Let nature make light work
by Admin
Posted on 21-10-2022 09:40 AM
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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.
Why do you need a grow light?
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!.
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.
Can any led light be used as a grow light? house beautiful a standard led light will not help your plants grow. You need an led light that has a red and blue light, which are in led grow lights that are designed to maximize growth in plants. What color light is best for plant growth? the best light color for plants is a mix between violet and blue light. These colorways encourage photosynthesis in plants and chlorophyll absorption. Ideally, you want that light in the 400 – 520 nanometer range for maximum results . Why trust us? angela belt is the assistant shopping editor at house beautiful.
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.
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.
Led grow lights are all the rage these days! led, which stands for light emitting diodes , are very efficient, and can also be quite powerful. Yet some old school gardeners swear by their classic fluorescent lights instead. Note that there are many types of ‘fluorescent’ lights, including compact fluorescent lights (cfls), basic fluorescent tubes, high-output t5 fluorescent tubes, and more. When it comes to fluorescent grow lights, t5s are considered the best choice for plants. T8 tubes aren’t quite as effective and bright, but are cheaper and can do a decent job for indoors seedlings or lettuce plants.
Fluorescent lamps (fls) are low-intensity to medium-intensity grow lights. Most of the time, fls are used to grow limited quantities of herbs, leafy greens, and low-light houseplants. Fluorescent lamps are popular mostly because they’re cheap. Apart from that, they’re more difficult to handle and maintain than leds. Standard fluorescent grow lamps emit light that leans to the blue side of the spectrum and for this reason, they work best for plants in their vegetative phase. However, nowadays, you can find full-spectrum fls suitable for both the vegetative and flowering phases. Most fluorescent grow lights are tubes or compact lamps, and unlike most leds, they need light fixtures to function.