LED lamps for additional lighting of seedlings. DIY sun for seedlings: making lighting! How to do backlighting correctly

Seedlings of any plants require additional lighting. Lamps that emit ultraviolet light help out. They come in induction, halogen, sodium, and LED. In shape they are pipes, ribbons, spotlights. Read how to choose the right backlight.

Rules for choosing a lamp with ultraviolet radiation

Natural sunlight is important for plant growth and development. Without it, future seedlings become pale, lethargic, susceptible to illnesses and pests. To get strong, healthy seedlings, you need to make up for the lighting deficiency in time by choosing the appropriate lamp. Their range is large, and before buying a suitable device, it is worth considering:

needs of young shoots;
ergonomics of the lamp at home;
savings opportunity and energy efficiency.

It is impossible to completely replace the sun with artificial lighting. The gardener’s task in this case is to select a color spectrum as close as possible to natural radiation. In nature, the following sequence of colors is distinguished:

infrared, invisible to humans - has bactericidal properties, promotes the development of lush green mass;
red – optimizes chlorophyll production, stimulates germination, flowering, foliage development;
orange – accelerates the process of fruit ripening;
yellow and green - important as components of lighting, reflected from foliage;
blue and dark blue - affect photosynthesis, root development, thanks to them the shoots do not stretch;
ultraviolet, invisible to the human eye, helps fight diseases and promotes the development of the above-ground part of seedlings.

Each of the colors visible to humans has its own temperature, which increases gradually. The minimum is for red, 1500 K, the maximum is for violet, 8000 K. For good development of seedlings, you need light with a temperature of 1500 and 6000-7000 K. Red and blue-blue correspond to these indicators. In the first few weeks, more blue is needed for reliable rooting of sprouts; after transplanting, an equal amount of both colors is required.

Attention! It is definitely not recommended to use traditional incandescent lamps for seedlings - those that are most often used for home lighting. 95% of the energy in them is transformed into heat, which can lead to overheating of the sprouts, their clarification, and also the occurrence of burns.

Characteristics of halogen, fluorescent and induction lamps

It is believed that halogen lamps are not the best option for illuminating seedlings. They are brighter than incandescent lamps, but they heat up less. Over time, their level of dedication decreases. At the same time, the use of halogen lamps is justified in cases where it is necessary to add red color - its temperature here is 3000 K, i.e. twice as much as usual.

Fluorescent lamps are more suitable for lighting seedlings. They are economical because they consume little electricity, do not heat the air and provide a lot of light. However, their spectrum contains virtually no red light. Therefore, their use is especially undesirable when germinating tomatoes, cucumbers and citrus fruits.

At the same time, fluorescent light sources contain a lot of blue and violet rays, which are useful for the development of roots. Another advantage is that you can choose a light bulb with any spectrum: warm, cold or daylight. Each of them has its own characteristics:

Warm – good during the flowering period.
Cold – necessary during the vegetative growth phase.
Daytime - used at any time, sometimes throughout the entire seedling growing cycle.

Advice. There are special phytoluminescent lamps for illuminating seedlings, which have a long service life and are economical. However, they emit an unnatural lilac-pink color, so using them in a living room - for example, on a windowsill - is undesirable.

Induction lamps also consume little energy, allowing you to save on electricity. At the same time, they have a fairly high light output. The most advanced are bispectral lamps that emit both red and blue colors. These lamps do not flicker and distribute light evenly.

Pros and cons of sodium lamps for seedlings

Very often, such lighting devices are used in greenhouses. They emit red-orange light, which has a beneficial effect on mature plants in the flowering and fruiting stages. Sodium lamps do not irritate the eyes, so they can be used at home. But for this you should choose a lamp with a power of up to 100 W.

Additional benefits of sodium lamps:

economical energy consumption;
effective use both in greenhouses and in small areas with seedlings;
long service life.

Disadvantages include:

relative bulkiness;
absence of blue color in the spectrum;
complex connection;
the need for additional use of a control device.

