Low E Glass & Plants

[Compostman]

I'm planning on enclosing a porch with glass. I will also add skylights. Someone has told me that low E glass will stop all UV light which is necessary for plants to live. If that is true, I'll not get the Low E glass, but otherwise, I'd like to have it. Anyone with knowledge of this matter?

------------------------------ John Wheeler Washington, DC USDA Zone 7

[Steve Wolfe]

They'll do just fine. They may see a net energy production decrease of a couple of percent, but unless you're right on the very fringes of what the plant needs, it will be completely negligible. The "absorbtion maxima" of chlorophyll (where the light does the most good) are in the blue and red areas, and the absorbtion is falling off pretty quickly at 400nm, where the UV area is just beginning. Here's a plot:

[Frank Logullo]

My personal experience with a low E glass bay window is that plants do not grow as well there. The window is great for keeping out heat in the summer and keeping it in in the winter but it is not a good plant window. Frank

[Stephen Henning]

We have "Low-E glass" on all windows and the house plants do just as well as they did before the E glass was installed a number of years ago.

"Reducing U.V. is important for growing plants & protecting tender seedlings. Fact: No ultraviolet light requirements have been documented for plant growth according to Denver Botanical Garden's Horticultural Department and published reference materials. Using MC Low-E gives plants a tremendous advantage since it will greatly reduce the amount of cold & warm spots in the area increasing plant growth & room comfort."

[SAS567]

I have had Low-E glass for 13 yrs. and I have had comments from people that my house plants are some of the most healthy and huge house plants they've ever seen. Sue