How to choose fluorescent lamps for indoor plants. Phyto-lamps (phyto-lamps) - lamps for plants and illumination of seedlings

Winter is a period unfavorable for indoor plants... Daylight hours are reduced to a minimum, and the weather is not happy with sunny days.

Under these conditions, photosynthesis, the basis of the life of a green cell, slows down and our “pets in pots” hardly make it to summer.

You can not dream of growing strong seedlings during this period, if you do not take care of artificial lighting of the beds.

How to help plants avoid sun starvation, and what innovations modern lighting technology offers in this area, we will talk in this article.

Which artificial light is best?

It is possible to provide plants with a flux of photons necessary for normal development with the help of artificial light sources. At the end of the last century, the answer to the question of which lamp for plants is better was solved simply. There were only two types of lighting devices: incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps. The former are not suitable for indoor greenhouses and growing seedlings. Their radiation spectrum is far from solar, and most of energy (95%) is spent on heat generation.

Fluorescent lamps are more profitable in this regard. They are several times more economical and create a more powerful luminous flux from one kilowatt of consumed energy. The spectral composition of their radiation is close to that of the sun. For this reason, they are called "lamps daylight».

Today, choosing a lamp for illuminating seedlings is not easy, as the market has replenished with new types of lamps. Despite the significant difference in design, all these devices are called phytolamps.

What is the fundamental difference between phytolamp and traditional artificial light sources? The fact that it generates photons not in a wide, but in a narrow color range, most favorable for photosynthesis.

It was experimentally established that the blue spectrum of the study stimulates the growth of plants, and the red one brings the beginning of their flowering closer and accelerates the ripening of fruits (graph No. 1).

Schedule. # 1 Two peaks of activity (blue and red) on the spectral characteristic of phytolamps - zones of maximum assimilation of light energy by chlorophyll

Phytolamps for seedlings are designed so that they do not create radiation harmful to green cells (ultraviolet and infrared), but at the same time they actively generate photons in the red and blue spectral regions.

Red phytolamps (their glow is visually perceived as pink) are designed to illuminate plants in the flowering and fruiting phase. Blue ones stimulate seedling growth and development of its root system. In the design of most phytolamps, blue and red glow are combined, which makes them universal sources of artificial light.

To obtain strong seedlings and successful wintering of indoor plants, you need to know the rules for using these devices:

The light should be directed similarly to the sun (from top to bottom).
Optimal distance from phyto-lamps to plants 25-40 cm.
To illuminate 1m2, the power of the device must be at least 70 W.
V winter period the natural duration of daylight hours must be increased by artificial backlight for 4-5 hours.
Seedlings for the first 3-4 days after germination need round-the-clock lighting... After that, the duration of the backlight for it is reduced (first to 16, and then to 14 hours a day).

Types of phytolamps

As we have already said, fluorescent lamps began to be used earlier than others to illuminate indoor plants and seedlings. Today, manufacturers have learned to change their luminescence spectrum in the optimal range for photosynthesis.

The positive qualities of these devices are not high price, high luminous efficiency and energy efficiency. TO weaknesses can be attributed to a low resource (no more than 10,000 hours) and a rapid decrease in the luminescence intensity as the lamp "ages". Taking this into account, this type of lighting devices is most profitable to install in greenhouses for short-term (3-4 weeks) supplementary lighting of seedlings located on a large area.

Luminescent phytolamps generate lilac-pink light. It is harmful to eyesight and can cause headaches. Therefore, in residential areas, they should be used with a mirrored reflective screen.

Energy saving phytolamps (housekeepers)

A modern type of fluorescent lamps. They differ from their predecessors in compact size, great resource(15000 hours), the presence of a built-in choke and a convenient "lamp" base such as e27.

But, experienced florists not happy with them. They prefer linear fluorescent phytolamps.

They explain their choice by the fact that the "housekeepers" have a lower light output due to the tightly twisted glass tube (self-darkening effect).

