Potassium permanganate for plant health is reliable and irreplaceable.

If you supply the plant with everything it needs in a timely manner, it will definitely thank you. The main need of seedlings is optimal lighting, which can be provided using a number of lamps for additional illumination:

incandescent lamps;
fluorescent lamps (fluorescent);
sodium lamps;
induction technology;
LED strips and lamps.

Before considering the advantages and disadvantages of each type, it is necessary to understand what kind of light a young seedling needs.

Features of additional lighting for seedlings

Natural sunlight combines waves different lengths. They are only partially visible to the human eye, but are fully perceived by plants. Spectral colors play their own special role at each stage of the growing season:

The red and blue parts of the spectrum promote the production of chlorophyll. This means that the seedlings, receiving these waves in the right quantity, develops much faster.
The orange part of the spectrum is necessary for development in a closed space and for fruiting.
Green and yellow light reflects off the leaves, but is still needed as part of natural light.

The most useful for young seedlings are lamps that can provide seedlings with red and blue colors of the spectrum. The optimal ratio of red and blue spectra is 3:1 or 2:1.

Are incandescent lamps suitable for seedlings?

It seems that it is enough to hang several incandescent lamps over the boxes with seedlings, and the plants will be happy. However, the lamps we are used to are far from the best option. Consuming electrical energy, such a lamp converts only 5% into light, and the rest turns into heat. Plants do not receive light, but heat baths, which at best dries out ground part, at worst, it leaves burns on the leaves.

Advice. Whatever type of lighting you choose, light screens will help you save energy. You can make them yourself by gluing foil or white cardboard to the sides of the seedling container.

Another disadvantage of incandescent lamps is the consumption of a large amount of electricity. And, of course, such lighting is not capable of providing seedlings with the blue and red spectrum.

Features of lighting with fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamps are actively used by many plant growers. They are accessible and easy to install. Hanging 2-3 such lamps over the seedlings is not difficult, and they will last a long time. The main advantages of lighting using fluorescent lamps:

full range of colors;
low power consumption;
produces a small amount of heat;
uniform, diffused light.

Disadvantages of this type of lighting:

low power. At large quantities seedlings of 1-2 lamps will not be enough;
insufficient amount of blue and red spectrum;
When using fluorescent devices with mercury, you need to use them very carefully and dispose of them correctly.

Fluorescent lamps are placed at a height of 15-20 cm from the seedlings.

Advantages of sodium lamps

Sodium lamps are mainly used in farm and industrial greenhouses. Light sources with power from 70 to 100 W. They are also used at home, and one lamp is enough for a window sill up to 1.5 m wide.

Attention! Lamps with sodium lamps must not be switched on regular sockets without application special equipment, choke and pulse ignition device.

The advantages of using such lighting are:

energy savings;
Possibility of use in residential premises, because the lamp produces a soft, orange light that does not irritate the human eye;
optimal number of red spectrum waves;
durability.

Disadvantages of gas discharge lamps:

the flasks are quite bulky and will not fit everywhere;
lamps are quite expensive and do not pay for themselves when growing small quantity seedlings;
do not emit blue spectrum waves;
the need to use power regulators.

Induction lamps

Induction lamps are a new generation of lamps for greenhouses and for home use. Main advantages:

high level of light output comparable to LEDs;
red and blue spectrum of lighting;
service life – 100,000 hours;
minimum amount of energy consumed.

The only disadvantage of the application is the high cost of the lamps themselves - from 5-6 to 11-12 tr.

Leader in popularity – LED strips and lamps

Recently, vegetable growers are increasingly resorting to the use of LED lamps. This technology for illuminating delicate seedlings has the largest number advantages compared to all of the above options:

possibility to vary required amount red and blue LEDs in different phases of seedling development;
the low price of LEDs more than pays for itself after the first harvest;
lamps consume a minimum and release maximum energy. They are very economical;
small dimensions. Unlike long fluorescent and bulky sodium lamps, LED lamps take up minimal space.
You can buy a ready-made LED lamp (more expensive), or quickly make it yourself using an LED strip.

