Plant Growth Lamp Lighting Requirements

Plant growth lamp lighting requirements

The specific needs of plants determine which lighting is best for optimal growth, and artificial light must mimic the natural light that plants are best suited for. If a plant doesn't get enough light, it won't grow, regardless of other conditions. For example: Vegetables grow best in full sun and thrive indoors, they need the same high light levels, while foliage plants (such as Philodendrons) grow in shade and can grow normally at lower light levels.How grow lights are used depends on the stage of plant growth. In general, it is recommended that plants receive 16 hours of irradiation with an 8-hour rest period during the seedling/growth stage; 18 hours of irradiation with a 6-hour rest period during the vegetative stage; and 12 hours of irradiation with a 12-hour rest period during the flowering stage.

Photoperiod: Many plants also require periods of darkness and light, an effect called a photoperiod, to trigger flowering. Therefore, a switch can turn the light on or off at a set time. The optimal photoperiod ratio depends on the type and variety of plants, as some prefer long and short nights, while others prefer opposite or moderate day lengths.When discussing plant development, great emphasis is placed on photoperiods.Plants that respond to photoperiodic flowers may have facultative or specific responses. A part-time response means that a plant will eventually flower out regardless of the photoperiod. Flowers grow faster under a particular photoperiod. Professional response means that plants will only flower when grown in certain light conditions.

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR): Often used to measure the brightness and lumens of light, but they are photometric units that measure the intensity of light perceived by the human eye.The spectral level of light available for photosynthesis is similar, but not the same, as measured by lumens; therefore, when measuring the amount of light a plant photosynthesizes, biologists typically measure the amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that a plant receives; PAR means The spectral range of solar radiation from 400 to 700 nanometers, which generally corresponds to the spectral range that photosynthetic organisms can use in the process of photosynthesis.