Sodium phytolamps

Economical, durable, characterized by high power and stability luminous flux... The orange-yellow glow they generate is beneficial to plants and does not irritate the eyes. Therefore, this type of luminaire can be used not only in greenhouses, but also in apartments. For home use(supplementary lighting of seedlings and flowers on the windowsill), one lamp with a power of no more than 100 watts is enough.

In rooms where there is no sunlight, sodium lamps are used together with fluorescent lamps (brands LB or LBT).

The disadvantages of this type of lamps include the high cost of ballasts. When using sodium lamps, you need to be careful, since their flasks get very hot (up to + 300C) and can explode if water drops hit the surface.

Induction lamps

By the principle of operation, they are similar to luminescent ones (an electric discharge in a glass tube initiates the glow of a phosphor). They differ significantly in design. The induction lamp has no internal electrodes, which significantly increases its service life (at least 60,000 hours). In terms of a 12-hour operation, this is about 20 years.

The brightness of the lamp with an induction coil decreases minimally over time (about 5%). It is not afraid of power surges and does not flicker when working. The lack of strong heating of the bulb allows you to place induction lamps in close proximity to plants, increasing the light intensity.

Their color rendition is as close as possible to the spectrum of sunlight. Therefore, induction lamps can be used without combining with other phytolight sources. The main disadvantage of these lamps is their high cost.

LED phytolamps

When creating phyto-luminaires, the designers did not disregard LEDs. They have many important benefits. Consuming a minimum of energy, LEDs generate powerful radiation. Its spectral composition is selected quite simply (by installing a certain number of blue and red diodes).

LED lamps for plants differ from other sources of phyto-light in their long service life (about 50,000 hours) and stable radiation characteristics, little dependent on the period and operating conditions. The heating of the LED module is low, which eliminates the risk of plant burns. Compact placement in one block with the ballast lamp, the use of a standard "lamp" base simplifies and reduces the cost of their use as a backlight.

Main characteristics of plant lamps

On the packaging of phytolamps, manufacturers indicate characteristics, many of which do not contain useful information for the user.

For example, consider the marking of an induction phytolamp:

Power 60 watts.
Luminous flux 4800 lm (lumens).
Energy efficiency 30-40 lm / w.
Color temperature 2000 / 7000K.
Color rendering 80 Ra.
Luminous flux stability 90%.
Service life 100,000 hours.

Of the seven given characteristics, only one is needed to calculate the illumination: luminous flux in lumens. Economic assessment the quality of the device can be made in terms of power, energy efficiency and service life. Color temperature and color rendering are quantities that do not belong to plants, but characterize the features of visual perception of the human eye.

For those who want to "break" their heads, understanding the spectral characteristics of phytolight, manufacturers offer to evaluate another parameter - PAR (PAR). It is an indicator of the photosynthetically active radiation of the lamp. It indicates the fraction of radiation that is optimally absorbed by plants (in blue and red spectra). We advise you not to complicate your life, but to trust trusted brands and buy their products.

Now let's answer the most important question: how many phyto lamps will be required to create sufficient illumination for the normal development of garden seedlings and house plants. Most of our green friends require an illumination level of 8,000 lux (lx). The lamps indicate a different value - the luminous flux in lumens (lm). The connection between them is simple: the illumination is equal to the luminous flux divided by the surface area.

For example, let's take the same 60-watt induction phytolamp. It generates a luminous flux of 4,800 lumens (lm). Let's say that we installed phyto-lamps with a reflector at a height of 30 cm from the seedlings, as recommended by experts in home plant growing. 30 centimeters of distance will reduce the luminous flux power by 1.3 times and it will be 4800 / 1.3 = 3 692 lm.

Now suppose the seedling box has a surface area of 1 m2. To illuminate such a plantation, you need 8,000 lux x 1.0 m2 = 8,000 lumens.

