As winter approaches, the day length is about to get shorter. When you want to plant, you don't have to wait until March/April. As long as there is enough light and heat and there is space, it is possible to plant all year round. Whether it is tomatoes, sunflowers or other ornamental and practical plants, they all need a lot of light, just meet their light needs.
Less light will make plants grow thin and long, with a greater distance between leaves.
Even if newly sown plants are placed on a windowsill in the spring, the light will not be enough to provide optimal growth. This is better than the darkest corner of the living room, but you can get better results by adding the right light, and there are several solutions in all price ranges. Remember that with a regular bulb, plants can only absorb about 10-15% of the light - this is not an efficient use of energy.
Note, however, that lighting requirements will vary by plant species and growth stage. If planned well, planting time depends on when you can plant. Plant lighting is a large and complex science that most people who love gardening don't need to understand. So here are some general tips that will give good results.
What light does plants need?
First some simple lighting theory to better understand the importance of proper lighting.
In the world of light, we find various concepts including nanometers, lumens, and Kelvin. There are some concepts for light waves, power, and light temperature. Most light sources are expressed in lumens and Kelvin values.
For plants, sunlight is very important to promote their photosynthesis. The spectrum of sunlight between 400 and 750 nanometers (nm), blue (420-490 nm) allows plants to grow compactly and is important in the early stages; red light waves (650-750 nm) allow flowers to bloom, and 600-630 nm is important for photosynthesis.
In the early growth stages, more of the blue spectrum found in the spring sun is needed. It promotes growth hormones in the plant's body. At this stage, the light source should be hung as close to the plant as possible to promote plant growth. In the summer and fall, the sun emits more red spectrum, which can promote flowering.
Temperature is related to light. The higher the temperature, the more light the plants need. This is related to the season and sunlight. Therefore, growing up on the kitchen counter at the beginning of the season can be a challenge. Plant light usually has about 6400 Kelvin and up to 2200 lumens, which is what we call white daylight. (The maximum lumen of an ordinary 40 W incandescent bulb is 470 lumens, while the maximum lumen of a 150 W incandescent bulb is 2400 lumens, but if hung too close, it will also emit high heat and make plants burn.)
The general rule is a light duration of 12-16 hours. The light source should be hung 10-50 cm above the plant germination point, moving higher as the plant grows. Be aware of the heat generated by the light source to avoid burning the plant. Compared with ordinary light bulbs, LEDs generate less heat and consume less electricity, so they are less expensive to use.
Propulsion and daylight are extended
When we use plant lights, we distinguish two growth phases.
That is, the growing phase and the flowering phase. We can use, extend the length of daylight. To speed up plant growth, in this method, we trick the plants into thinking that the day is longer and promote flowering.
As an amateur gardener, you can use the same light source and only change the distance between the plant and the light source. During the germination and early growth phase, the lamp is hung close to the plant, and when the daylight is extended, the lamp is hung higher.
You don't need to fill up the windowsills and kitchen counters
Most plant centers have a solution suitable for germination and growth. There are many variations of this solution, suitable for indoor plants and seed racks.
The advantage of this is that even if there are no windows, you can move the plants to a cooler room, such as a basement or storage room. Here you can more easily adjust the light and heat, without having to fill the kitchen and windowsills with plant buds.
Adequate light is not necessarily an expensive issue
You can use standard fluorescent lamps or other lamp holders with bulbs or fluorescent tubes that have 6400K, 1200-2200 lumens and at least 10W of power. No need to use expensive special bulbs or lamps. LED lights use reasonable power, last longer, and don't emit heat that can burn your plants. But many plant candles cost no more than a few hundred dollars and usually last for several years, so it's really worth the investment if you're unsure.
If you want to save money, go with white fluorescent tubes, just check that the light wave is as good as it can be. After all, a little more light is better than no light. Enjoy this year's growing season!