Advice. You can increase the energy efficiency of a sodium lamp by using a capacitor when connecting.

Description of LED lamps for plants

Today this type of lighting is perhaps the most common. To the human eye, such radiation appears gloomy, but for plants its red-blue spectrum is optimal. LED lamps are more expensive than others, but they have a number of advantages:

Economical.
Durability. Service life – up to 50 thousand hours.
Easy to repair - an LED that has become unusable can be replaced.
Quick turn on and flicker-free light.
Low heat – plants do not get burned.
Possibility of installing LEDs of different spectrum and power. This allows you to select the radiation required by seedlings in a specific period as correctly as possible. For example, if you need to add blue or red.
Small dimensions.

It is worth giving preference to a specific model, taking into account where the lighting will be located, for which crop seedlings and at what distance from the tops of the sprouts. Depending on the type of racks and the number of seedlings, you can choose a lamp of any shape. In stores you will find the following varieties:

Pipe. Often used on a windowsill or in long narrow rows.
Tablet (another name is phytopanel). Looks like a big square. Used by professional agronomists to illuminate seedlings on wide shelves.
Single lamp. The most suitable option for additional lighting of a small number of sprouts at home.
Spotlight. Cover a wider area compared to single lamps. At the same time, they work effectively at a great distance from the seedlings.
Ribbon. It can be assembled in any order. Typically used for making DIY lighting yourself.

The hotter the lamp gets, the higher it should be placed above the containers with seedlings. You can find out the temperature of the operating device from the description of its technical characteristics.
At different stages of development, plants need different lighting. For example, immediately after sowing, future seedlings need to be illuminated around the clock. During this period, the blue-blue spectrum is useful. Next you need to add red.
Do not forget about an individual approach to each crop - take into account the shade tolerance of plants. The average length of daylight hours for vegetable sprouts is 12-13 hours. At the same time, tomatoes require 14-16 hours, cucumbers - 13-15 hours, white cabbage - 16 hours, peppers - 9-10 hours.
Reflectors and light screens, as well as reflectors, help to illuminate effectively and at the same time save energy. You can make them yourself. The easiest way is to put a kind of white shield on the windowsill - for example, made of matte cardboard. You can cover it with foil - everyone probably knows its reflective ability.

Also pay attention to how the sprouts develop under the influence of additional artificial lighting, and make adjustments in time:

the appearance of burns on the leaves is a sign of a low-lying phytolamp. Hang it higher;
pale leaves, overly elongated stems are signals of a diametrically opposite problem: the lamp hangs too high/far. Lower it to allow the seedlings to gain strength;
the stems are pulled to the side, become crooked, deformed - they overdid it with side lighting. Place the light source at the top.

Regardless of which lamp you decide to choose, it is important to use it correctly. Only in this case will it be possible to improve the quality of seedlings and reduce the number of weak plants.

How to choose a lamp for plants: video

Lamp for additional illumination of plants: photo

To grow seedlings, a sufficient amount of light is required; in conditions of deficiency of natural light, artificial lighting should be used. To get healthy seedlings at any time of the year, learn what equipment is best to choose, what time to turn on additional lighting, and how to install lamps to illuminate seedlings with your own hands. Only proper lighting is safe and effective for seedlings, and errors in calculations often lead to the death of fragile crops.

Sprouts under artificial light

Why do you need to highlight seedlings?

The happy owner of southern windows and balconies has to worry less about artificial lighting for growing seedlings. The rest should think in advance about how, where and with what devices it is best to illuminate developing plants.

It is quite clear what kind of light seedlings need - the closest to natural light. The sun's rays provide plants with the vital energy they need for photosynthesis. Leaves absorb light radiation and photochemical reactions occur in them, as a result of which organic substances are synthesized from minerals.