One induction lamp (60 W) with a reflector at a distance of 30 cm from the plants produces a light output of 3,692 lumens. Calculate required amount lighting devices is not difficult: 8,000 / 3,692 = 2.16. Round up to a whole number and get 2 lamps.

Manufacturers of phytolamps and lighting fixtures are trying to simplify the problem of choice for buyers. In the characteristics of their products, they indicate the recommended lighting area in m2.

Approximate prices for phytolamps and lamps

The average cost (for 2016) of a 36 W luminescent phytolamp Osram Fluora, popular among flower growers, is 700-900 rubles. A lamp equipped with such a lamp can be bought for 4,000-4,500 rubles.

A light-emitting diode lamp (LED) of the same power, designed for lighting 1m2, can be purchased for 2000-3300 rubles. The higher price of an LED lamp in this case is not an argument against buying it, since for equivalent illumination of the same surface (1m2), you will have to buy 4 fluorescent lamps.

Since the LED lamp is more suitable for spot illumination, then it is more profitable to buy a linear lighting device for growing seedlings. As an example, we can name a sealed LED lamp Solntsedar-P Fito with a power of 40 watts. His estimated price- 6400 rubles. With a length of 1.25 meters, it provides the necessary amount of light for seedlings on an area of 1 m2 (in complete darkness).

The average cost of a sodium phytolamp Reflux (Reflax) with a power of 70 W (5,700 lumens) is 1,000-1,200 rubles. For high-quality illumination of 1 m2 of seedlings, two such lamps will be required. Complete with a lamp, you can buy it for 5,000 rubles.

The approximate price of an 80 W induction lamp (6,500 lumens) equipped with a standard base (e27) is 5,300-6,200 rubles. Complete with a lamp, such a lamp can be purchased for 9,000 rubles.

Making a phyto-lamp with your own hands

A home craftsman can make a phytolamp for plants with his own hands. The easiest way is to work with LEDs, selecting them according to two parameters: color and power.

For assembly the simplest model homemade construction you will need 3 Watt elements in the following proportion:

blue - 4 pcs (wavelength 445 nm);
red - 10 pcs (660 nm);
white - 1 pc;
green - 1 pc.

The LEDs are mounted by gluing thermal grease to an aluminum heat sink plate. After installation, they are connected in series with wires using soldering and connected to a ballast device (driver) of suitable current strength.

On the back of the radiator, a fan is attached from the computer system unit.

Many summer residents grow flower and vegetable seedlings on their own. Good lighting seedlings are a very important condition successful cultivation any plants. If natural insolation is not enough, it is worth considering an additional artificial lighting device. The main thing in this process is to choose the right lighting device, which is quite realistic given enough wide range of of this product on the shelves of most stores. In this article, we will tell you what types of seedling lamps exist, how they differ, and what are their advantages and disadvantages.

What kinds of lamps are there for growing seedlings?

So, we found out - in order to effectively grow seedlings, you need special devices, which will fully compensate for the lack of insolation and allow plants to gain green mass without delay.

Seedling lamps are very different. Immediately we exclude incandescent lamps from the list, because they are unsuitable for use due to excessive heat generation and a lack of the necessary rays. The main types of devices that are most often used for plant illumination include phyto-lamps and energy-saving lamps.

Using phytolamps to illuminate seedlings

As soon as you "glance over" the current market of phyto-luminaires, you will see that there are simply a colossal number of them. The question arises, which lamps for seedlings to prefer? Mainly used luminescent, LED, halogen and sodium. What is the difference between them? This will be discussed further.

When choosing phyto-lamps, we recommend that you pay Special attention to those that are most suitable for you personally in terms of ease of installation (wall, ceiling, etc.), power and price. We recommend choosing compact phytolamps that give directional light for additional illumination of plants that are separately standing from each other.

Using energy-saving lamps to illuminate seedlings

The main advantage of these lighting fixtures is the choice of lamps with "daylight" spectrum, "warm" or "cold" (bispectral and induction lamps). The latter spectrum is necessary for supplementary illumination of plants during the period of vegetative growth and germination. A warm spectrum is needed for the flowering phase. As for the daylight, it is usually used to illuminate seedlings at any time, or as an independent light source for the whole plant cycle. Energy-saving lamps for seedlings have a fairly long service life (9-14 thousand hours) and low power consumption.

