To grow seedlings, a sufficient amount of light is required; in conditions of deficiency of natural light, artificial lighting should be used. To get healthy seedlings at any time of the year, learn what equipment is best to choose, what time to turn on additional lighting, and how to install lamps to illuminate seedlings with your own hands. Only proper lighting is safe and effective for seedlings, and errors in calculations often lead to the death of fragile crops.
Sprouts under artificial light
Why do you need to highlight seedlings?
The happy owner of southern windows and balconies has to worry less about artificial lighting for growing seedlings. The rest should think in advance about how, where and with what devices it is best to illuminate developing plants.
It is quite clear what kind of light seedlings need - the closest to natural light. The sun's rays provide plants vital energy necessary for photosynthesis. Leaves absorb light radiation and photochemical reactions occur in them, as a result of which minerals organics are synthesized.
In conditions short day During the cold period of the year, additional illumination of seedlings is simply necessary. Otherwise good planting material will not work. The lack of light has a depressing effect, the sprouts become weak and frail, and can stretch out greatly in an attempt to get at least a little more sunlight.
If you use additional lighting, the seedlings begin to noticeably grow stronger and form new leaves, their color becomes more saturated.
The Sun sends light energy to Earth, consisting of photons (segments electromagnetic waves different lengths). Visible white light can be broken down into photons different color(electromagnetic spectrum), differing in wavelength (red has the longest, blue and violet have the shortest).
Effective range of photosynthesis
According to research, light waves of red and red have the greatest influence on plant development. blue colors. Rays of the blue part of the spectrum (400-500 nm long) regulate the growth rate and contribute to the formation of thick stems. Red light waves (600-700 nm) ensure productive photosynthesis and intensive leaf growth.
Mini shelving with lighting
When to light seedlings
When placing seedlings on a windowsill, additional lighting is used in the morning and evening periods of the day (a couple of hours before dawn and 1-2 hours after sunset) to increase total time lighting during the short daylight hours of winter. If daylight difficult due to cloudiness, the presence of trees and buildings outside the window and unfavorable location, then artificial lighting more is required.
If it is impossible to place containers under the sun, all responsibility for providing light energy falls on electrical devices, which must maintain parameters as close as possible to natural ones.
Do seedlings need light at night? Seedlings need a period of night rest due to physiological processes. Some of the reactions of photosynthesis occur under conditions of light absorption (oxidative processes with the release of oxygen and hydrogen, energy storage), and in the dark, carbohydrate molecules are formed with energy consumption.
Illumination in the evening
Therefore, it is not recommended to illuminate seedlings around the clock. It is even dangerous for the health of plants; their leaves may become covered brown spots.
Although some experimenters conduct experiments on round-the-clock illumination of their seedlings and claim that the plants develop faster and become stronger.
How much light do seedlings need?
Developing plants need regular lighting. Seedlings should be provided with sufficient light for about 8-12 hours (more for some crops). The length of time the plants are illuminated depends on how much sunlight they receive.
For plants, not only the length of the period during which they receive light energy is important, but also its volume. The luminous flux should be required power, and illumination (amount luminous flux per unit area) - no less than 6000 lux (optimally 8000 lux).
The level of illumination that is comfortable for plants is regulated by bringing artificial sources closer or moving away; some lamps also allow you to change the emission power.
Nursery on the window
To calculate the light level of seedlings and determine required quantity lamps pay attention to their power (watts) - for a lighting area of 1 sq. m requires 100-150 watts (when using energy-saving lamps) for the room and 35-50 watts for the window sill.
The light source should emit in the range of 300-800 nm, with red and blue rays predominant. In order for artificial lighting to have the most effective effect on the development of crops, it should be taken into account that in each period of development, seedlings need rays of a different spectrum.
For a seed that does not yet have chlorophyll, the presence of light radiation in the red spectrum is important, which stimulates germination, and in green seedlings it affects the intensity of development.
Blue light prevents plants from stretching excessively, promotes cell division and the formation of strong planting material with good immunity. At the very beginning, the rays of the blue spectrum should predominate, then the ratio of red and blue is 2 to 1 (3 to 1), and after picking, an equal number of them is required.
