November 04, 2021
As the days shorten, the amount of light that our house plants receive decreases. Many house plant lovers turn to grow lights to supplement the winter light levels. Grow lights can also be used to expand the growing areas within your house. Perhaps you have a dark corner that cries out for some plants, then grow lights used all year round can ensure plants will be happy there.
It is always beneficial to grow an indoor garden to save your plants from being attacked by garden pests, and you can harvest them all year round by controlling the weather. Here are the four reasons why grow lights are an indispensable part of an indoor grow system:
1. Limited Light
Grow light provides the plants with artificial light for photosynthesis, especially in rooms with lesser or no sunlight, especially in chillier months. Grow lights help plants to grow in the perfect dark-light periods.
2. Heat
The heat produced from glow lights lets the plants stay warm naturally.
3. Growing Food
Grow lights are suitable for growing indoor herbs and greens for yielding a steady supply of home-grown food.
4. Propagation
Propagation of indoor plants from seedlings is possible with the help of grow lights as they provide the right amount of light and warmth needed for healthy growth.
Features:
The VIVOSUN LED grow light uses Samsung LM301H Diodes, super durable
Lower Cost & Higher Efficiency — High-energy efficiency for 2.75 umol/J only consumes 100W of electricity. More efficient than traditional HID lamps. Dimmable Ballast allows adapting to the growing needs of the plants in different periods. The VS1000 full-spectrum LED delivers optimal light-spectrum coverage — more power for your blooms and maximum PAR output at various distances, with super-bright lights that your plants will love. No grow light fan is needed for the VS1000 because of the unique design of the appearance from the power supply and ventilation holes. No fan means much lower noise.
Spider Farmer New SF1000D Series Full Spectrum 100W LED Grow Light
Features:
Spider Farmer Led grow light used SAMSUNG Diodes-the highest light output LED available at present, delivers a powerful light output and uniform canopy penetration to resulting maximum higher yields compared with other Led grow lights. High Energy Efficiency. Consuming only 100W, achieve better or comparable results than 200 watts HID with 50% less heat and power consumption. Perfect for 2’x2’ coverage. Full spectrum 660–665nm,3000K,5000K, and IR, ideal for all growth stages (germination, clones or cuttings, mothers, vegetative, and flowering applications), turn your seeds into your own supply, produce beautiful high yielding plants. No Fan ZERO Noise, large areas of the solid aluminum heat sink, special protective covers for cables, waterproof LED board, 50% longer lifespan compared with other brand lights. Allowing you to grow with confidence.
TYPE OF PLANTS
To figure out how much and what kind of lighting you’ll need, you’ll need to know what kind of crops you’ll be growing and how much of each.
If you solely plan on producing microgreens, for example, your lighting requirements will be significantly different from those of someone growing flowers.
It is crucial to consider since plants require varied sunlight at different stages of development.
THE BUDGET
It will also make the task more manageable if you have a budget in mind before you begin shopping. You can quickly weed out specific alternatives this way.
Consider your ideal energy expenditures as well as the amount of light required when making your budget. The wattage of the lights you choose will have an impact on how much energy you spend.
SPECTRUM
Most plants use light from the blue and red ends of the spectrum, with some yellow and green thrown in for good measure.
Blue light is mainly used to establish leaves and roots during the vegetative stage. Meanwhile, plants consume red light to grow flowers and fruit.
THE INTENSITY
Another element to consider is the intensity of the grow light. It refers to the amount of light that the fixture provides to your plants. As a result, the stronger the power, the further away from the plants you can place it.
Because you don’t want the light to be too close to the plants, this is crucial. Your plants can get burned or damaged during their developing stages with a power source with extremely high intensity.
HEIGHT AND MOBILITY
Finally, it would be best if you thought about the distance between your grow lights and your plants. In this instance, you’ll want anything that allows you to alter the height easily.
You want your lights to be lower when your plants are still sprouting. However, you should set the lights to a higher level as they develop and mature.
One has to consider the area of your indoor garden plot, plant species, and the bulb type before installing grow lights. Here are a few basic instructions to get you started.
1. Area of the Indoor Garden
Whether it’s a single shelf, a basement area, or an entire room, pot plants and beddings should be set according to the space available for your indoor-grade plants. Group the pots or trays 4 to 8 inches apart to leave room for growth and easy access for pruning and care as per the type of plant.
2. Number of Bulbs
One or more bulbs or light sources may be needed to illuminate the entire growing area brightly. Primarily, edible plants require at least 30 watts per square foot, but fruiting species like tomatoes need 40 to 50 watts per square foot to produce abundant high-quality crops. Multiply the square footage of the growing area by the number of watts you plan to provide between 30 and 50. Next, divide by the number of watts supplied by the bulbs you use.
3. Light Rack
Support the bulbs over the plants at a proper height unless you’re growing plants that will remain stagnant at the same size throughout their lifespan. As the plants grow, the light rack needs to be raised. You can do this by using a pulley or hanging the light fixtures with metal chains to adjust the height by changing the links of the light fixture.
4. Add the Necessary Accoutrements
Plug your lights into a timer so that they receive enough amount of light and at the same time each day. If your lights produce temperatures above 80 degrees in your growing area, a ventilation system should be installed to prevent heat stress. Reflectors and all sorts of other grow light accessories can be used to achieve optimum results.
Are grow lights a good investment? It’s an undeniable fact that plants grown in greenhouses yield a greater harvest when they’re provided healthy amounts of photosynthetic light. You’ll wind up with more leafy greens and larger, juicier fruit when your plants receive the light they need.
October 20, 2023