We recommend installing these types of energy-saving devices perpendicular to cassettes or boxes, which is very important for maximum illumination.

Placement of supplementary lighting lamps

When placing a lamp for illuminating seedlings, you need to know several important nuances:

If traces of burns appear on the leaves of plants, this indicates that the lighting device is suspended too low. It must be raised otherwise your seedlings will die very quickly.
Pale leaves and elongated stems are usually a sign that the light source is too far away. Lower the seedling lamp to let the plants get the light they need and gain strength.
Under artificial side lighting, the seedlings can bend the stems to the side, towards the light. In this case, we recommend that you change the position of the device and supplement the illumination of the plants from above.

In conclusion, we want to say that each plant requires an exclusively individual approach - here shade tolerance must be taken into account. Basically, seedlings of vegetables, flowers and other crops need sunlight for at least 12-13 hours a day, and some species need lighting for 20 hours. Consider this aspect when choosing a seedling lamp.

So, we looked at which seedling lamps are most effective. Remember that by using lamps, you will significantly reduce the formation time of plants for final planting in the ground. At the same time, the quality of seedlings will be incomparably higher, and the total percentage of weak, underdeveloped plants will noticeably decrease.

♦ Heading:

Ecology of consumption. Manor: How to help plants avoid sun starvation, and what innovations modern lighting technology offers in this area, we will talk in this article.

Winter is a period unfavorable for indoor plants. Daylight hours are reduced to a minimum, and the weather is not happy with sunny days.

Under these conditions, photosynthesis, the basis of the life of a green cell, slows down and our “pets in pots” hardly make it to summer.

You can not dream of growing strong seedlings during this period, if you do not take care of artificial lighting of the beds.

How to help plants avoid sun starvation, and what innovations modern lighting technology offers in this area, we will talk in this article.

Which artificial light is best?

It is possible to provide plants with a flux of photons necessary for normal development with the help of artificial light sources. At the end of the last century, the answer to the question of which lamp for plants is better was solved simply. There were only two types of lighting devices: incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps. The former are not suitable for indoor greenhouses and growing seedlings. Their radiation spectrum is far from that of the sun, and most of the energy (95%) is spent on generating heat.

It has been experimentally established that the blue spectrum of the study stimulates the growth of plants, and the red one brings the beginning of their flowering closer and accelerates the ripening of fruits (graph No. 1).

Schedule. # 1 Two peaks of activity (blue and red) on the spectral characteristic of phytolamps - zones of maximum assimilation of light energy by chlorophyll

To obtain strong seedlings and successful wintering of indoor plants, you need to know the rules for using these devices:

The light should be directed similarly to the sun (from top to bottom).
The optimal distance from phytolamp to plants is 25-40 cm.
To illuminate 1m2, the power of the device must be at least 70 W.
In winter, the natural duration of daylight hours must be increased by 4-5 hours due to artificial illumination.
Seedlings need round-the-clock lighting for the first 3-4 days after germination. After that, the duration of the backlight for it is reduced (first to 16, and then to 14 hours a day).

Types of phytolamps

The positive qualities of these devices are low price, high luminous efficiency and energy efficiency. The weak points include a low resource (no more than 10,000 hours) and a rapid decrease in the luminescence intensity as the lamp "ages". Taking this into account, this type of lighting devices is most profitable to install in greenhouses for short-term (3-4 weeks) supplementary lighting of seedlings located on a large area.

Luminescent phytolamps generate lilac-pink light. It is harmful to eyesight and can cause headaches. Therefore, in residential areas, they should be used with a mirrored reflective screen.

Energy saving phytolamps (housekeepers)

A modern type of fluorescent lamps. They differ from their predecessors by their compact size, long service life (15,000 hours), the presence of a built-in choke and a convenient "lamp" base such as e27.

