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Lighting is one of the essential aspects of
hydroponic gardening. Indoor grow lights are
commonly used in hydroponics to provide lighting to
plants. This is because, for an indoor garden,
indoor grow lights are a suitable alternative to
sunlight.
There is a wide variety of indoor grow lights
available. Here are some tips to help you choose the
best
lighting system for your needs:
High Intensity Discharge Lights
High intensity discharge lights or HIDs are
electrical lights that are highly efficient.
Depending on the spectrum of light they produce,
they are classified into two types, i.e. metal
halide (MH) and high pressure sodium (HPS).
While MH lights provide light in the blue spectrum,
which promotes leaf and shoot growth, HPS indoor
grow lights are more suitable for flowering, as they
emit red or orange light. Here are some tips to
maximize the benefits of HID lights:
- Use MH lights for 18-24 hours daily to
promote growth. HPS lights generally run for
around 12 hours per day, to ensure optimum
flowering and fruiting
- HID lights should be positioned slightly
away from the plants so that the plants are not
exposed to the heat that the lights generate.
Small systems (up to 250 watts) should be hung
1-2 feet away, while large lighting systems
(over 1000 watts) need to be fitted at least 2
feet away from the plants. Using air cooled
lights will allow you to keep the lights closer
to the plant canopies thereby giving your plants
a higher lumen output
Other Light Sources
Apart from HID
lights, there are many other
indoor grow lights available for hydroponic
gardens. Full spectrum
T-5 fluorescent grow lights produce high
light output and generate less heat, making them
ideal for young plants and shade-loving plant
varieties. Incandescent grow lights are cheap
but ineffective as far as light output is
concerned. A newer light source that is now
available is the light emitting diode (LED)
light. Although advertised as highly efficient,
it has not yet been proven to outperform
currently available indoor grow lights. |
