Let nature make light work 988
by Admin
Posted on 27-10-2022 10:09 AM
Check latest price
photo: glenda taylor
when it comes to plants, all
light
is not equal. Unless you have a greenhouse or an unlimited number of south-facing windows, grow lights are your best option for providing the right light to your plants. Though nothing is better than natural sunlight, grow lights are designed to provide photosynthetic active radiation (par) so the plant can undergo photosynthesis like outside in nature.
We wanted to know if they worked well enough to keep plants not just alive—but thriving—so we tested the most popular models on the market. We placed the plants and grow lights in areas that were otherwise too dark for plants to grow, and we tried them out on a variety of plants, from houseplants to herbs, to flowering seedlings.
When it comes to the kind of lights that work best, consider nature’s original lighting; the sun. The sun is a great source of light because it provides a ’full spectrum’ of light. These are the electromagnetic wavelengths that a light source produces, which are very beneficial for plants. Plants benefit most from light that sits within the 400-700 nanometres (nm) spectrum. This is known as the photosynthetically active radiation (par) range. Within this range, the blue light spectrum, measured at around 400 nm, is considered ideal for establishing a plant's vegetative and structural development, whereas a wavelength of 700 nm, known as ‘red light’, is ideal for a plant’s flowering stage.
Why do you need a grow light?
The spruce / anastasiia tretiak
is your home light-challenged? or perhaps you have just run out of window space for that extra plant you just had to have? no need to watch your indoor plants slowly wither away, adding a grow light to your indoor plant setup is a
great
way to support strong, healthy growth in your plants. Once reserved for commercial growers and hobby farms, grow lights are now widely available in a range of different styles, sizes, and strengths designed for residential use. So if you are struggling with a lack of natural light in your home, a grow light is a great solution—trust us, your plants will thank you!.
Nature is all around us, but it’s nice to grow plants inside the home too. However, without the proper lighting conditions, plants can soon die off or be attacked by insects and bugs. If you’ve got green fingers, grow lights help you grow your plants without the aid of natural light, whether in the lounge, kitchen - or even the bathroom!.
As a grower in ireland, it can often be a challenge to keep your plants not simply alive but flourishing. Multiple factors come into play, and it only gets trickier if you’re trying to grow indoors. You have to give your plants enough water, but not too much. You have to make sure they have enough soil and a large enough pot. And most important of all, you need to ensure they have enough light! placing your plants next to a window where they can soak up natural sunlight is ideal. But, for most growers, that’s easier said than done.
Intensity describes the amount of light that reaches a surface at given distance from the light source. A super-bright bulb that's 12" from a surface might, for example, provide the same light intensity as a dimmer bulb that's 2" from the surface. Duration describes the number of hours of light a plant receives in a 24-hour period. We can control it by turning lights on and off or, more easily, with a programmable timer. Color describes the visual appearence of light. Most grow lights provide full-spectrum light. Most of the light plants use is from the blue ("cool") and red ("warm") ends of the spectrum; they use little yellow and green light.
What is the difference between a grow light and a standard lamp?
Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a novice learning how to grow your own plants, grow lights are a fantastic resource for your home garden. They make it possible to cultivate a variety of plants indoors , regardless of the season or amount of sunlight. “light is among the most vital factors to consider when growing plants, because it is a vital component of photosynthesis,” says jamie chan and blas herrera of fog city gardener. We researched the top-rated grow lights available online and sent some of them to our editors to test in their homes to evaluate size, wattage, bulb type, ease of setup, and overall effectiveness.
Rachanon cumnonchai/shutterstock compact fluorescent lamps, known as cfls, are another inexpensive grow light option to help keep your plants happy indoors. Unlike incandescent bulbs, not all cfls work in just any standard light fixture, states 1000bulbs , and some require specialty fixtures explicitly made to provide indoor lighting for plants. More basic cfl options, like the sunblaster sl0900151 on amazon, also fit in any standard light fixture. Epic gardening suggests selecting a fixture with a reflector, or make your own with aluminum foil, to get the most light from your bulbs. Although some options are more expensive, cfl grow lights last much longer than incandescent and produce less heat, so they can be placed closer to plants without burning them.