However, experienced florists are not happy with them. They prefer linear fluorescent phytolamps.

They explain their choice by the fact that the "housekeepers" have a lower light output due to the tightly twisted glass tube (self-darkening effect).

Sodium phytolamps

Economical, durable, characterized by high power and luminous flux stability. The orange-yellow glow they generate is beneficial to plants and does not irritate the eyes. Therefore, this type of luminaire can be used not only in greenhouses, but also in apartments. For home use (supplementary lighting of seedlings and flowers on the windowsill), one lamp with a power of no more than 100 watts is enough.

In rooms where there is no sunlight, sodium lamps are used together with fluorescent lamps (brands LB or LBT).

Induction lamps

LED phytolamps

Main characteristics of plant lamps

On the packaging of phytolamps, manufacturers indicate characteristics, many of which do not contain useful information for the user.

For example, consider the marking of an induction phytolamp:

Power 60 watts.
Luminous flux 4800 lumens (lumens).
Energy efficiency 30-40 lm / w.
Color temperature 2000 / 7000K.
Color rendering 80 Ra.
Luminous flux stability 90%.
Service life 100,000 hours.

Of the seven given characteristics, only one is needed to calculate the illumination: luminous flux in lumens. An economic assessment of the quality of a device can be made in terms of power, energy efficiency and service life. Color temperature and color rendering are quantities that do not belong to plants, but characterize the features of visual perception of the human eye.

For those who want to "break" their heads, understanding the spectral characteristics of phytolight, manufacturers suggest evaluating another parameter - PAR (PAR). It is an indicator of the photosynthetically active radiation of the lamp. It indicates the fraction of radiation that is optimally absorbed by plants (in blue and red spectra). We advise you not to complicate your life, but to trust trusted brands and buy their products.

Now suppose the seedling box has a surface area of 1 m2. To illuminate such a plantation, you need 8,000 lux x 1.0 m2 = 8,000 lumens.

One induction lamp (60 W) with a reflector at a distance of 30 cm from the plants produces a light output of 3,692 lumens. It is not difficult to calculate the required number of lighting fixtures: 8,000 / 3,692 = 2.16. Round up to a whole number and get 2 lamps.

Manufacturers of phytolamps and lighting fixtures are trying to simplify the problem of choice for buyers. In the characteristics of their products, they indicate the recommended lighting area in m2.

Making a phyto-lamp with your own hands

A home craftsman can make a phytolamp for plants with his own hands. The easiest way is to work with LEDs, selecting them according to two parameters: color and power.

To assemble the simplest model of a homemade design, you will need 3 Watt elements in the following proportion:

blue - 4 pcs (wavelength 445 nm);
red - 10 pcs (660 nm);
white - 1 pc;
green - 1 pc.

On the back of the radiator, a fan is attached from the computer system unit.

Additional lighting of indoor plants is a guarantee of their full growth and development. Light is vital energy to support the natural process of photosynthesis. Consider the rules for choosing a lamp for a flower.

In the summer, green apartment dwellers receive it in unilaterally from the window through which the sun's rays make their way. With the advent of cold weather, they are in constant semi-darkness, spend extra energy, do not bloom, grow poorly.

You can fix the situation by creating artificial lighting.

To choose a full-fledged replacing the sun's rays, you should know that light has two characteristics - spectrum and light power. It is necessary to correctly select these parameters, taking into account the stages of development of the indoor plant.

Seedlings are easier to grow with the right lighting

Young seedlings especially need additional light. It affects cell division, elongation and formation.

For germination of seeds, growth of seedlings, more blue spectrum is needed. Only he can provide active photosynthesis and, accordingly, active growth. The power of the device at this stage can be low - up to 200 watts.

With the red spectrum shoots are getting stronger, flowering intensifies. But each spectrum cannot be considered separately. Chlorophyll under the influence different parts spectrum absorbs light, transforming energy.

