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Salt Magazine article by

– Author Frances Frangenheim

A great indoor garden requires a good grow light. It could mean the difference between success and failure. Having the right hydroponic light is the single-most important and pricey decision in setting up your garden.

Hydroponic grow lights come in three main types:

Incandescent lights

These are the usual lights found in homes. They are generally a poor choice for garden grown lights because of their limited light spectrum and inefficiency.

HID (High Intensity Discharge) grow lights

Producing more light (up to 10x more lumens/watt than an incandescent light),are more efficient. Drawbacks would be, they produce more heat, generally more costly than incandescent lights and requires the additional expense and maintenance with ballast. It takes around 100 hours before hydroponic HID grow lights reach their optimum working conditions, or until they reach light intensity and color stability.

Natural Sunlight

Expense for acquiring artificial lights can be skipped by using sunlight. This is done with the use of solar room, greenhouse or massive windows which grants plenty of sunlight. Or you can do this outdoors; hydroponics does not necessarily mean the cultivation of plants indoors but it growing plants without the use of soil.

Basic setup for an indoor garden is 1000w of lighting for and area of 16-25 square feet of plant area. Reflectors and/or light movers should also be considered as they improve efficiency of the indoor hydroponic gardening system. Ballast might also be needed as numerous hydroponic grow lighting require igniting.

Some Basic Facts

Before plugging in your grow light

Different plants require different levels or types of lighting, this paragraph would deal on some easy know-how on how to make an effective lighting setup. In setting up your garden, it is essential that you determine your growing area in order to determine the ideal lighting setup for you. Light is an essential bourgeois in the growth of plants, it is important that the lighting solution you selected for your garden is sufficient for its size. A poor or ill advised decision would certainly reflect on the calibre of plants you produced. Inappropriate budgeting like cost slicing specially on lighting would just establish to be uneconomical and inefficient in the long run.

A general rule for lighting that area coverage is determined by a light wattage output. Reflectors might be used to increase the light area and reach corners but effectiveness is still determined by this formula.

Day and Night Cycles

The type of plant and its stage of growth generally determine the amount of light needed. A common cycle is that with 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness which is suggested for its vegetative growth phase.

For seedlings, a continuous light source is needed until the first real leaves appear. When the leaves appear, the regular 18/6 light cycle is used. Fluorescent or incandescent lights are ideal for seedling because of the low heat and soft light they generate. Automated timers maybe used to ensure consistent light cycles. Affordable timers are also available; this can be found any hardware or Home Depot/ Lowe’s type store.

Light and Photosynthesis

The plants exposure to light intensity, duration and light color directly affects the amount of energy needed for photosynthesis. The color of the light, Blue simulates the summer sun, Orange for autumn seem to stimulate photosynthesis best. The light spectrum produced by metal halide bulbs (Blue lights) and high pressure sodium bulbs (red/ orange lights) produce this effects. HID grow lights produce these effects owing to their popularity to hobbyist and professionals. Combination of metal halide and high pressure sodium bulbs provides the complete spectrum of light produced by the sun.

Use Caution When Working with Lights

The combination of water, electricity and chemicals in such a closed-in space makes the grow room one of the most hazardous places in your house. Keep in mind to separate your ballast by elevating it from the water-containing areas of your hydroponic growing system.

By : The urban gardener

Along with water,  hydroponics plant nutrients, Co2 and oxygen, grow lights is the key basic component, required by plants to live. Providing additional light is necessary for indoor gardening. Furthermore, light should resemble the sunlight as much as possible. In order to achieve that goal several types of lights are used: incandescent, fluorescent, high intensity discharge or HID lamps and sulfur lights. While there are many other types of lighting, only the mentioned above are suggested for indoor gardening. The major concern with other types of lights is that they do not produce light in the appropriate spectrum, required by plants.

Though typical widely used incandescent lamps fit any ordinary light socket, this type of lighting is considered to be the least effective in lighting your garden in comparison with other types of lighting. Incandescent lights produce light in the red spectrum; that is why such lamps are commonly covered with a blue coating in order to increase the amount of blue spectrum in the produced light. In general, incandescent lights are considered to be poor options for indoor gardening needs.

