Although the best light for plants is natural light, using artificial lights to grow plants and sprout seeds is advantageous. The beauty of using artificial light is that you have control over how much light should illuminate the plants, and there aren’t any cloudy days. If your indoor plants depend on natural light, you should install south-facing windows, so that they receive the right amount of light. Well, this is never an issue when using artificial lighting. Your garden will bloom all year long!
How to select the best light
Once you are all set and ready to give your lovely plants the amount of light they require, the next step is choosing the best light. There is an array of different lights, which are specific to growing plants. With so much at your disposal, choosing the right one may pose a challenge. Here’s how to go about it.
1. Grow lights
They are made to release bouts of fluorescent light. They are great light sources. Their downside is the high price, which means that unless you sell seedlings or own a greenhouse, the cost might be unrealistic.
2. Incandescent
These lights are suitable for outdoor use. When used indoors, they can prove to be very inefficient as they do not emit the right quantity of light. Also, they emit too much heat, which can be damaging to the plant leaves.
3. Compact fluorescent lights
You can use these to grow your plants. However, the purchase of the special fixtures and replacing bulbs is often too high. A complete set ranges between $50 and $200. One can use the smaller versions that are suitable for home use when growing single plants or flowers with a fixture such as an overhead desk lamp.
4. Fluorescent tubes
These are the traditional “non-fanfare” fluorescent tube lights. They are the most typical and easiest kind of artificial lighting that is used for starting seeds and growing plants. If you are not growing your plants for commercial purposes, you will love this kind of lighting because it is very affordable considering its high efficiency. The bulbs go for about 2 to 3 dollars, compared to the minimum of 20 dollars for other types of artificial lights. They also use minimal electricity. You will find a light fixture with all the hanging chains and fluorescent tubes for between $20 and $35.
What is the best color?
Plants thrive when they have been supplied with the same color spectrum as the sun (violet to red). Although some artificial lights resemble the natural light, most produce either less or more of a particular color on the spectrum. Fluorescent tube lights are available in either warm white colors (emitting light in the blue range) or cool white colors (emitting light in the red range). That is why you should consider using one warm bulb and one cool bulb to offer a full and natural light spectrum.
How to set up your system
The easiest way to set up your artificial lighting system is to hang the bulb on the ceiling. If this is not practical, you can buy an adjustable garment rack, where you will hang your light fixtures. The shelves are available in most discount stores, and they sell for as little as $15. If you would like to move your growing station, you can buy one that has wheels. Try finding one with adjustable widths and heights so that it can accommodate any platform size of shelving unit you may have.
If you have some extra dollars to spare, you can buy the specially designed hydroponics growing racks. Although buying them means they take up a large percentage of your gardening budget, they will assure you of healthy plants.
For those who are tight on budget, a few wooden saw horses and some wooden pallets or scrap plywood will work fine as a stand to hold your seed trays or plants. The vital factor to bear in mind is that they should be close to the artificial lighting and off the ground.
What intensity and duration are ideal?
Light intensity and duration of the light are some of the fundamentals for providing your plants with optimum lighting. Duration is constant for most plants. Plants require an average of 12 to 16 hours of natural light or sufficient artificial lighting to sustain active growth. If you give them less light than they require, their growth will be reduced considerably. One can utilize a timer to make sure that the plants receive consistent lighting. Having a timer will save you the energy and keep you from worrying about having to baby sit.
On the other hand, the optimum intensity varies from one plant species to another. Make sure you provide an average of 25 to 30 fluorescent light watts per square feet for your vegetables. Germinating seeds require 10 to 15 watts per square feet. House pants and seedlings do well under 15 to 20 watts per square feet. Most garners find that using two 4feet long, 40-watt bulbs that are placed 6 inches away offer enough intensity for your plant needs.
Observe the plants, so that you can lower or raise the plants as needed. If you notice any scorched leaves, raise the lights because it’s an indication that the lighting is too close. Pale leaves indicate that the lights are either too far away or the duration of exposure to light is very short.
How to dispose of the fluorescent lights
A disadvantage of fluorescent bulbs is that their disposal has raised environmental concerns. The tubes contain some mercury, which is essential for initial firing. However, this small amount of mercury could result in considerable health threats, such as when the light breaks.
Another concern for older lights is lamp ballasts. Lamps that were made before the seventies might contain PCBs, which is a known carcinogen. The EPA directs that all fluorescent lighting from residential properties be disposed of in municipal landfills. Check with your local municipal to find out where you should dispose your fluorescent tubes.
