thoughts?

Help my plants pretend they're outside

antonymous — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:10:29 -0800

How do I best grow plants under artificial sunlight? What will I need? I live in a "garden-level" apartment, which is ironic because most gardens require sunlight to thrive. My apartment has almost none. Plants would go a long way in making this apartment much less dreary/stuffy, but I'm not really sure where to start. I think my biggest hangup is lighting - what kind of lighting do I need? I do have limited funds - I'd like to spend < $200 on everything - pots, soil, lights, seeds, etc.

I'd like to grow some common houseplants, and maybe a smattering of fresh herb/spices for cooking. My google-fu is resulting in confusing/conflicting information or info on growing a certain cash crop, which I'm not interested in. I know about the aerogarden for herbs, but that whole setup seems a little pricey for what it is.

Any recommendations on lighting, soil, plant food, plant types, or other hints would be greatly appreciated. I have little to no experience gardening, so please type slowly. Bonus hotness for links to any trusted online retailers. I'll answer any questions below. Thanks!

Measure sunlight in yard to determine new garden spot

stbalbach — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:12:57 -0800

Is there a way to measure how much sunlight different parts of my yard get over the course of a day? For comparisons sake (not an absolute number) to determine where the best spot for growing vegetables is, which part of the yard gets the most sunlight over the course of a day. There are a lot of trees and so the sun comes and goes often, depending on where in the yard, and time of day as the sun moves.

Windowless Workspace

u2604ab — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:23:08 -0800

Tips for making a windowless workspace a pleasant place to work long hours? I will move with the rest of my research group to a nicely renovated 3rd floor interior lab in just a few days. The lab, being in the center of the building, has no interior windows. Our desks are next to our benches, so I will soon be working all day without routine exposure to natural sunlight.

For those who have worked in similar situations: How does it affect you? How do you make a windowless workspace habitable? Houseplants? What kind? Supplemental lighting in addition to the overhead fluorescents? Artwork on walls? Other ideas? What works/worked for you?

How to get the sunlight into my cube?

ThinkandDrive — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:50:10 -0800

We've been told for some time at work that we're going to be moved from a second floor, windowless area down to the first floor which is at street level and has floor to ceiling windows looking out at street level. This sounds great! However, I just saw the plans and it appears that the cubicles which we have the option to choose from all have cube-height (six foot?) walls between our chairs and the windows. Think back to Office Space. I have seniority somewhat in the group and should be able to get a seat right next to a window. But how to deal with that cubicle wall? Is there some sort of curved, parabolic mirror thing I could rig that would get some sunlight into my cube? It has to be tasteful, clean, and not look like something that was just rigged up. Any on the market solutions?

my limited gardening options, let me show you them

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:37:41 -0800

Where should I put my garden? I live in Albuquerque, NM, at about 5,000 feet. My backyard is basically a north-to-south rectangle, roughly 60'X30', with two tall ash trees, surrounded by 6-foot block walls. Here is a crude mspaint map.

In past years, I have done container gardening of herbs, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers. I'm not a natural gardener, but I'm trying to turn a brown thumb at least a greenish shade of brown.

This year, I want to clear a 15'X20'ish east-to-west garden, at one end of the yard or the other. This garden would be automatically irrigated with drip lines.

Unfortunately, because of tree roots in the center, I'm limited to two environmental extremes for this garden.

The north end is not shaded at all during the summer, and gets hot.

The south end is shaded by the north-facing wall, and gets dappled sunlight through the two rather scraggly trees and a massive grape vine that hangs on the wall and is creeping over a clothesline. Because of the relative coolness at this end, rainwater pools, grass grows oddly there, and even mushrooms pop up from time to time.

From moving my container gardens around, I've found some plants like the full sun, but some don't.

If you had to put a garden at one end or the other, which would you choose?

Fever at night, but morning's alright

Mozai — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:05:54 -0800

When I'm battling an infection/virus for a few days, my body temperature climbs as the sun goes down. My village elders tell me this is normal. Why do fevers get worse after sundown, but subside in the morning?

Is the sun sunnier in southern skies?

vizsla — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:28:55 -0800

Is it true that the skies in the Southern Hemisphere appear brighter and clearer than Northern Hemisphere skies? I have read this several times from various unscientific sources. If so, what is the reason?

