DIY Reflective Cover!

[daozen]

So I'm growing outdoors but I'm extending vegging hours indoors in my bathroom. It will also be used all day on very cloudy days. I'm having 3 x 23w (6500k daylight spectrum) CFLs placed on my bathroom mirror. I've got 4 plants that will stay in these 5-inch pots until harvest. I only know 1 is female, and I will stick to the sun's light with that one. Hopefully I can get another female and destroy the rest. Anyway, I want to build a cheap reflective hood but I dont know what shape to give it. It seems the dull side of aluminum foil is best for cheap DIY. The room is naturally ventilated by 2 half-open windows and the plants are placed on top of a tall box to get them close to the lights.

...Would one just cover some flat cardboard with aluminium on top of the lights? or maybe give it some curvature?

...I heard of half-cut soda cans? how would one use them? just one on top of each light? seems small?

...what about using plain white cardboard? fire hazard?

....what about a disposable aluminum rectangular baking turned upside down?

Any ideas are very welcomed!

The 2 bigger seedlings a while back, one of these is now on flowering mode and will not be put here anymore.


This is the current setup

daozen Reviewed by daozen on 02-14-2012. DIY Reflective Cover! So I'm growing outdoors but I'm extending vegging hours indoors in my bathroom. It will also be used all day on very cloudy days. I'm having 3 x 23w (6500k daylight spectrum) CFLs placed on my bathroom mirror. I've got 4 plants that will stay in these 5-inch pots until harvest. I only know 1 is female, and I will stick to the sun's light with that one. Hopefully I can get another female and destroy the rest. Anyway, I want to build a cheap reflective hood but I dont know what shape to give it. Rating: 5

[killfrenzi]

Sounds like a decent reflector setup, But 1 thing, aluminum foil is more expensive than going to Wal-Mart and in the camping section, they have these awesome things called "Emergency Camping Blankets" $4 ea. And each blanket is 52"w X 84"h. It covers a lot more area for a better price. Not to mention, it wont retain heat the way foil does. Try it and lemme know what you think.

Good Luck!

Wenzel Waterproof Emergency Camping Blanket - Walmart.com

[daozen]

It covers a lot more area for a better price. Not to mention, it wont retain heat the way foil does. Try it and lemme know what you think.

Good Luck!

Wenzel Waterproof Emergency Camping Blanket - Walmart.com

You are an angel! thanks!!!! well, I don't live in the US but let me see if I can find them somewhere, for $4 it sounds like a deal!

How would you use it? check out my pics. Can I paste it to some cardboard? Use it flat? curve it?

[daozen]

Check out my diagrams, which one would you recommend an upside down baking tray or a curved cardboard lined with foil or left to plain white. I want to leave the sides open as I'm not using fans!

[daozen]

what about this tin can method? seems a bit too small, too close? or is that a good thing?

(scroll down to see pics)
Soda Can CFL Reflector thread.

[daozen]

Here's my setup...