outdoor supplemental lighting

[smjmsy00]

Wondering if those of you lacking a good amount of direct sunlight have tried supplemental lighting? I'm thinking a couple of flood/security light fixtures hung strategically and on a timer with appropriate bulbs. Do you think it would "work?"

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Key issue is getting the lamp close enough to the tree. THen the issue becomes the lamp shading the tree, the lamp blocking what little sunlight you are getting.

If you can get waterproof, weatherproof fixtures, it can be done. It is regularly done in greenhouses. Floodlights as used for security lights are no where near powerful enough to substitute for grow lights.

Generally outdoor supplemental lighting is usually not done. It is done in greenhouses, check greenhouse suppliers for the types of equipment they use.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I can tell from experience that it's not that nice to work in a greenhouse with those kind of lights on a cloudy day; they switch on and off continuously when clouds pass.
I would rather put up an indoor growing system than outdoor supplemental lights.

Don't forget about temperature too. You could burn your scalp, or your trees when the light is too close. But putting the light too far away renders it ineffective.

I know of a guy that put up mirrors that follow the suns path and keep a part of his yard exposed to double the amount of sunlight. But it doesn't look nice at all and I'm not sure if it's very effective. A mirror does filter out a percentage of light.