Attention! After the first greenery appears, it is optimal to use more of blue color. Then turn on the red LEDs (2 red to 1 blue). After the 1st pick, you need to reduce the lighting intensity. Then apply red and blue colors in a 1:1 ratio.

Such lamps are considered innovative, at the same time, they have been repeatedly tested by practitioners and are among the most effective.

Having analyzed all the available information, we can conclude that LED lamps are the leaders in three positions. Firstly, they have the optimal amount of red and blue flowers, which can be changed depending on the growing season. Secondly, LEDs are most convenient to use in houses and apartments where there may be limited space. Thirdly, LED lamps are the most economical option.

How to choose a lamp for seedlings - video

Seedlings of any plants require additional lighting. Lamps that emit ultraviolet light help out. They come in induction, halogen, sodium, and LED. In shape they are pipes, ribbons, spotlights. Read how to choose the right backlight.

Rules for choosing a lamp with ultraviolet radiation

Natural sunlight is important for plant growth and development. Without it, future seedlings become pale, lethargic, susceptible to illnesses and pests. To get a strong healthy seedlings, you need to make up for the lighting deficit in time by choosing the appropriate lamp. Their range is large, and before buying a suitable device, it is worth considering:

needs of young shoots;
ergonomics of the lamp at home;
savings opportunity and energy efficiency.

Supplemental lighting is very important for seedlings and young plants

It is impossible to completely replace the sun with artificial lighting. The gardener’s task in this case is to select a color spectrum as close as possible to natural radiation. In nature, the following sequence of colors is distinguished:

infrared, invisible to humans - has bactericidal properties, promotes the development of lush green mass;
red – optimizes chlorophyll production, stimulates germination, flowering, foliage development;
orange – accelerates the process of fruit ripening;
yellow and green - important as components of lighting, reflected from foliage;
blue and dark blue - affect photosynthesis, root development, thanks to them the shoots do not stretch;
ultraviolet, invisible to the human eye, helps fight diseases and promotes the development of the above-ground part of seedlings.

Each of the colors visible to humans has its own temperature, which increases gradually. The minimum is for red, 1500 K, the maximum is for violet, 8000 K. For good development of seedlings, you need light with a temperature of 1500 and 6000-7000 K. Red and blue-blue correspond to these indicators. In the first few weeks, more blue is needed for reliable rooting of sprouts, after transplantation it is required equal amount both colors.

Attention! It is definitely not recommended to use traditional incandescent lamps for seedlings - those that are most often used for home lighting. 95% of the energy in them is transformed into heat, which can lead to overheating of the sprouts, their clarification, and also the occurrence of burns.

Characteristics of halogen, fluorescent and induction lamps

It is believed that halogen lamps- not the best option for illuminating seedlings. They are brighter than incandescent lamps, but they heat up less. Over time, their level of dedication decreases. At the same time, the use of halogen lamps is justified in cases where it is necessary to add red color - its temperature here is 3000 K, i.e. twice as much as usual.

Fluorescent lamps are more suitable for lighting seedlings. They are economical because they consume little electricity, do not heat the air and provide a lot of light. However, their spectrum contains virtually no red light. Therefore, their use is especially undesirable when germinating tomatoes, cucumbers and citrus fruits.

Fluorescent lamps

At the same time, fluorescent light sources contain a lot of blue and violet rays, which are useful for the development of roots. Another advantage is that you can choose a light bulb with any spectrum: warm, cold or daylight. Each of them has its own characteristics:

Warm – good during the flowering period.
Cold – necessary during the vegetative growth phase.
Daytime - used at any time, sometimes throughout the entire seedling growing cycle.

Advice. To illuminate seedlings, there are special phytoluminescent lamps, which differ long term service and efficiency. However, they emit an unnatural lilac-pink color, so using them in a living room - for example, on a windowsill - is undesirable.

Induction lamps also consume little energy, allowing you to save on electricity. At the same time, they have a fairly high light output. The most advanced are bispectral lamps that emit both red and blue colors. These lamps do not flicker and distribute light evenly.

