| If you live in an area with a short growing season, | | | | look green. What this also means is that the green |
| then you will likely want to get a jump start on the | | | | and yellow light a bulb puts out is wasted on a plant. |
| gardening year by starting seeds indoors, then | | | | It is more efficient to select bulbs that have greater |
| growing the seedlings on under lights. All plants need | | | | blue and red light output. |
| three items to thrive: water, nutrition, and light. Of | | | | Besides whether or not you have a hydroponic digital |
| these three, inadequate indoor light is often the one | | | | ballast, another factor to consider when you are |
| that lays waste the best laid gardener's plans for | | | | using artificial lights is the age of the light bulb you are |
| strong and sturdy seedlings. Grow lights impact plant | | | | using. If the bulb has been used for nine months or |
| growth depending on the amount of light they give | | | | longer, the light they produce after this time period is |
| and the quality of the light they emit. | | | | usually 30 percent less than when they were new. |
| Indoors, under artificial conditions, you are trying to | | | | This means that your plants are receiving 30 percent |
| emulate the useful parts of natural sunlight as much | | | | less light, but it costs you the same amount of |
| as possible for optimal plant growth, all other | | | | money to run the inefficient lights. It is much more |
| necessary ingredients being present. Since sunlight is | | | | cost effective to replace them at the start of each |
| much brighter than light from a grow lamp, you will | | | | growing season. |
| need to leave the lights on for 12-18 hours per day | | | | There are different lamps available for growing plants |
| to compensate for the lesser brilliance of the light | | | | indoors. HPS lamps are high pressure sodium lamps, |
| from artificial sources. | | | | and they emit red and orange light. This color light |
| The quality of light also plays a part in plant growth. | | | | promotes flowering in plants. HID lights refer to high |
| improve overall quality with a digital ballast. Plants | | | | intensity discharge lamps and is a term used to |
| grow using blue and red light, depending on the stage | | | | describe both HPS lamps as well as halide lights. |
| at which they are. They use blue light for energy, | | | | Halides produce blue light, which promotes plant |
| stem growth and chlorophyll production, whereas | | | | growth. Both of these types of lights require the use |
| they use red light for reproduction, dormancy, as well | | | | of ballasts. A ballast controls the electrical current |
| as root and tuber development. Since plants absorb a | | | | that flows through the electrical circuit. Grow lights |
| very small amount of green and yellow light, but | | | | are the plant lover's answer to growing great plants |
| instead reflect it away, this is the reason why plants | | | | indoors. |