the right light for vegetative growth
In any garden, the vegetative stage is the foundation for a
successful fruiting or flowering stage. After all, it is during the
vegetative stage that the majority of the root mass is created
and the plant’s structure (the spacing between branches
and overall stem strength) is established. It is also during
this stage that many growers use manipulation techniques
to shape plants to increase yields. But aside from the various
plant manipulation techniques used by growers, there is one
other vital component that prepares a vegetative plant for a
strong finish: the artificial light source. A garden’s artificial
light is the sole energy source for all plant growth. It should
come as no surprise that indoor growers spend a lot of time
and money perfecting their garden’s lighting.
The lighting for the vegetative stage is just as important as
the lighting for the fruiting and flowering stage. There are a
few different types of lights commonly
used by growers for the vegetative
stage of growth and each has its
own advantages and disadvantages. Here is a closer look
at some of these lighting
technologies.
High Intensity
Discharge
High intensity discharge
(HID) lighting has been,
and remains, the most popular choice of lighting for
indoor horticulture. HID
lighting has been present
in the indoor horticulture
market since the beginning
and for good reason. HID
lights work really well for
growing plants because
they are intense enough to
penetrate the plant canopy
and grow tall, robust plants.
“HID lights
work really well
for growing plants
because they are
intense enough to
penetrate the plant
canopy and grow
tall, robust plants.”
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Maximum Yield USA | April 2015