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understanding different grow lights
UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT
GROW LIGHTS
by Chris Bond
Cost, available grow space,
and the type of crops being
grown all factor into which type
of light will best suit a grower’s
needs. Chris Bond provides insight
into the wide variety of grow lights
available on the market today.
44
feature
M
ost indoor plant growers are
aware that plants need different
types of light for good growth and
high yields. We, as human beings, see
light in the wavelengths that comprise the
visible spectrum (remember Mr. ROY G BIV?).
Plants use light in this range, but also need
the light that occurs at both higher and lower
wavelengths: ultraviolet (UV) and microwaves.
It is an oversimplification of the concept, but in
general, plants need more light from the blue side
of the spectrum during their seedling stage and when
developing foliage and require light from the orange to red
side of the spectrum while in blooming and fruiting phases.