Combined backlight with rays from the red and blue ranges
Choosing lamps for illuminating seedlings at home
The product range of lamps and fixtures is quite diverse in type, purpose and price. There is always the opportunity to choose a device suitable for specific needs and financial capabilities or buy what is needed for self-made. You should familiarize yourself with the parameters and advantages of various lamps and make right choice.
LED lamps - cost-effectiveness and efficiency
LED illumination of seedlings is considered the best alternative artificial lighting for plants. Modern LEDs cover the entire visible range of light. Therefore, making combinations of different colors, you can get artificial lighting with any necessary spectral composition.
Before choosing LED lamps for seedlings, you need to familiarize yourself with their main technical characteristics. Compared to other sources, they combine a number of advantages:
- compact size;
- low level electricity consumption (1 W/hour per 1 diode);
- The efficiency of photosynthetically active (assimilated by plants) radiation is 99%;
- high light output (about 100 lm/hour);
- long service life (100,000 hours);
- resistance to external factors (mechanical stress, temperature changes, humidity);
- safety to use.
Plants under LED lighting
Not all LED lights are suitable for growing plants. Models marked led grow, which emit light in a spectrum favorable for plants, are suitable for LED lighting.
You can make LED strip lighting yourself. First you need to calculate the required luminous flux. To do this, you will need to know the area of crops, the height of the suspension and the power of the belt. The LED strip has an adhesive backing, so it is easy to attach to required height.
Sodium lamps for seedlings
The so-called agricultural high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS) are traditionally used in domestic practice as an affordable source of artificial lighting. Compared to LED lights, they are less efficient and economical, but are quite suitable at home for lighting small areas of crops.
The performance parameters of sodium lamps are as follows:
- The efficiency of assimilated radiation is 26-30%;
- light output – up to 150 lm/W;
- operating life – up to 24,000 hours;
- electricity consumption – more than 70 W/hour per 1 lamp.
NLVDs are an order of magnitude cheaper than LED ones. The main disadvantage of sodium lamps for seedlings is the very small (~8%) radiation in the blue region of the spectrum, which is partially compensated by introducing special additives into the lamp.
Sodium lamps and the spectral composition of the light they emit
Fluorescent lamps for growing plants
Fluorescent lamps are also used to illuminate plants, but it is advisable to use them only on small area. Conventional models of such lamps are ineffective from the point of view of growing plants. A fluorescent lamp for seedlings must have a two-component phosphor coating with maximum radiation in the blue and red regions.
Their technical parameters are as follows:
- The efficiency of assimilated radiation is 20-22%;
- light output – up to 80 lm/W;
- operating life – up to 15,000 hours;
- electricity consumption is about 20-60 W/hour per 1 lamp.
Planting under fluorescent lighting
Fluorescent lamps are characterized by low power and insufficient radiation in the red region of the spectrum. Therefore, they are used only at the stage of growing seedlings.
Phytolamps are the ideal choice
Phytolamps are lamps specially designed for illuminating plants with a specified spectral composition of radiation. In small doses they also emit ultraviolet light (to provide resistance to low temperatures) and infrared light (metabolism stimulant). LED lamps are the best phytolamps for seedlings, due to their technical parameters. Luminescent ones are inferior to them in terms of efficiency and quality of emitted light.
Illumination with photo lamps
Phytolamps are very convenient to use at home. The design of phytolights for seedlings allows you to adjust the angle and brightness level of the lighting at any time. They are attached to the ceiling or other surfaces using special clamps.
Phytolight for home
DIY lighting installation
It is not difficult to fix the lamps yourself, especially if it is a special phytolamp. It is important to correctly calculate the distance from additional lighting to the seedlings and take care of the brackets.
Homemade adjustable bracket for illuminating seedlings
Important rules for installing lighting fixtures
When planning to install lighting for seedlings on the windowsill, you should be guided by the following considerations:
- first of all, ensure safe operation (prevent the possibility of moisture getting on the devices and tipping over);
- It is best to place the lamps from above, in this case the lighting reaches the plants as much as possible;
- use reflectors (made of white fabric or foil) to direct the light flux to the desired location.