Therefore, artificial lighting must match the spectrum of daylight.

Lamp and its color temperature

It's time to consider the types of lamps and their temperatures. It is measured in kelvin (K). There are such:

Incandescent lamp

Choose it to illuminate green spaces - bad idea... It gives off heat a lot. The plant is stretched. There is a danger of burning the leaves. The temperature of a 40 W bulb is 2200 K, 60 W is 2680 K.

There are more minuses than pluses: fragility, short service life, it quickly burns out with power drops.

Classic incandescent lamp

Luminescent

Presented in two types: general and special purpose. They differ only in the coating applied to the glass bulb. It is believed that the coating on lamps special purpose brings them closer to the desired spectrum.

Of the pluses: gives off light well, they have low heat transfer, efficiency.

By cons- ballast is required for operation (special equipment). They are electromagnetic and electronic - EMPRA and EPTRA (indicated on the package). Radiate warm and cold colors and correspond to suitable spectra.

Combine two types of lamps. 200 W lamp temperature warm color- 3000 K, cold - 3500 K.

Gas discharge

Used mainly by professionals in greenhouses, greenhouses, winter gardens... It is possible to use at home only in a non-residential area, since the strong brightness hurts the eyes.

There are mercury lamps that emit 2 times less luminous flux than sodium lamps. Their spectrum not suitable for seedlings.

Sodium is more consistent with the sun. Metal halide is the most expensive among gas-discharge devices. More suitable for vegetative growth.

Ready-made lamps

Ready-made appliances can be purchased in specialized stores. Leading - LED lights... They emit a flux of the desired spectrum.

Of the pluses- economical, ecological, energy saving with a long service life. They consume 10 times less electricity than fluorescent ones. They can work up to 100,000 hours without interruption.

They heat up to a maximum of 35 degrees. 1 diode consumes 1 W per hour. For comparison, luminescent - 15 - 65 W per hour. The efficiency of LEDs is 95%. A light bulb is screwed into a regular cartridge.

The finished luminaires are connected to a regular network. Exists different sizes and capacities, which allows you to select both for one flower and for shelf or rack(sell whole panels).

The diverse design of such devices allows them to be matched to the overall style of the room.

How to make lights on a windowsill

Modern devices allow you to make the backlight even on a regular window sill do it yourself... This requires:

Pick up plants of the same height.
Buy inexpensive lamps.
Arrange pots, boxes on the windowsill, behind them at the window, place foil or a mirror to reflect the rays.
Place the lamps on both sides of the window sill.

Can be connected to the mains.

Making backlighting with LED strips, you should know that cannot be plugged directly into an outlet... They need special unit for voltage transformation.

Features of lighting in winter

In cold weather, the number of hours for backlighting is extended. In winter, the choice of the device depends on the temperature characteristics of the plant. Heat-loving can hibernate with very little decrease in heat and daylight hours.

They should receive lighting throughout 12 hours... They spend it in the morning and in the evening.

In articles about caring for flowers, we often reveal the features of their wintering. So, we talked about the role additional lighting when told,.

V winter time plants need more light than summer

What is the peculiarity of the correct backlight

The correct backlighting depends on the greenest inhabitant. Need to find detailed information about him, only after selecting a suitable device.

The main feature of the additional illumination is compensate for the lack of sun... Therefore, you need to know the seasonal rates. This determines the effectiveness of artificial light depends on the length of the day and night in different times year, its intensity, the needs of the flower itself.

The right backlight should be a good growth stimulant.

Not all plants adapt to lack of light. By their appearance, they indicate the problem that has arisen.

Given the level of illumination, you can install the device correctly for support green dweller.

Signs of a lack of light

By appearance plants can determine whether it has enough light.

The shortage is shown by:

Elongated shoots.
Small pale leaves.
Rare flowers or lack thereof in flowering species.
Long internodes.
Yellowing, dropping, drying of the lower leaves.
Variegated the leaves gradually darken, turn green.