Best city for comfortable sunshine?

zaebiz — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:42:03 -0800

What city in the world has the highest number of annual hours of sunshine between temperatures of 15C and 25C (60F and 80F)? (Coz that's where I want to live)

Where does my garden grow?

rush — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:21:54 -0800

Where on my new/proposed property is there sunlight throughout the day? I've just bought a house, and I'm working with the landscaper on the landscape arrangements. I'd like to have an area for an herb garden as part of the design. I know what herbs I want to plant, as well as what kind of sun, soil, and water they need. What I don't know is where the sunlight falls on my new property throughout the days and seasons.

Is there an online resource or application I can use to figure out where to put my garden?

art and sunlight damage

raztaj — Sat, 19 May 2007 12:23:48 -0800

I have a pencil (maybe charcoal?) sketch of Pompeii my mom drew, about 50 years ago. It's gorgeous. It's been tucked away because I'm afraid of light damaging the picture. Are there any specialty picture frames/glass coverings I can use to display her artwork, while minimizing fading or light damage?

Laptops and the great outdoors

zaebiz — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:14:32 -0800

I love sitting in the backyard working on my laptop. The problem is its often not very readable. What is the best way to use a laptop outside? At the moment I am squinting a lot. I'm open to all practical suggestions including devices, positioning, shading etc. (I own a Thinkpad T42 if it's relevant)

Birth (out of) Control

glibhamdreck — Fri, 12 May 2006 09:56:42 -0800

Asking for the girlfriend (if that wasn't clear): My significant other is plagued by oral contraceptive -induced sunlight sensitivity. She's been on Cryselle (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets) for about five years. While the pill has otherwise been good been good for her complexion, menstruation, and pregnancy prevention, her sunlight sensitivity has increased to the point where she gets a bumpy rash after only ten minutes outside on a partially cloudy day. Even with the Scandinavian genes, she was always able get and keep a good tan pre-pill.

Does anyone have a positive experience switching brands or types of hormonal contraceptives (oral/depo/whatever) to decrease a sensitivity to sunlight?

She'll pursue professional advice, of course. Still, her annual gynee visit is not until December, and for however much she doesn't want spend the summer under an umbrella, she'd prefer to save the expense if there's no point.

I'd take a pill if I could. Thanks.

"Flash sunsets"?

Laugh_track — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 18:22:06 -0800

Overcast skies at twlight, looking westward. A bright flash of white light, followed by instant red. Sunset, in the blink of an eye! What is this phenomenon called?

Sunlight analysis

docpops — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 07:10:57 -0800

Is there a way, possibly using Google maps or some other app, to determine the path of the sun over my property for the coming summer months? Specifically, I am trying to determine if a particular region near some oaks will get enough sunlight for a small vegetable garden.

Calculate ambient light level?

orthogonality — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 09:19:29 -0800

How can I calculate the ambient (natural) light level for a particular location and time? The U.S. Naval observatory can tell me when the sun will rise and set for any particular lat-long.

But how can I find the light level, including any contribution of reflected moonlight, assuming no clouds, and "normal" weather both on the Earth and Sun, for any arbitrary date and location? (By location, I mean lat-long and height above ground, assuming "average" or flat terrain.)

Darkness at the edge of town

nightengine — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 11:53:49 -0800

How would I determine sunlight levels for the planets in the outer solar system? I've always been fascinated by the exploration of the outer solar system, from Pioneer to Cassini. As an amateur photographer, I've always been particularly interested in the available light levels used to image the planets and their satellites. I realize I can determine light levels with a little physics, but I'm more interested in a source that describes those levels in terms I can relate to. Instead of describing sunlight at Pluto as being 1000 times dimmer than on Earth, the ideal reference would compare it to a moonless night, a dark room with a candle, etc. My Google-fu has failed me, so I've not been able to find such a practical source.

Do days get shorter in Seattle during the winter?

bingo — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 22:30:55 -0800

Does the American Pacific Northwest get less daytime in the winter than in the summer, and if so, why? I'm not just talking about sunlight. I'm talking about the amount of time per day that the sun is actually 'up,' whether you can see it or not. Doesn't this have something to do with the angle of the Earth's axis and the latitude of the region? Doesn't something similar (but more extreme) happen in Norway, or is that a totally different phenomenon?