In comparison with incandescent lamps, fluorescent lights produce more light with lower energy consumption. However, the light, produced by fluorescent lamps, is not intensive enough and can't penetrate more than 6” – 8”. Light, produced by fluorescent lamps, is usually simply insufficient to wage normal growing of plants, vegetables and flowers. The only application, where it is doable to use fluorescent light, is growing seedlings, cuttings, or some particular plants with low light requirements, such as orchids.

High intensity discharge lights, also known as HID lights, are currently the most effective lights for indoor gardening. Metal halide (MH) and high pressure sodium (HPS) grow lamps are two major types of HID lights. Each type produces light in a particular range: for example, metal halide lights generate blue spectrum light similar to the full summer sun, and high pressure sodium lights produce light in red and yellow spectrum, resembling the autumn sunlight.

Though high pressure sodium lamps usually are more costly (by about 10%-20%) than metal halide lamps, they are more durable with extended lifecycle. Besides, HPS lights feature higher lumen output (97-150 lumens per watt consumed) and lose only about 5% of their brightness after one year of use (for comparison, MH bulbs produce about 70-115 lumens per watt and  lose up to 15-20% of their initial brightness within a year).

Irrespectively to the particular type of lighting in use, it is suggested to replace lights on the timely manner: MH bulbs – after 12-18 months, and HPS bulbs – after 24 months of work. Basically, metal halide lamps is the more preferred type of lighting for plants, when they grow, and high pressure sodium lamps suit ideal for flowering plants. However, the discussion on which type of lighting is ideal is still open among gardeners. Each type of lights offers its own advantages, as well as disadvantages, so it is often a matter of individualized choice, preferences, growing environment and needs. The scope of this article is to wage plain information on the acquirable types of lighting for indoor hydroponic gardening, while leaving readers enough space for individualized decisions on which product to prefer.   By the way, recently a new type of lights appeared. The so-called conversion systems grant switching between MH and HPS lights when it is necessary simply by changing the bulb. Though this type of lighting offers certain benefits, conversion systems are still pretty expensive. More information on particular types of HID grow lights used in hydroponics systems will be provided in the next set of hydroponics guides.

By : The urban gardener

Fluorescent Grow Light

Inexpensive and readily acquirable in hardware stores and be utilized with regular light sockets. Producing less heat or none at all compared to full-size fluorescent grow lights.

Not just because of its small size and low heat output; compact fluorescent lights also produce the widest range of color spectrums to any type of lighting. It is saint for shelf gardening due to their low heat output making the use of multiple shelves on top of apiece other possible. Compact fluorescent lights can be used with seedlings and small plants in a well designed hydroponic system indoor garden.

Common Problems with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Problems with compact fluorescent light bulbs like inefficiency and poor light penetration are common.   Several compact fluorescent bulbs maybe used and consume energy as that of one HPS bulb, but do not produce the same useable light for the hydroponic indoor garden.

Optimizing Fluorescent Grow Lights

With the disadvantages of comparative inefficiency compared to HID lights, several things maybe done to counteract this.

Properly matching lights to the corresponding growth cycle.

Increasing Watt ratings increases light penetration

One cheap and simple way to maximize energy consumption is by the use of reflectors. Compact fluorescent lights have a 360 degree of distribution but only 90 degrees of it can be practically used. Reflectors direct the light to corners in order to maximize the light produced.

High Intensity Discharge Lighting

HID light bulbs are the most after lighting system by both hobbyist and professional growers. It has prefabricated doable all-year, all-season planting for thousands of indoor gardeners and industrial nursery growers. Due to their efficiency ( 10x more light produced than conventional incandescent bulbs) and color spectrums saint for plants have resulted to superior yields and plant calibre all year round. Metal Halide (MH) light bulbs mainly produce blue lights, making them saint for plants undergoing the vegetative phase of development.