Homemade rack from PVC pipes with backlight
When illuminating seedlings in an apartment without a natural source a good decision will build a special rack (it takes up little space and can be disassembled after use), and place lamps above the shelves. In this case, additional illumination needs to take the longest time, so the possibility of overheating of the devices should be excluded.
At what distance from the seedlings should lighting lamps be placed?
It's important to choose optimal location lamps, if they are too close, the plants may get burned. Greater distances significantly reduce illumination and energy is wasted inefficiently.
Typically, the height at which the lamps are located is within 10-40 cm from the seedlings. At the shortest distance, the illumination is placed when the crops are pecking. You should check by turning on the light and placing your palm at what distance the heat will not be felt. It is desirable to be able to adjust the height as the seedlings grow.
The distance depends on the type of lamp and the age of the seedlings
Seedling lamps can be screwed into a regular table lamp or securely fasten it together with the cartridge on a self-made stand (using bolts, self-tapping screws or special glue). It could be rectangular suspended panel or other stable structure.
To install lighting for seedlings, it is very convenient to use brackets (special support parts for vertical fastening). They can be firmly screwed into place where they will support shelves or lamps.
Homemade lamp from LED strip
How to make an LED lamp + video
You can make a simple lamp yourself as follows:
- Prepare materials and tools - a backlight lamp with a socket and power cord, a construction beacon made of galvanized steel (has a stiffening rib and perforation holes), bolts and nuts, pliers.
- To make a stable support, bend the lighthouse into a rectangular frame that matches the size of the window sill.
- In the middle, install a vertical stand in the form of a frame of two parts - the lower ones vertical racks and the upper U-shaped curved part. The rack supports allow you to adjust the height of the structure by extending it to the desired length and fixing it with bolts.
- Strengthen the rigidity of the fastening by screwing the jibs through the holes in the beacon on both sides.
- Attach the lamp socket to the top of the frame using bolts; if required, you can attach several lamps.
Video: DIY lamp for seedlings
Additional lighting for growing strong seedlings with your own hands is simply necessary and there are many options for every taste and income that can be easily implemented at home. You can make the most of available materials or purchase everything in a set; the main thing is to correctly and effectively illuminate young plants, guided by the positive experience already gained.
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– it’s not an easy matter. It stretches out, becomes pale, or is affected by a fungal disease. However, experienced gardeners have learned to grow strong and healthy seedlings. They know that the plant, first of all, needs light. Its deficiency prevents the growth of full-fledged seedlings.
Therefore, lighting plays a key role in not an easy task for growing seedlings. With its help, the sprouts receive everything they need to grow. Plants need lighting, despite the skeptical comments of some gardeners that they will grow anyway. Let's consider the question of choosing a lighting device for plants.
In open ground, plants receive the full spectrum solar radiation. But placing them in a living space, the picture changes. The culture does not receive enough of the most useful radiation - blue and red. It is these spectra that contribute to the development of healthy, developed and strong seedlings. In apartment conditions it is impossible to give them useful light.
But illumination solves the problem; it provides the plants with blue and red radiation - the sprouts do not stretch, do not fade, and do not get sick.
The plant's immune system becomes stronger. Now it’s clear why seedlings need additional lighting. Moreover, it can be used to grow plants. all year round and provide them with full daylight, albeit artificial. Moreover, the red color helps the development of already grown seedlings, and the blue color forms tiny, barely hatched sprouts, it is involved in photosynthesis - the leaves acquire that same healthy green tint, and not pale.
The advantages and benefits of additional lighting will no longer be discussed, everything is clear without unnecessary arguments, plants need it just like water. Let's look at the types of lamps and figure out what to choose from. large assortment V garden centers.