Pros and cons of sodium lamps for seedlings

Very often such lighting devices are used in greenhouse farms. They emit red-orange light, which has a beneficial effect on mature plants in the flowering and fruiting stage. Sodium lamps do not irritate the eyes, so they can be used at home. But for this you should choose a lamp with a power of up to 100 W.

Sodium lamp

Additional benefits of sodium lamps:

economical energy consumption;
effective use both in greenhouses and in small areas with seedlings;
long term services.

Disadvantages include:

relative bulkiness;
absence of blue color in the spectrum;
complex connection;
necessity additional use regulating device.

Advice. You can increase the energy efficiency of a sodium lamp by using a capacitor when connecting.

Description of LED lamps for plants

Today this type of lighting is perhaps the most common. To the human eye, such radiation appears gloomy, but for plants its red-blue spectrum is optimal. LED lamps are more expensive than others, but they have a number of advantages:

Economical.
Durability. Service life – up to 50 thousand hours.
Easy to repair - an LED that has become unusable can be replaced.
Quick turn on and flicker-free light.
Low heat – plants do not get burned.
Possibility of installing LEDs of different spectrum and power. This allows you to select the radiation required by seedlings in a specific period as correctly as possible. For example, if you need to add blue or red.
Small dimensions.

LED lamp

It is worth giving preference to a specific model, taking into account where the lighting will be located, for which crop seedlings and at what distance from the tops of the sprouts. Depending on the type of racks and the number of seedlings, you can choose a lamp of any shape. In stores you will find the following varieties:

Pipe. Often used on a windowsill or in long narrow rows.
Tablet (another name is phytopanel). Looks like a big square. Used by professional agronomists to illuminate seedlings on wide shelves.
Single lamp. Most suitable option for additional lighting of a small number of sprouts at home.
Spotlight. Cover a wider area compared to single lamps. At the same time, they work effectively on long distance from seedlings.
Ribbon. It can be assembled in any order. Typically used for self-made DIY lighting.

Phytopanel

The hotter the lamp gets, the higher it should be placed above the containers with seedlings. You can find out the temperature of the operating device from the description of its technical characteristics.
At different stages of development, plants need different lighting. For example, immediately after sowing, future seedlings need to be illuminated around the clock. During this period, the blue-blue spectrum is useful. Next you need to add red.
Don't forget about individual approach for each crop - take into account the shade tolerance of the plants. Average length daylight hours for vegetable sprouts it is 12-13 hours. In this case, tomatoes require 14-16 hours, cucumbers - 13-15 hours, white cabbage– 16 hours, peppers – 9-10 hours.
Reflectors and light screens, as well as reflectors, help to illuminate effectively and at the same time save energy. You can make them yourself. The easiest way is to put a kind of shield on the windowsill white– for example, from matte cardboard. You can cover it with foil - everyone probably knows its reflective ability.

Monitor the behavior of plants in order to adjust the position of the lamp in time

Also pay attention to how the sprouts develop under the influence of additional artificial lighting, and make adjustments on time:

the appearance of burns on the leaves is a sign of a low-lying phytolamp. Hang it higher;
pale leaves, overly elongated stems are signals of a diametrically opposite problem: the lamp hangs too high/far. Lower it to allow the seedlings to gain strength;
the stems are pulled to the side, become crooked, deformed - they overdid it with side lighting. Place the light source at the top.

Regardless of which lamp you decide to choose, it is important to use it correctly. Only in this case will it be possible to improve the quality of seedlings and reduce the number of weak plants.

How to choose a lamp for plants: video

Lamp for additional illumination of plants: photo

Most Russian gardeners prefer planting plants with seedlings rather than seeds. open ground, due to late warming in our latitudes. But a prolonged winter is accompanied not only by cold weather, but also by short daylight hours, which means that additional lighting for seedlings is simply necessary. Not only does it allow you to increase daylight hours, allowing plants to fully develop, but it can also help prevent stretching, strengthen sprouts, and even enhance flowering and fruit formation. All that remains is to figure out how to properly organize it with your own hands, so as not to harm the plant and grow the strongest seedlings the first time.

