Proper Lighting is the most important factor for high quality plant growth. When depending only on indoor lighting, making the correct choices will be very rewarding. The following will help you make the right decisions so you can get the most from your investment on Indoor / Outdoor gardening. It has long been known that the green parts of plants, when exposed to light under suitable conditions of temperature and water supply, use Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere and release Oxygen to it. These gaseous exchanges are the opposite of those which occur in respiration and are the external manifestation of the process of Photosynthesis. The intensity, quality, and daily duration of illumination all have influence on the amount of Photosynthesis accomplished per day. The minimum light intensity at which a measurable rate of Photosynthesis occurs varies according to the species. Under natural conditions, maximum rates of Photosynthesis are attained in single leaves of many species at 25-35% of full sunlight intensity and in some shade species at even lower intensities.
For equal intensities, more photosynthesis appears to occur in the orange-short red and blue parts of the spectrum than in the green and yellow. In general, the longer the daily period of illumination, the more photosynthesis will be accomplished by a plant in the course of the day.
A: HID stands for High Intensity Discharge Lighting. They are more intense than any other Grow Lights available in the market today. They are good for growing vegetables, Flowers, and your favorite Herbs all year round.
Q: What are the differences between MH bulbs and HPS bulbs?
A: There are two types of HID Lights that are available. HPS which stands for High Pressure Sodium and MH which stands for Metal Halide bulbs. MH grow bulbs come in 175, 250, 400, 1000 and 1500 watt sizes, while the HPS grow bulbs comes in 150, 250, 400, 430, 600 and 1000 watt sizes. The difference between the MH and the HPS bulbs is that the MH provides a more intense blue spectrum for rapid growth, while the HPS provides a more intense red spectrum for seedling and cloning, as well as blooming and fruiting.
Q: How many Hours should I keep my Lights on in my garden?
A: This depends on what you are growing. For flowering plants that include Roses, Tomatoes etc. 16-18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness are needed daily for vegetative growth, and 12 hours of light combined with 12 hours of COMPLETE darkness for the fruiting and flowering phase.
Q: How much Light do I need?
A: 20-40 watts per sq. ft. is a general guideline. The more efficient the Light source, the less watts per sq. ft. needed. For example using 1-1000 watt metal halide light, in a 50 sq. ft. area would give you 20 watts per sq. ft. and a total of 120,000 lumens. Compare this to 3-400 watts metal halide lamps in the same space which will give you 24 watts per sq. ft. and a total of 120,000 lumens. You will get more light from a single 1000 watt light while using less wattage per sq. ft. in addition to savings on timers, and outlets. As a rule, 20 watts per sq. ft. using 1000 watt metal halides is the absolute minimum required. Since a given amount of light can only do so much, the same production can be obtained in a smaller space with less plants because the light is concentrated, and the plants can work more efficiently. Using more light also helps additional CO2 up take.
As discussed previously, the more light on the plants, the faster they grow. NOTE: To increase the effectiveness of HID lamps, and to make it possible for plants to receive maximum light especially from the side, line the walls with Mylar plastic sheeting. This is fast, easy to install, and is the most economical way to take advantage of it's reflective properties.
Follow the steps below to determine which system is best suited to your growing requirements.
High density lighting (HID) is more intense than standard lighting, making it suitable for growing vegetables, flowers and herbs all year. The basic types of HID lights are HPS and MH lamps. The more intense red spectrum of HPS bulbs make them suitable for seedlings, cloning, blooming and fruiting. MH lamps provide a strong blue spectrum required for rapid, stocky growth. The following list includes colors of lamps available and their primary horticultural use:
5K-7K Strong Blue Light Ideal for rapid growth phase, promoting strong, bushy growth. Enhances all around growth when used with super high output, HPS or 3K warm MH lamps.
4.2K-4200K Cool White Fluorescent Use as supplemental blue lighting with a 3K source.
4K-4000K Neutral Metal Halide For general plant growth. More rapid growth than 3700 Kelvin.
3.7K-3700K Softer Metal Halide Best single source for general plant growth. Produces shorter, bushier growth than 4000 Kelvin.
3K-3200K Warm Metal Halide For all phases of plant growth. Highest PAR value of all high intensity lighting.
2.7K-2700K High Pressure Sodium Red color mix for propagation, blooming, supplemental lighting.
Another important consideration in selecting a bulb is the total of PAR watts emitted. PAR Watts measure the watts of Photo synthetically Active Radiation (PAR) emitted by a lamp. They account for the nutritional value of light and are a direct measure of the light energy available for plant photosynthesis. The higher the PAR watt number the more effective your growing lamp will be.
We sell both horizontal, parabolic and conical reflectors. If you are unsure which is best for you call us with the size of your garden and your bulb wattage and we can determine the most suitable reflector.
- Average Life: Life expectancy of a lamp, based on laboratory tests
- Ballast: Provides power to drive lamp
- Base: Lamp end that inserts into socket
- BU: Base up position
- Burning Position: Position which lamp operates in
- Jacket: Outer glass envelope of bulb
- HID: High Intensity Discharge
- HOR: Horizontal position
- HPS: High Pressure Sodium
- Lumens: measurement of light output
- MH: Metal Halide
- MOG: Mogul base
- MOL: maximum length of lamp, base to tip
- PAR: watts Photosynthetically Active Radiation, light frequency best for photosynthesis
- U: Universal position Our Information section has several helpful books for determining lighting needs and our sales staff will also be glad to answer any questions you may have.