Homemade device

In the short-day conditions of the cold period of the year, additional illumination of seedlings is simply necessary. Otherwise, you won’t get good planting material. The lack of light has a depressing effect, the sprouts become weak and frail, and can stretch out greatly in an attempt to get at least a little more sunlight.

If you use additional lighting, the seedlings begin to noticeably grow stronger and form new leaves, their color becomes more saturated.

The Sun sends light energy to Earth, consisting of photons (segments of electromagnetic waves of different lengths). A visible white beam can be decomposed into photons of different colors (electromagnetic spectrum), differing in wavelength (red has the longest, blue and violet have the shortest).

Effective range of photosynthesis

According to research, light waves of red and blue colors have the greatest influence on plant development. Rays of the blue part of the spectrum (400-500 nm long) regulate the growth rate and contribute to the formation of thick stems. Red light waves (600-700 nm) ensure productive photosynthesis and intensive leaf growth.

Mini shelving with lighting

When to light seedlings

When seedlings are placed on a windowsill, additional lighting is used in the morning and evening periods of the day (a couple of hours before dawn and 1-2 hours after sunset) to increase the total lighting time during the short daylight hours of winter. If natural lighting is difficult due to cloudiness, the presence of trees and buildings outside the window, and an unfavorable location, then more artificial lighting is required.

If it is impossible to place containers under the sun, all responsibility for providing light energy falls on electrical devices, which must maintain parameters as close as possible to natural ones.

Do seedlings need light at night? Seedlings need a period of night rest due to physiological processes. Some of the reactions of photosynthesis occur under conditions of light absorption (oxidative processes with the release of oxygen and hydrogen, energy storage), and in the dark, carbohydrate molecules are formed with energy consumption.

Illumination in the evening

Therefore, it is not recommended to illuminate seedlings around the clock. This is even dangerous for the health of plants; their leaves may become covered with brown spots.

Although some experimenters conduct experiments on round-the-clock illumination of their seedlings and claim that the plants develop faster and become stronger.

How much light do seedlings need?

Developing plants need regular lighting. Seedlings should be provided with sufficient light for about 8-12 hours (more for some crops). The length of time the plants are illuminated depends on how much sunlight they receive.

For plants, not only the length of the period during which they receive light energy is important, but also its volume. The luminous flux must be of the required power, and the illumination (the amount of luminous flux per unit area) must be at least 6000 lux (optimally 8000 lux).

The level of illumination that is comfortable for plants is regulated by bringing artificial sources closer or further away; some lamps also allow you to change the emission power.

Nursery on the window

To calculate the illumination level of seedlings and determine the required number of lamps, pay attention to their power (watts) - for a lighting area of 1 square. m requires 100-150 watts (when using energy-saving lamps) for a room and 35-50 watts for a window sill.

The light source should emit in the range of 300-800 nm, with red and blue rays predominant. In order for artificial lighting to have the most effective effect on the development of crops, it should be taken into account that in each period of development, seedlings need rays of a different spectrum.

For a seed that does not yet have chlorophyll, the presence of light radiation in the red spectrum is important, which stimulates germination, and in green seedlings it affects the intensity of development.

Blue light prevents plants from stretching excessively, promotes cell division and the formation of strong planting material with good immunity. At the very beginning, the rays of the blue spectrum should predominate, then the ratio of red and blue is 2 to 1 (3 to 1), and after picking, an equal number of them is required.

Combined backlight with rays from the red and blue ranges

Choosing lamps for illuminating seedlings at home

The product range of lamps and fixtures is quite diverse in type, purpose and price. There is always the opportunity to choose a device suitable for specific needs and financial capabilities or buy what is needed for self-production. You should familiarize yourself with the parameters and advantages of various lamps and make the right choice.

LED lamps - cost-effectiveness and efficiency

LED illumination of seedlings is considered the best alternative to artificial lighting for plants. Modern LEDs cover the entire visible range of light. Therefore, by making combinations of different colors, it is possible to obtain artificial lighting with any necessary spectral composition.

