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