Rich, here's an interesting page about colored mulches. http://agri.gov.ns.ca/pt/projsum/98/b98vmulc.htm it seems that certain red colored plastics improve yields & shorten the time required to set fruit. and another page about photomorphogenesis ... http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/hort/research/photo.htm (and i always thought photomorphogenesis was something warped that one did with a snapshot of your boss & a goat ... ) later peter g