Will I have to buy a lamp?

If you are going to grow crops with a relatively short growing season and plant seedlings in April, or if the weather in your latitude is already sunny in March, it is not at all necessary to buy a lamp for seedlings. But this does not mean that you can forget about additional lighting. What ways will save money and add light to seedlings at home? The answer is reflective screens installed opposite the windowsill next to the seedlings.

Suitable for this purpose small mirrors, regular foil or reflective plastic, as in protective screens for cars. A self-made screen should be placed behind the box with seedlings with the reflective side facing the window. Just keep a few important points in mind.

Such additional lighting will help in cloudy weather, but it is not able to increase daylight hours.
On a sunny day, it is better to remove such a screen: foil located close to the sprouts will heat up and create more discomfort than benefit.
The reflection of sunlight in a mirror is poorly scattered, so it is better to place the mirror a little further from the box than foil or a plastic screen.

The most in a simple way adding lighting at home without any cost is placing seedlings on south windows. Of course, not everyone has this opportunity, but if you are the lucky owner of a south-facing window, don’t miss the opportunity to give your seedlings a little more real sunlight.

Which lamp is better to choose?

Is your goal still to extend daylight hours? Then you will definitely need lamps to illuminate the seedlings. Just what? The variety of lamps is so great that it is not immediately clear which ones are best to use at home.

An ordinary incandescent lamp. Such lamps, although they are used less and less in homes, do not provide any benefit to the plant. Their light does not have a full spectrum, necessary plants, so you can’t count on them.
Fluorescent lamps. These were the ones our mothers and grandmothers made do with, because it was the easiest way to make additional lighting with your own hands. Such lamps are inexpensive and do not heat up much, but they are not comparable in efficiency to other lamps for seedlings and lose power quite quickly. There may also be problems with installation at a certain height from seedlings, because they require special fastenings. Nevertheless, these lamps remain the most popular for growing crops in greenhouses and greenhouses. Such lamps are placed at a height of 15 to 50 cm from the seedlings, and if you manage to find lamps labeled LDC or LD, the plants will also receive a blue spectrum of light, which directly affects their growth.
Energy-saving lamps. They, like fluorescent lamps, will not be able to greatly influence growth, but they will provide some support to the plants, especially if the light from the lamps has a blue or red spectrum. Such lamps also consume little energy, which will have a good effect on the cost of grown vegetables.
Gas discharge lamps. Plants love arc lamps; they give off a lot of light and are not too expensive. But this is definitely not the best option for balcony seedlings: the lamps get very hot and are quite difficult to install yourself. But you can choose mercury lamps with a blue spectrum or sodium lamps high pressure with red, but it’s better to do it for lighting greenhouses.
LED or LED lamps. LED seedling lights are the best option if you want strong seedlings. They save energy, do not heat up, do not dry out the soil and last for years. But white light will be less useful than specialized light.

To grow seedlings at home, you should not choose the most powerful lamps: for small areas like your balcony would be better suited middle option.

So what is phytolight?

We described several lighting options, but never mentioned phytolight. But it was he who made a lot of noise in the field of gardening in last years. Why did we bypass it? It's simple: phytolight is not a specific type of lamp for seedlings, but rather a special color spectrum that can be applied to any type of the listed types of lighting. Remember we talked about red and blue light bulbs? So, plants are especially sensitive to these two spectrums of lighting.

Blue promotes cell division, accelerating growth, but at the same time preventing stretching.
Red is useful for the development of the root system, as well as during the flowering and fruiting stages.

To grow seedlings, both spectrums are needed, so when walking down the street in March, you can notice a bright violet-lilac glow in some windows. This is the same phytolight, but what kind of lamp provides it is another matter. True, for seedlings the share of blue should be greater than red, but in purchased phytolamps their shares are approximately the same.

Just don’t rush to run to specialized stores for phytolight. You may not need it if you manage to make it yourself.