Industrial cultivators the world over are the main users of HID grow lights. HID lamps wage numerous advantages that conventional Fluorescent and incandescent lights lack. Monetary benefits abound, it boosts overall plant production giving superior harvests, and environmental factors are eliminated allowing all year-round production. HID lights operate stock 110 to 220 volts AC home currents and have a standard three prong adapter to link up. HID grow lights mostly come with a ballast resistor and reflective hood.

Photosynshesis in plants grants plants them to produce their own energy. Chlorophyll in plants enables plants to convert CO2, water and energy from light to nutrients and sugars. When all this elements like CO2 and nutrients are readily and plenty in a desired surrounding, the potential for growth is bound only to the amount and calibre of light available.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light bulbs produce reddish light, it is saint during the fruit phase of the plant cycle. Cooler (blue) and Warmer (orange) color spectrums raise chlorophyll production and fruit energy. The sun produces cooler lights when it is higher in the skyline, seen in the summer calendar months. It is essential for plant growth shape and keep it tight. Warmer light, experienced when the sun is lower in relative position to the skyline is important for blooming plants and during the fruit phase.

Choice of lights can also depend on the type of plants grown. Metal Halide growth lights are saint for bushy harvests such as pinch and vegetating herbaceous plants. Blossoming plants on the other hand is superior suited by high pressure sodium growth lights. Conversion light bulbs are also acquirable for different organizations. More costly than other lights, conversion lamps give that extra advantage of starting your plants with a metal halide growth light giving taut, small development and being replaced by high pressure sodium light bulbs when the fruit stage of the plant is reached. Current developments have introduced convertible ballast resistors for regular metal halide growth lights and high pressure sodium light bulbs.

HID grow lights main advantage is that it eliminates such factors as climate, temperature and time of day. Season dependent plants can be grown throughout the year; they wage an substitute to solar light. For those who are garden and flower hobbyists, this would be a plus.

Hydroponic growth lights also gives you control over light exposure. Allowing us to hasten a plants growth or that flower to bloom. Best light color, duration and concentration are the key factors in growing those choice plants.

High Pressure Sodium Bulbs

A clear ceramic arc tube suspended inside a glass bulb characterizes High Pressure Sodium Bulbs. Xenon gas is the main component inside the inner tube which is then ignited to produce an arc of light. Sizes range fro 35 watts up to 1000 watts. The most favourite of which are the 250 watts, 400 watts and 1000 watts.

Advantages of High Pressure Sodium Bulbs

Efficiency is one of its advantages; they wage the saint light penetration and have strong light spectrums necessary for plant growth. Mainly producing red and yellow lights or tiny or no blue lights, they mimic the autumn sun. Popularity for HPS lights are mainly attributed to their low energy to light ratio and is the most economical and efficient than any other type of lighting system. HPS lights work saint during the flowering or fruit stage of the plant growth cycle.

Disadvantages of HPS High Pressure Sodium Bulbs

High Pressure Sodium Bulbs produce great amounts of heat. Proper ventilation and good garden construction and planning help to offset this negative effect. Like all HID growth light systems price is the main drawback compared to fluorescent lights. HPS lights are currently more cost effective compared to other HID growth light systems.

High Pressure Sodium Light bulbs are replaced after 24 months to ensure their and your gardens efficiency.

Metal Halide Bulbs

Metal Halide bulbs are constructed by placing an inner arc tube inside vacuum-sealed glass tubing. Electric currents passed through the inner arc which in turn ignites mercury and iodide materials in the tube.

Advantages of Metal Halide Bulbs

Metal Halide Bulbs mimic sunlight during summertime. Producing a blue spectrum of light most saint for plants in their vegetative growth phase. They are also a good choice for indoor hydroponic garden systems because of their efficiency in producing light.

Other Metal Halide Bulb Information

Available from 70 to 1500 watts, Metal Halide bulbs present a wide variety of choices. Most favourite and commonly used are the 250, 400 and 1000 watts metal halide bulbs. Ballast specifically plain for apiece bulb is also essential. Mounting positions depend on its specific bulb type (marks or guides are usually provided). HOR bulbs are mounted horizontally, BU/BD is vertically mounted and U (universal) bulbs could be mounted either way. The vertical position is the most saint and provides utmost efficiency.

By : The urban gardener