Types Of Grow Lights For Starting Seeds Indoors

If you've ever planted seeds on a windowsill, you've probably noticed that the seedlings lean toward the window or light source when exposed. This indicates that the plants are not getting enough light. When starting to plant seeds, the best lighting option is to use grow lights. But there are many types of grow lights, which one is the best?

The good news is that you can start small. My first lighting rig was a cheap folding table I bought from Walmart and a T5 24 hanging spike I bought from Amazon. I noticed a big difference in my first season seedlings - they grew thicker stems and generally looked healthier. I now have a custom vertical rack of T5 grow lights and pots. With all that space, I grow a lot of plants every year, so I give away a lot of seedlings to friends and family every spring. But it's a good problem.

After disappointing results with just the window slap, my first seed setup was to use a window light and 1 lighting.

What is a grow light?

A grow light is special high-intensity indoor lighting used for plant growth. They improve leaf development, produce thicker stems in seedlings, and provide the color and light needed for flowering. Some bulbs are sold for lighting indoor plants; some are used for indoor growing; Others are for planting seeds and seedlings for gardeners. This article focuses on the latter.

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Why do you need grow lights?

The first thing you need to understand is why your seedlings need light to grow. It depends on the intensity of the light and the color temperature (warm or cold).

Light intensity

You may have a sunny window in your home where you can start planting seeds. But if you start with a few plants, you'll quickly run out of space. Unlike house plants, seedlings need bright, direct light, not just a bright room. You can start with a few plants above the window, but if you go over 3 or 4 plants, you'll need to turn on the lights.

What happens when plants don't get enough light?

If seedlings don't get enough light, they may not produce enough chlorophyll (green pigment), become "thin" (stems are long and thin and stretch toward the light source), drop leaves, or develop flower buds. This leaves less vigorous seedlings prone to disease or early death.

According to the University of Minnesota, "More light is especially important for seedlings that need to be planted very early, like peppers or tomatoes. Seeds left indoors for months need all the light they can get. They can produce strong stems. A nice bonus during the growing season. In a very bright window low level supplemental lighting may be appropriate for growing seedlings.If you are planting seeds in an area with little natural light, high intensity lighting would be your best bet.

color temperature

Sunlight has a series of colors called wavelengths: ultraviolet, violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and infrared. Plants use these different wavelengths of light throughout their life cycle to carry out photosynthesis, flowering and fruiting. In the early stages of their development, they use more blue light. When flowering and fruiting, they use more orange and red colors. The color and intensity of light required also varies by species. For this reason, some grow lights are designed to emit specific colors specific to specific plants at different times of their growing life. period is useful.

"White" light mimics sunlight by producing a full spectrum of red, blue and green light and is great for growing all types of vigorous seedlings. B. Incandescent bulbs emit a narrow range of wavelengths of light and have low intensity. In general, you will not be able to grow most plants.

Current lighting is provided by 4-foot T5 fluorescent lamps on a vertical stand.

Indoor Seed Varieties Start Grow Lights

Most gardeners use T5 grow lights (a type of fluorescent light) or LED grow lights to grow strong seeds and seedlings.

T5 grow lights

T5 grow lights are fluorescent lamps and are one of the most popular types of lighting for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers indoors. They're not like fluorescent lights in an office building: T5s produce twice the light intensity of standard fluorescent lights. T5 grow lights require a ballast to drive their currents and only fit into a specific pencil socket. They should hang at least 1 inch above the plants to avoid damaging the leaves due to the heat they give off.

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LED grow lights

LED grow lights are sold in rows with bulbs that emit different colors. Each LED can only produce a narrow range of colors, so LEDs must be mixed to provide the correct light spectrum for plant growth. On the other hand, it also allows manufacturers to customize the color wavelength for each model, allowing gardeners to meet more specific lighting needs based on the plants they grow. LED lamps consume less energy than T5, but they generate a lot of heat, so they should be hung at least 30 cm above the plants.

Once you create the space and install the lights, installing grow lights is easier than it looks. It's a gardening decision you won't regret, because your seedlings will be stronger than if they were growing in window light.

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References: Wikipedia: Grow Light , University of Minnesota Extension What types of lighting should you use to start seeds indoors? University of Maryland Extension grow lights for starting seeds indoors .

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