Do not forget about the day-night regime, which is also important for plants: round-the-clock lighting can lead to the opposite effect to the desired one.

How to make phytolight yourself?

Additional illumination of seedlings is useful even without phytolight, but if necessary, you can do it yourself. Gas-discharge lamps contain these spectra themselves; fluorescent lamps are easier to buy in finished form, so we will work with LED lamps.

The easiest way would be to buy LED strips with red and blue diodes in a 1:2 ratio and fix them over the seedlings, which will provide the desired spectrum at home by minimum costs and effort. The diodes do not heat up, so you can bring them as close to the sprouts as possible. Purchased lamps for lighting seedlings often use ordinary diodes, which you can buy in a store and install yourself, so the savings will be significant.

If LED strips are an expensive option, you can attach individual LEDs, the quality and wavelength of which you can personally check in the store, to any base, such as a plastic strip, using hot-melt adhesive. Then connect the LEDs by soldering and connect them to the power supply. The lamp will be powered from the outlet, so do not forget about the wire and plug. For a person who does not understand electricity, it sounds difficult to implement with your own hands, so you can use the help of a fellow craftsman.

Do you really need additional lighting?

For many crops in our latitudes, there is no way to do without the support of phytolight, but you can reduce the importance of its role if you start planting seedlings a little later. Of course, you shouldn’t delay until May, but often seedlings planted at the end of February manage to outgrow the optimal age for planting in the ground and stretch out. You can also do without additional lighting when daylight hours reach 12 hours, which for most areas occurs already in April.

Supplemental illumination with phytolight is also useful for some indoor plants, for example citrus fruits: this way the leaves will not turn yellow and fall off.

So, you can combat insufficient illumination of seedlings using different sources light, and some one the best option No. The most popular for home seedlings are LED and fluorescent lamps with phytolight, which provide the plant not only with additional lighting, but also with the spectra necessary for correct height and development. We also recommend using them: handymen can try to make such a lamp on their own, but in case of failure, buying this important device will not be difficult!

To each experienced florist We know the huge role that properly selected lighting for indoor plants plays. Along with watering and soil, light is an indispensable component that directly affects successful growth. It's no secret that in natural environment Some plants thrive in shaded areas, while others cannot develop without direct exposure to sunlight. At home, the situation looks similar. Let's talk in detail about how to properly make artificial lighting for indoor plants.

Decorative lighting and lighting for plant growth

A lamp for growing indoor plants is a great way to extend daylight hours. After all, there are a lot indoor flowers are of tropical origin, which means they experience a daily shortage of solar energy, especially in winter period. For efficient growth plants, the duration of daylight hours should be about 15 hours. Otherwise, they weaken, stop blooming and are susceptible to various diseases.

When planning the future illumination of indoor flowers, it is important not to miss the aesthetic component. The phytolight should become part of the interior, a unique decorative element. There are a huge number of lamps on sale with wall mount different shapes, for any energy-saving lamp: CFL or LED. Depending on the size home flower garden, the lighting can be made from several spot lights aimed directly at each green pet, or from tubular fluorescent lamps with reflector. Using your own imagination, you can make an original LED phytolight yourself.

The most important component of growth is the light spectrum

In order to understand how inhomogeneous light is from different electrical sources and the sun, you need to look at their spectral composition. The spectral characteristic is the dependence of the radiation intensity on the wavelength. The solar radiation curve is continuous throughout the visible range with a decrease in the UV and IR regions. Range artificial sources In most cases, light is represented by individual pulses of different amplitudes, which as a result gives the light a certain shade.

During the experiments, it was found that for successful development, plants do not use the full spectrum, but only its individual parts. The following wavelengths are considered the most vital:

640–660 nm – velvety red color, necessary for all adult plants for reproductive development, as well as for strengthening the root system;
595–610 nm – orange color for flowering and fruit ripening;
440–445 nm – violet color for vegetative development;
380–400 nm – near UV range to regulate the rate of growth and formation of proteins;
280–315 nm – mid-UV range to increase frost resistance.