Having noticed such signs, you need to give the green friend an extra light.

You can accurately measure the amount of light in a room using a luxmeter. The meter will give an accurate reading.

What level of illumination do colors need?

Illumination is measured in suites... In nature, its level reaches 100,000 lux. This intensity is not required for flowers.

In winter, it is enough for plants:

This is the minimum level for maintaining life. Blooming flowers will need to increase the light level even up to 9000.

How to install a lighting fixture in an apartment

When installing lamps, you should know that when the distance from the flower to the lamp is doubled, the light intensity is reduced by four times.

Consider the distance to the lamp so that the plant neither burns nor stretches

When burns are visible on the leaves, the device is too close... Elongated stems indicate that the lamp is far away.

Place the lamp on top to avoid bending. Minimum distance to thermophilic - 15 mm, shade-tolerant - 55 mm.

The Rule of Three Fs for Plants

The correct development of flowers depends on three processes:

Photosynthesis which is dominated by red light. It speeds up the metabolism.
Photomorphogenesis determining growth and development. When the blue spectrum is not enough, the leaves are underdeveloped, the stems are elongated.
Photoperiodism taking into account the reaction of plants to the ratio of day and night (light and dark periods).

Every green tenant needs individual approach: different period lighting, number of light hours, specific time. Having studied everything in detail about each flower that lives in the house, you can choose the right lamp.

To make green friends feel good in an apartment at any time of the year, you need:

Make it possible to catch light longer with the help of additional devices. They need different colors spectrum for growth and development.

You do not need to constantly turn on the lamps in the dark. 12-14 hours is enough for a normal life. At night, important processes important for life take place.

For diffusion, you can make a matte screen that will create a universal glow for any green inhabitant.
Under artificial lighting, it is important make a schedule... He will not let the rhythm of life be disrupted.
Routine window cleaning and glass cleaning save energy by letting in more daylight.

Washing windows will allow you to get more sunlight, which is also beneficial for pets

If you choose the right additional lighting, then indoor "pets" will delight in appearance.

Growing seedlings at home is not an easy task. Plants often lack natural daylight and sunlight for full and normal growth, especially in winter. The first task that needs to be solved is to take care of additional effective lighting.

What lamps are needed for seedlings

You can illuminate areas, shelves or window sills where plants are grown using different types lamps. An excellent solution phytolamp or phyto-lamp is considered. Infrared, fluorescent, sodium or LED seedling lamps are widely used. These devices, unlike conventional incandescent lamps, do not emit excessive heat and do not damage the plant stem. They save energy while minimizing costs.

Phytolamps

Such devices have important advantage- create radiation as close as possible to sunlight. At the same time, they provide a certain length of daylight hours. This guarantees the maintenance of the normal functioning of the seedlings in the autumn-winter period. The phyto-light emitted by phyto-lamps restores the natural process of photosynthesis, increases the amount of produced carbohydrates, oxygen and energy. This accelerates nutrition, growth, and supports the development and health of plants.

LED lamp

Unlike other phyto-luminaires, LED or LED plant lamps have minimal power consumption, providing a high intensity of artificial light. They can shine in the red and blue spectra of radiation, which guarantees the rapid development of plants, do not develop a spectrum not used by seedlings, significantly activating the process of photosynthesis.

LED phytolamps for plants have the following advantages:

Profitability. The devices consume at least 8 times less electrical energy than standard seedling lamps.
Durability, high efficiency work. In the presence of heat dissipation, the lamps can function properly for 50 thousand hours.
Possibility of installing LEDs of different spectrum and power. This guarantees the receipt of lighting that ensures the full and rapid development of seedlings at any time of the year.
The ability to change the spectrum. To get blue, green, red or yellow light, which activates growth, nutrition and improves plant synthesis, you just need to replace the diode in the device with a suitable one.
Minimal heating. This allows you to install seedling lamps above the plants, eliminating the risk of burning their leaves.