The correct choice of lighting is based on calculating the number of lux and lumens per area occupied by seedlings. First, it’s worth understanding the most important characteristics of lamps – what is lux and what is lumen. The latter denotes the unit that measures luminous flux. And lux shows the degree of illumination of 1 m2 of luminous flux. It is lux that you need to pay attention to when purchasing lighting. Ideally, the number of luxes should be at least 8000. If the area with seedlings is more than 1 m2, you need lamps that would provide a total of 8000 liters per square meter. m. That is, as a rule, one device is not enough.
A standard window sill will require at least two lamps.
When choosing a backlight, you should also pay attention to the type of radiation - there should be red and blue in mandatory. The uniformity of lighting plays a big role, otherwise the plants will develop unevenly. So, there are several types of lighting devices:
- Phyto lamps
Let's look at each type and see what to choose for a home greenhouse for the benefit of green pets.
A type of lighting popular among gardeners. It produces useful radiation and saves electricity, as can be seen from the name of the lamp. The backlight is inexpensive and lasts a long time. With its help, the gardener grows completely healthy and strong seedlings.
Energy-saving lamps are the most common and widely used types of lighting in gardening.
However, energy-saving backlights are usually weak. Specifications indicate insufficient lux and lumens. Therefore, even for a standard window sill you will need 2-3 lamps or more depending on the area. Otherwise, the plants will be drawn to the only “sun”, which is not enough for everyone. The stems will be crooked and weak.
Another alternative type of lighting used by gardeners. Of course, it is not intended specifically for seedlings, but its effectiveness has been assessed and is being used.
When choosing these lamps, you should pay attention to the technical characteristics.
The color temperature indicator, which is designated by the letter “K,” must be above 4,500. What does this mean? The higher this indicator, the more blue radiation the plant will receive. The 4,500 mark corresponds to sunlight. Therefore, it is so important to pay attention to this parameter. A low score won't do any good. Alternatively, a fluorescent lamp can be used for illumination, but of course it will not replace a phyto lamp.
Phytolamps
This type of lighting is designed specifically for flora and includes subspecies. Let us dwell on them for a more detailed study. Highlight:
- LED. These lamps are very convenient. These are small devices that consume a small amount of electricity. The efficiency factor is large, it is considered the best option for lighting seedlings. The lamp takes into account all types of radiation necessary for the normal development of crops.
- Metal halide. These devices are ideal for growing plants. They include useful radiation with a good light transmission coefficient. Moreover, the efficiency of metal halide lamps is higher than that of mercury lamps. They use metal iodides, not just mercury.
- Sodium. These lamps are used for growing mature seedlings. The fact is that the predominant shade in the backlight is red. He is responsible for the immunity of the culture, the gain of strength in. However, it is also suitable for seedlings.
- Induction. They differ from their counterparts in their “infinite” operating period – up to 100,000 hours. That is, once you have purchased such a lamp, you can forget about replacing or buying a new one - it will definitely last a gardener’s lifetime. According to all characteristics, the lamp is optimally suited for illuminating plants. Emits both blue and red spectrum.
These types of lighting are actively used in specialized garden centers, greenhouses and winter gardens. Experienced gardeners prefer them, since the lighting efficiency of phyto lamps is much superior to their counterparts.
All these types of phytolamps should be in the arsenal of a professional gardener who does not deny the need for light for green pets, especially in early spring. They will help you grow healthy and strong.
The backlight installation is based on technical specifications device. Remember luxes and lumens? The lamps are installed based on their quantity and light transmission indicators. That is, the plant must receive enough light.
Even if the gardener purchased an LED device with good characteristics, this does not mean that one lamp will be enough for a large area with seedlings. For a standard windowsill, for example, you will need two phyto lamps. Install them vertically, not from the side or from below.
Special devices do not heat, but illuminate, so there is no need to be afraid to lower the lamp over the plants.
The distance from the device to the plants will be approximately 30-40 cm, depending on the crop. If you install the lamps on the side, the seedlings will begin to bend towards the light, which is undesirable. If the leaves begin to turn brown at the edges, the lamp is located too close. That is, look at the plants and adjust the distance between the lights.
The use of lighting should be effective and useful. Therefore, it is important to follow the basic rules for using lighting equipment for seedlings. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the planting season:
- If it is February or even January, the backlight should work daily - 4 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. That is, you need to increase daylight hours to standard summer hours.