Lighting with only the listed rays is not suitable for all plants. Each representative of the flora is unique in its “wave” preferences. This means that it is impossible to fully replace the sun's energy using lamps. But artificial lighting of plants in the morning and evening hours can significantly improve their life.

Signs of lack of light

There are a number of signs by which it is easy to identify a lack of light. You just need to take a close look at your flower and compare it with the standard. For example, find a similar view on the Internet. A clear lack of illumination manifests itself as follows. The plant slows down its growth. The new leaves are smaller and the stem becomes thinner. Lower leaves turn yellow. The flower either stops blooming completely, or the number of buds formed is less than the statistical average. It is assumed that watering, humidity and air temperature are normal.

How much light do you need?

It is impossible to give a definite answer to this question. How can a person live in different parts globe, so indoor flower can grow on a windowsill facing north, south, west or east. Throughout its life, the plant will strive to adapt to current conditions: stretch upward due to lack of light or, conversely, expose the next blossoming bud to the sun’s rays.

By observing the appearance of the stems and leaves, the size and number of flowers, you can determine the adequacy of the lighting level. At the same time, do not forget about what stage of development the indoor flower is at: growing season, flowering, seed ripening. At each stage, it takes light from the sun of the wavelength that it needs at the moment. Therefore, when organizing additional lighting, it is important to take into account the quality component luminous flux.

Long-term exposure to bright light from the sun and lamps with an illumination level of more than 15 thousand lux is favored by those indoor flowers that grow under open air. These are many people's favorite crassula, geranium, kalanchoe, and begonia. Artificial lighting for plants of this type in the evening will benefit them.

Representatives of the flora that feel comfortable in illumination of 10–15 thousand lux include spathiphyllum, clivia, saintpaulia, tradescantia and dracaena. The leaves of these types of indoor flowers do not like hot sunlight, but also do not tolerate early twilight. That's why ideal place for them there will be a window sill with access to the west, where in the evening their leaves will receive the necessary energy from the setting sun.

So called shade loving plants can bloom and develop away from window opening, being content with illumination of up to 10 thousand lux. However, this does not mean that they will die if they are placed in a brighter place. They just need less direct sun rays. These include some types of ficus and dracaena, philodendron, as well as tropical vines.

Supplementary lighting for plants and artificial lighting sources

In most cases, indoor plants need additional lighting. Flowers, which at first glance have bright green succulent leaves and bloom regularly, will look even better if they are exposed to a phytolamp. If someone thinks otherwise, then he has an excellent chance to be convinced of the error of his thinking and collect. Used to extend daylight hours various sources artificial light. Let's look at each of them and figure out which light is best for plants.

Incandescent lamps

Illuminating plants with incandescent lamps is the least effective for several reasons. The emission spectrum of conventional light bulbs with a spiral is strongly red-shifted, which does not contribute to photosynthesis. Low efficiency and, as a consequence, enormous heat generation drive their energy and light efficiency to zero. In addition, incandescent lamps have the shortest service life compared to other artificial light sources.

Fluorescent lamps

Tubular fluorescent or, as they are most often called, energy-saving lamps daylight type T8 full spectrum (T=5300–6500°K) are considered the best option for illuminating indoor plants for many years. They deserve a lot positive feedback, due to the presence of a selective spectrum, efficiency and low heat transfer combined with reasonable cost.

Companies specializing in the production of fluorescent lamps offer plant growers an improved option - a phytolamp with a selective emission spectrum. They work predominantly in the blue and red range, as can be seen from the characteristic glow. But the cost of such lamps for illuminating plants is an order of magnitude higher than their conventional counterparts.

Lamp with sodium lamp is the most efficient light source. In terms of luminous efficiency and working life, these lamps are comparable to LEDs for plants. But they are not suitable for home use due to their excessively high brightness (more than 15 thousand lux). But in many greenhouses and conservatories, growing plants under artificial lighting is based precisely on gas discharge lamps. Due to the fact that they emit more red light, they are installed in combination with 6500K fluorescent lamps.

