I kinda worry solar won’t be bright enough under my trees.
Totally get that concern. Solar’s hit or miss, especially if your trees are dense. I usually lean wired for uplighting big plants—costs more upfront, but you get way better brightness and reliability. Tried solar once under a big maple, barely got a glow. Worth the hassle to trench a little for the payoff, in my opinion.
I hear you on the wired lights—definitely brighter, but man, trenching is a pain if you’ve got roots everywhere. I tried solar spots under my oak and yeah, they’re pretty weak, but I did find some low-voltage LED options that were way easier to install than I expected. Not as cheap as solar, but less hassle than full wiring. Worth a look if you’re on the fence.
I did find some low-voltage LED options that were way easier to install than I expected. Not as cheap as solar, but less hassle than full wiring.
That’s been my experience too—low-voltage LEDs hit a nice middle ground. I’ve installed them on a few rental properties and they’re reliable, plus tenants don’t mess with them much. The upfront cost is higher than solar, but you get better light and fewer headaches down the line. Trenching is a pain, but if you use landscape staples to run the cable just under mulch or gravel, it’s usually enough unless you’re in a high-traffic area. Solar’s tempting for the price, but I’ve had too many call-backs when they stop working after a season or two.
I keep going back and forth on solar vs. low-voltage LEDs. Tried some solar fence lights last year and half of them are already flickering or dead… super annoying. The low-voltage stuff seems more work up front, but at least you’re not replacing lights every spring. I do wish the cable runs weren’t such a hassle, though—mulch trick is clever, might give that a shot.
Funny, I went through the same debate last year. I installed a bunch of solar lights thinking it’d be “set and forget,” but after one winter, half wouldn’t even turn on. Did you notice if yours faded, too, or just died outright? I’m tempted to try low-voltage for reliability, but I keep wondering… is it really that much hassle to run cable, or am I overthinking it? The mulch trick sounds smart—does it actually keep the wires hidden long-term, or do they creep up after a while?