I've read about it too, I haven't heard any one mention it here though. I'm going to be using straw as a mulch since I have a ton of it for free.

Several past discussions linked below if you want to read through them. Just scroll down to the ones with the blue borders.

I tried it a couple of different years and didn't really see any difference between the plants that had it vs. the others. But others have reported some good things about it.

IMO the organic mulches like straw or hay, shredded leaves, compost etc. are far more beneficial for the plants - and cheaper too. ;)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Red plastic mulch discussions...

A couple of us tried it two years ago - we didn't do it last year so that should tell you if it is worthwhile.

Mike

I have tried both black and red mulch. I see no difference whatsoever.

Tried it 2 years ago. No appreciable difference to the toms or peppers.
Kris

From a research report I heard that one might expect to see an advantage of red over regular black plastic in one out of five years. Since the red mulch is twice the price you are gambling on the payback.

Wouldn't matter what color...red, black. etc..
In my garden everything is covered with mulch, so reflective properties don't apply.

bmoser QUOTE
"Since the red mulch is twice the price you are gambling on the payback."

I took that gamble last year and the payback was equal to my Lotto experience, "A dollar and a dream", I'm still dreaming and a dollar ($?) short. :P

Red and black are nearly equal under the sun.

UV absorption goes Black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green... Blue.

There are hundreds of gimmicks surrounding the gardening community, and color of plastic is one of them. If you need to warm the soil, then yes, black or red plastic will help, but otherwise, it is...
BUNK.

I didn't take the time to read the link Dave gave, sorry Dave, but this red plastic mulch issue is one I knew about when Clemson U first trotted it out to the commercial vegetable community at a meeting in Sturbridge MA where I was present b/c I'd been asked to give a talk about heirloom tomatoes.

The earliest data said an increase of 15-20 % in fruit yield for the commercial grower growing det plants and one had to have open space for the plastic on either side in order for the reflective properties to be effective.

As time has gone on those percentages have dropped and I think that a 10% increase in numbers of fruits is a more reasonable number.

So take a standard det variety with 20 fruits and add 2 to it.

Worth the cost of the red reflective mulch? I think not.

Carolyn