LED light sources

All LED phytolights are divided into three groups:

bicolor;
with multispectrum;
with full spectrum.

Bicolor or two-color lamps are based on blue (440–450 nm) and red (640–660 nm) LEDs. Their light is considered to be the most optimal for organizing illumination of any plants during the growing season. The specified working spectrum favors the process of photosynthesis, which leads to accelerated growth green mass. That is why summer residents prefer blue-red LED lamps when growing seedlings vegetable crops on the windowsill.

LED lamps with a multispectrum have a wider application due to the expansion of the red range into the region of infrared and yellow light. They are in demand for illuminating adult plants, stimulating flowering and fruit ripening. IN apartment conditions It is better to use LED multispectrum for flowers with a dense crown.

A phytolight with a full spectrum of radiation can be used to illuminate flowers in an apartment, regardless of the type and location. This is a kind of universal artificial light source that emits over a wide range with maximums in the red and blue zones. LED lamp full spectrum is a tandem of energy efficiency and light energy reminiscent of the action of solar rays.

Today, the creation of favorable conditions for a widespread transition to phyto-LEDs is not happening for two reasons:

high cost of high-quality lamps for plants;
a large number of fakes based on conventional LEDs.

What light is best for growth?

Undoubtedly, ideal source light is solar energy. In apartments with windows facing southeast and southwest, you can grow any flowers, placing them in different parts of the room. But don’t be upset for those who only have a north-facing view from their window. Fluorescent and LED lamps for plant lighting compensate for the lack of sun rays.

Daylight lamps for plants are a budget option, time-tested. They are suitable for those who are trying to create normal conditions for a flower with little investment. LED phytolamps for those who strive to speed up events and achieve best results V short time, despite the price of several thousand rubles.

Before purchasing another “leafy pet,” you should find out how light-loving it is. Perhaps the allocated space in the room will not be able to provide him with full development.
An inexpensive option for illuminating light-loving plants can be made from an 18 W fluorescent lamp and a 25 W incandescent lamp.
The prevailing radiation in the yellow region of the visible spectrum inhibits the growth of stems. Illumination of dracaena (and other trees) warm light will give it a compact shape.
If a plant with variegated foliage loses its original color and becomes monochromatic, then it clearly does not have enough light. An LED phytolamp will help restore the flower to its former attractiveness.
Light from red and blue LEDs accelerates eye fatigue. In this regard, visual work in the area of their action should be excluded.

Summing up

We hope that the material read helped the reader master basic knowledge on organizing lighting for flowers in the house and on the balcony. Once again I would like to emphasize the efficiency and high efficiency LED lamps for growing plants, a massive transition to which is just around the corner. Let every gardener who has the opportunity to purchase an LED phyto-lamp today evaluate its power and leave his review for other readers in the comments below.

What kind of lighting is needed to grow plants?

Artificial light for efficient cultivation plants should emit a spectrum of electromagnetic healing similar to that received by plants in their natural environment. If a complete analogy is difficult to achieve, then the lighting should satisfy at least minimum needs. To ensure the most comfortable conditions for development, special lamps are selected that have different influence. The specific choice should depend on what type of plant is being grown and what stage of development it is at.

When using artificial light sources, it is very important that they provide exactly the assimilation lighting needed. If the lamps are ineffective for this purpose, then for the most part they will only produce heat.

Today, several schemes for using artificial lighting can be used:

to increase the intensity of photosynthesis, artificial light is used as a supplement to natural light;
periodic scheme – additional lighting connected only to be able to control the duration of the light period during the day;
complete replacement natural light, which allows maximum control over the plant growth process.

It is worth noting that complete replacement of daylight is used exclusively in climate-controlled rooms. Only by maintaining balance can the optimal speed of plant growth and development be ensured.

When deciding to use phytolight for growing certain plants at home, you must follow the following recommendations:

usually, the closer the lamp is to the sprout itself, the greater its effect, but here you should behave as carefully as possible in order to prevent excessive heat generation;
if the source is located approximately 20 centimeters from the flowers, then the effect is usually achieved by distributing approximately 70 watts per each square meter soil;
when natural daylight hours are shortened (in winter time), it must be artificially extended by at least 4 hours;
the light should be directed directly at the plant itself.