LED lighting have one drawback - high cost. But if you wish, you can make them yourself, significantly reducing the cost of purchasing a finished device. On condition self-creation lamps for seedlings need to take into account the level of natural lighting in the room, the expected intensity of use, the type of plants grown and a number of other factors.

Luminescent

Lighting devices of this type for growing seedlings are preferred by 70% of gardeners. Lamps have a tubular shape, create both the main lighting and are used for supplementary lighting, give a diffused uniform light over the entire surface of the seedling box or cassettes. The ultraviolet light emitted by the devices is absolutely safe for plants, it does not cause burns to leaves and stems. Fluorescent lamps should be installed 15 cm above the seedlings. In this case, their lighting will be absolutely safe.

Fluorescent lamps for plants have the following advantages:

the whole range of colors necessary for the full growth and normal development of plants;
generation of an insignificant amount of heat by radiation;
an economically profitable device designed for different financial capabilities.

Sodium lamps for greenhouses

Lighting for seedlings at home using lamps of this type is of no less quality than lighting with similar devices. Luminaires with sodium lamps can be installed on windows, placed above and below the seedlings without the threat of leaf burns. The advantages of such devices:

minimum power consumption;
the development of a spectrum of rays necessary for the full development of seedlings;
high radiation power;
creating a warm climate in large and small rooms;
availability of service and repair;
relatively low price;
high power;
ergonomic and practical design.

When buying sodium lamps for seedlings, study them in detail specifications... Pay special attention to the power of the device, it should not exceed 100W, otherwise the seedlings may burn out. If the window sills in the house are up to 1.5 meters wide, then only one lamp is enough to create a normal level of artificial lighting.

Illumination of seedlings with energy-saving lamps

The advantage of LED luminaires is that the user has the ability to choose the desired spectrum. Distinguish between lamps with "warm", "daytime" and "cold" spectrum. The latter is used for additional highlighting of plants during germination and vegetative growth. The warm spectrum is indispensable for the flowering phase. The daytime spectrum is applied throughout the plant cycle.

LED lamps as illumination for seedlings are placed taking into account the following criteria:

if traces of burns appear on the leaves, the lighting equipment must be raised, otherwise the seedlings will die;
elongated stems and pale color of the leaves indicate that the lighting device is located too far, in which case it must be lowered;
If the lamp is mounted to the side, the seedlings can grow with a crooked stem, so it is best to place the lighting equipment above the plants from above.

DIY lighting for seedlings

If the budget for organizing lighting for seedlings is limited, it is quite possible to make the necessary lighting devices yourself, there are many available and inexpensive ways. The main thing is to follow all the instructions from the instructions and take into account the peculiarities of the plants. The best option for home use - phytolamps. The materials required to make them are inexpensive and the equipment is not time-consuming to maintain.

How to make a phytolamp

Step-by-step instruction:

drawing up a diagram (a drawing is being developed taking into account all technical parameters, each diode must overlap each other, in this case, the entire area under the lamp will be illuminated evenly);
preparation necessary materials(you will need an old lamp body, diodes - 20 white, 30 red, 10 simulating midday lighting, 20 blue, led drive);
assembly of equipment (using hot glue, the diodes are attached to the aluminum plate, installed circuit breaker, the device connects to the network).

DIY LED lamp

This view equipment that organizes effective lighting for seedlings at home is made in this way:

The necessary consumables are prepared in advance:

old energy saving light bulb;
a piece of one-sided fiberglass;
a set of radio components;
LEDs - red, white and blue;
capacitor, resistance.

A diagram is being prepared:

a circle with a diameter of 30 mm must be cut out of PCB or foil;
draw tracks on it with nail polish;
make a solvent for copper and place a board there to clean the tracks;
drill small holes in the board and solder all the parts.

Assembling the lamp:

need to disassemble old lamp and remove all insides, except for the wires that go from the base;
solder the manufactured circuit to the wires coming from the base.

Video: which light is better for seedlings

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