- In March and April there are much more hours of daylight than on winter days. Therefore, it is more advisable to use lamps for 2-3 hours in the morning and evening.
Shoots that have just appeared, many are illuminated all day long. But this is not entirely correct. biological process development implies a period of rest - night. Plants need it as well as all living things. Therefore, seedlings should be illuminated for the standard 12 hours, no more.
The period of illumination will also occur during the day, on cloudy days. The end of April, May does not require additional lighting. The seedlings are already being taken out to Fresh air for hardening, where the plants receive their daily dose of real sunlight. The use of backlight depends on the region, planting period and daylight hours. Consider these factors. This way lighting devices will give useful and effective results.
When using fluorescent lamps, the light is scattered so much that crops do not receive enough sunlight. Experienced gardeners have come up with a trick - they build partitions from white Whatman paper or foil. These materials collect light and reflect it onto the seedlings. This way, useful lighting does not “scatter” around, but focuses on the plants.
If the containers are located on window sills, the lighting can be attached to special, removable pins.
They are attached to the upper horizontal surface of the frame, and lighting equipment is hung on them. At the end of the season they are removed and stored until next spring.
It is advisable to place boxes with seedlings on eastern or western windows. This way you won’t have to spend too much on electricity, despite the use of special lamps. The fact is that there is more sun in the west and east than in the north. Equipment usage time will be reduced by a couple of hours. The south side, although sunny, is not recommended for growing seedlings. Young seedlings can burn on windowsills due to direct sunlight.
Every gardener who grows not only seedlings, but also all-season crops needs lighting. Having figured out why it is needed and what types of lighting lamps are suitable for green pets, you can purchase helpers for growing healthy and strong seedlings. Also don't forget about simple, basic rules caring for young seedlings.
More information can be found in the video:
Lighting is an essential component for plant life and growth. Without enough light, seedlings turn pale and wither.
What should the lighting be like, prices different kinds lamps and how to make a device for additional lighting yourself from inexpensive materials and LED strip we will cover in this article.
Lighting for seedlings
The most popular plants grown as seedlings are tomatoes, cucumbers, Bell pepper and cabbage. Many decorative flowering annuals are also sown first in small containers and only when they reach a certain size are they transplanted into open ground.
This need is associated with the discrepancy between climatic zones and the duration of the growing season of individual species, or the need to pick the main root to improve the development of the root system.
Illumination of seedlings with LEDs
There is a fairly significant difference between lighting for mature plants and seedlings. Seedlings capture light in more than just chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Phytochrome and cryptochrome also absorb light and are responsible for the division, stretching and specialization of cells of the future plant.
Light, its intensity, color temperature, spectrum and duration of illumination are very important for seed germination and growing viable seedlings. With a lack of light, plants stretch out, become pale or yellow, their development slows down, and the timing of flowering and fruiting is delayed.
In conditions where the seedlings are on the windowsill, they can be provided with passive lighting. A reflective screen (white paper or fabric, foil on a backing) is installed between the seedlings and the room. The light entering from the window is reflected from the screen and illuminates the plants on the other side. But all these are half measures, since natural light is completely insufficient.
Illumination with old incandescent lamps, despite the brightness, gave very poor results, since plants need a certain spectrum, and much less of the necessary blue and red remains in the total light flux. Incandescent lamps become very hot, requiring additional ventilation and watering.
Artificial lighting options for plants
For artificial lighting of plants (in particular seedlings), it is recommended the following types lamps:
- Luminescent. This time-tested option is still used by most greenhouse farms. Inferior to other types of lighting for seedlings.
- Metal halide. They are economical, but do not provide enough light in the blue spectrum.
- Sodium. A rather expensive type of lamp that requires the installation of additional control equipment. The glow is predominantly in the orange and yellow spectrum.
- LED. Of all types of artificial lighting, the future lies with LED grow lights. They deserve a separate listing of their numerous advantages. For plants located on shelves, it is convenient to use, for example, such as in.
