understanding different grow lights
“ REMEMBER THAT
all plants still need a
daily period of darkness
to complete their
normal cycles.”
The amount of peer-reviewed literature on
this new technology useful for the layman
is scant, so it is difficult to glean an unbi-
ased review of their performance. Of all
the possible options in grow lights, the
sulfur plasma light is touted to emit light
in frequencies and wavelengths closest
to that of the sun. It is the only grow light
that emits lights via microwaves. Its effi-
ciency has been reported by some European
researchers as high as 70 per cent.
Final Considerations
Don’t forget about the inverse-square
rule when placing your grow lights. The
amount of light that is scattered or lost
grows exponentially larger the higher the
lights are suspended over the crops. Every
time you double the distance between your
light source and your plants, they receive
one-fourth of the amount of light than when
you started. This is important when consid-
ering a type of grow light that produces a
lot of heat, which needs to be kept away
from crops to avoid burning of foliage.
Ultimately, whichever light is chosen for
optimal growth, remember that all plants
still need a daily period of darkness to
complete their normal cycles. The amount
of darkness a plant experiences provides
cues to the plant regarding when to
flower or when to produce vegetative
growth (photoperiodism).
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