Lighting Your Hydroponic Garden

There are four basic building blocks on which plant life is based: light, water, nutrition and climate. Light is one of the most important factors to consider in the care of plants, especially in an indoor hydroponic garden. The most common factor that limits the growth of plants is the light source. All plants require light for photosynthesis. This is the way plants manufacture food. Without adequate light, food supplies dwindle and plants die.

Mother nature has seen fit to create just the right light for plants to grow in an outdoor garden. The responsibility for proper lighting for an indoor hydroponic garden falls on the gardener. If plants are not furnished with enough light in the correct spectrum, they cannot grow to their full potential and may even die.

Choosing a light - it's easier than you think

There are really only three choices a When it comes to artificial light for use in your indoor garden, there are three main choices: fluorescent, high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) lights. High pressure sodium and metal halide are grouped together as high intensity discharge lights (HIDs). Many of the fluorescents used in indoor gardening are more intense than your household fluorescent bulb and are commonly referred to as high output fluorescents.

Fluorescent Lights

Most experienced gardeners are familiar with fluorescent lights and learned first hand the problems inherent with this type of lighting. Poor results obtained from this type of lighting is caused by two problems; not enough bulbs to cover the growing area the light source too far away from the canopy of the plants.

With fluorescent bulbs, you need a minimum of four 54 watt four-foot-long bulbs to cover a 2’ by 4’ area.

With all artificial lights the light intensity is greatest near the bulb and diminishes quickly as you move away from the center. Thus, a light that gives 1000 lumens at 1 foot away will give off only 250 lumens at 2ft away. In addition, fluorescent bulbs give more of a diffuse light, like light on a cloudy day. This scattered light loses its energy quickly, so for good growth, fluorescent lights should be as close as possible to the plants without touching the canopy.

Due to the fact that fluorescent lights do not provide a lot of intense light, these lights are preferred for early stages of growth (vegetative growth). These are generally used only for vegetative growth or non-fruiting or non-flowering plants. Small fruits, such as jalapeno peppers, may be grown easily underneath high output fluorescents, but something as large as a brandywine tomato will be difficult to produce under these lights.

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting

HID lighting is available as either metal halide (MH) or high pressure sodium (HPS). Both of these lights are acceptable for growing most plants. Metal halide bulbs have a more blue spectrum that looks more like daylight, while the high-pressure sodium bulbs are more golden.

Metal Halide light produces an intense light of blue-white spectrum, and is excellent for vegetative plant growth. A plant grown under a halide light will often exhibit increased leaf growth and strong stem and branch development.

High-Pressure Sodium light puts off an orange light, which simulates the autumn sun. This light is best for fruiting and flowering – flowers will be larger and more prolific when these lights are used. Flowers and vegetables finished off under high-pressure sodium will show tighter, stouter blossoms with increased yields. High-pressure sodium lights are often used in commercial greenhouses. If there is to be only one light source for the entire life of a flowering plant, HPS is the best economical choice.

3 Simple Rules for Lighting

The Cost of Artificial Light

Often time the first question people as is "how much do grow lights cost?" There is no defined answer here because the costs depends on what plants you wish to grow and how big an area you have.

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