Which lamps are best to choose for illumination?

Most main question– which phytolights are best to choose? Today there are many types of devices for creating artificial light, but not all of them are suitable for growing plants. Let's look at the most common types of lamps that allow for the active development of flora at home.

LED phytolamps

Thanks to modern developments, LED light sources have become affordable and capable of serving their owner for a long time. The choice of many falls on this type of lamps due to a number of their advantages:

low power;
low level of heat generation;
their use makes it possible to reduce the rate of moisture evaporation, which means the periods between waterings are lengthened;
One lamp can combine several colors, which means it can cover several phytoactive areas at once.

It is not difficult to make such a lamp with your own hands, but it is still impossible to purchase a powerful device, since there are difficulties in mass production.

Energy Saving (ESL)

The structure of such a light bulb is very convenient - it has a built-in choke, which means that all you need to do is simply screw it into the socket. ESLs are distinguished by the type of glow:

cold spectrum (intended to accelerate the growth of seedlings);
warm spectrum (favorable at the flowering stage);
day spectrum.

It is the latter type that is recommended to be used as an independent source of artificial light for plants. The huge advantages of such lamps are low energy consumption and a very long service life (on average up to 15 thousand hours). Such advantages also have a material expression - one lamp will last for a very long time, which significantly reduces the cost of purchasing new lamps.

Luminescent

The main advantage of this type of lamp is that they do not heat up, which means they do not affect the air temperature, which is very important when growing plants. When choosing, you need to give preference to those varieties of fluorescent lamps that contain blue rays - they are necessary for the efficient flow of photosynthesis.

Standard fluora units produce twice the amount of light energy per unit of electrical power compared to ordinary light bulbs incandescent They can work continuously for up to 20 thousand hours.

It is also worth noting the long service life and efficiency in terms of energy consumption. Cheaper cool spectrum lamps are less effective for growing plants.

Aquarium

In order to grow plants in an aquarium, special lamps for artificial lighting are also needed. There are two main types of such devices.

Actinic blue spectrum lamps are capable of producing radiation that penetrates well through the water column. This is why actinic lamps are recommended for large aquariums.

Full spectrum lamps have a full spectrum of radiation. The light they emit is as close as possible to daylight. It is for this reason that they are recommended to be placed in those aquariums for which it is not possible to provide daylight from a window.

Sodium

Such lamps, as a rule, are used in later periods of growth (at the reproductive stage). NLVDs affect the process of formation of flowers and fruits, accelerating it. If you use them for young, developing plants, they will grow somewhat faster, but at the same time they will turn out to be more spreading.

In some cases, due to the characteristics of the radiation, the plant may visually appear pale and unhealthy.

This type of lamps has high luminous efficiency and a long service life. They are often used as spot light in greenhouses when the bulk of the light comes from natural sources.

Metal halide

This light source is highly efficient and approximately 80% close to natural light. Hid lamps are universal, since engineers are able to change the basic characteristics of the luminous flux, thereby making them most suitable for a specific purpose. This technology has the most important attribute - white light, which provides such an accurate proximity to sunlight.

If such lamps are used to illuminate plants, they will grow shorter and more compact. Appearance will be no different from those specimens that were grown on the street. Useful term service – up to 20 thousand hours.

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet radiation mostly has harmful effects on plant growth. Only red (helps seeds germinate), blue (stimulates cell division) and purple colors(it is advisable to have only small quantities).

Most common bactericidal lamps emitting far ultraviolet are unsuitable for growing plants, as are tanning lamps and black light devices (sometimes the latter are used to irradiate dill and parsley to improve their taste).

Video: review of lamps that replace sunlight for plants

For effective growth and development of plants in conditions of lack of natural light, it is simply necessary to use additional light sources. The video covers everything existing types lamps that can be used for this purpose, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.