Advantages
The advantages of supplementary lighting of seedlings are:
- Economical– use 8 times less electricity than standard lamps.
- Durable– with heat removal, they can operate for up to 50,000 hours.
- Repairable – an LED that has stopped working can be easily replaced. Agree, this is much cheaper than buying a new lamp.
- Installation of LEDs different power and spectrum allows you to get exactly the lighting that the best way will satisfy the need of a specific seedling at a specific time. If you need to change the spectrum, simply replace one with another in the same lamp.
- Turns on instantly and gives an even glow without flickering.
- Heats up very little, which makes it possible to place them lower above the plants without the risk of causing burns on the leaf plate.
- Low voltage operation improves security parameters.
- Eco-friendly– do not contain harmful chemical substances and don't need special conditions for disposal.
It can be assumed that the ever-increasing interest of consumers will affect production volumes and prices will begin to fall.
Let's consider more details.
Popular models
The choice of a specific model depends on where exactly the lighting will be installed, for what crops, and at what distance from the tops of the plants.
Professional LED lamp for plants 75W (10 spectrums)
Where can LED phytolamps for seedlings be used:
- in greenhouses and farms;
- in private homes;
- apartments;
- in summer cottages.
Depending on the types of racks and the number of seedlings, LED lights can be of different shapes:
- Pipe– suitable for additional illumination of seedlings in long narrow rows, often used on window sills.
- Tablet or phytopanel– the shape of the lamp is in the form of a rather large square. This is a professional lamp designed to illuminate wide shelving.
- Single lamp– supplementary lighting in this form is used when growing a small number of seedlings for personal needs.
- – illuminate from a greater distance and a larger area than single lamps.
- LED strips– can be configured in any order. They are most often used for making phyto-lighting with their own hands.
When choosing a phytolamp, carefully read the instructions. Good manufacturer necessarily indicates from what distance which area can be effectively illuminated by a specific model of phytolamp. This information will be very necessary when planning the number and power of purchased lamps.
Example: “Topaz”, the parameters and price of which are given in Table 2, depending on the distance to the plants, gives the indicators indicated in Table 1.
As can be seen from the table, the prices are not encouraging. This is the main reason that LED lights not so popular, despite obvious advantages. But You can significantly reduce the cost of a lighting device if you make it yourself.
How to assemble an LED seedling light
The simplest version of LED phytolamp is made from LED strip.
Materials for work:
- Panel, the size and shape of which coincide with the area on which the seedlings will grow. You can use a lamp from a damaged fluorescent lamp.
- Aluminum profile.
- Red and blue LED strip with Velcro. Before purchasing, do not forget to correctly calculate the proportions of blue and red spectra recommended for your plants. Most often this is 1 length of the blue spectrum per 8 lengths of the red spectrum.
- Power supply or driver.
Do-it-yourself phyto-tape assembly diagram
Choosing between driver and a simple block power supply, keep in mind that the first one not only transforms the standard 220 volts into the required 12 or 24, but also stabilizes the voltage. Drivers are produced for specific LED power.
Assembly of the lamp consists of the following sequential steps:
- Clean and degrease the surface of the panel.
- Attach to panel aluminum profile– it is needed to remove heat and extend the life of LEDs.
- Cut the tape into the required lengths. You need to cut between the soldering - it is visible on the tape.
- We connect the segments with a connector or using a soldering iron.
- Filming protective covering from the inside of the tape and glue it with slight pressure onto the aluminum profile. Avoid strong kinks in the tape to avoid damaging the tracks powering the diodes.
- We install the panel on a stand with legs that will hold the lamp above the seedlings at the required height.
- We place the power source at the required distance from the outlet and connect it to the LED strip. It is important to maintain polarity.
- You can use it.
The price of an LED lamp for seedlings should not make you refuse such high-quality lighting. If you have hard-working hands, you can make a very high-quality lamp with your own hands.
Video
This video will tell you how to make an LED lamp for seedlings with your own hands.
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Registration: 04/26/09 Messages: 601 Thanks: 746 Address: Tver
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