Before choosing LED lamps for seedlings, you need to familiarize yourself with their main technical characteristics. Compared to other sources, they combine a number of advantages:

compact size;
low level of electricity consumption (1 W/hour per 1 diode);
The efficiency of photosynthetically active (assimilated by plants) radiation is 99%;
high light output (about 100 lm/hour);
long service life (100,000 hours);
resistance to external factors (mechanical stress, temperature changes, humidity);
safety to use.

Plants under LED lighting

Not all LED lights are suitable for growing plants. Models marked led grow, which emit light in a spectrum favorable for plants, are suitable for LED lighting.

You can make LED strip lighting yourself. First you need to calculate the required luminous flux. To do this, you will need to know the area of crops, the height of the suspension and the power of the belt. The LED strip has an adhesive base, so it is easy to fix it at the required height.

Sodium lamps for seedlings

The so-called agricultural high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS) are traditionally used in domestic practice as an affordable source of artificial lighting. Compared to LED lights, they are less efficient and economical, but are quite suitable at home for lighting small areas of crops.

The performance parameters of sodium lamps are as follows:

The efficiency of assimilated radiation is 26-30%;
light output – up to 150 lm/W;
operating life – up to 24,000 hours;
electricity consumption – more than 70 W/hour per 1 lamp.

NLVDs are an order of magnitude cheaper than LED ones. The main disadvantage of sodium lamps for seedlings is the very small (~8%) radiation in the blue region of the spectrum, which is partially compensated by introducing special additives into the lamp.

Sodium lamps and the spectral composition of the light they emit

Fluorescent lamps for growing plants

Fluorescent lamps are also used to illuminate plants, but it is advisable to use them only in a small area. Conventional models of such lamps are ineffective from the point of view of growing plants. A fluorescent lamp for seedlings must have a two-component phosphor coating with maximum radiation in the blue and red regions.

Their technical parameters are as follows:

The efficiency of assimilated radiation is 20-22%;
light output – up to 80 lm/W;
operating life – up to 15,000 hours;
electricity consumption is about 20-60 W/hour per 1 lamp.

Planting under fluorescent lighting

Fluorescent lamps are characterized by low power and insufficient radiation in the red region of the spectrum. Therefore, they are used only at the stage of growing seedlings.

Phytolamps are the ideal choice

Phytolamps are lamps specially designed for illuminating plants with a specified spectral composition of radiation. In small doses, they also emit ultraviolet light (to provide resistance to low temperatures) and infrared light (a metabolic stimulant). LED lamps are the best phytolamps for seedlings, due to their technical parameters. Luminescent ones are inferior to them in terms of efficiency and quality of emitted light.

Illumination with photo lamps

Phytolamps are very convenient to use at home. The design of phytolights for seedlings allows you to adjust the angle and brightness level of the lighting at any time. They are attached to the ceiling or other surfaces using special clamps.

Phytolight for home

DIY lighting installation

It is not difficult to fix the lamps yourself, especially if it is a special phytolamp. It is important to correctly calculate the distance from additional lighting to the seedlings and take care of the brackets.

Homemade adjustable bracket for illuminating seedlings

Important rules for installing lighting fixtures

When planning to install lighting for seedlings on the windowsill, you should be guided by the following considerations:

first of all, ensure safe operation (prevent the possibility of moisture getting on the devices and tipping over);
It is best to place the lamps from above, in this case the lighting reaches the plants as much as possible;
use reflectors (made of white fabric or foil) to direct the light flux to the desired location.

Homemade rack made of PVC pipes with lighting

When illuminating seedlings in an apartment without a natural source, a good solution would be to build a special rack (it takes up little space and can be disassembled after use), and place lamps above the shelves. In this case, additional illumination needs to take the longest time, so the possibility of overheating of the devices should be excluded.

At what distance from the seedlings should lighting lamps be placed?

It is important to choose the optimal location of the lamps; if they are too close, the plants may get burned. Greater distances significantly reduce illumination and energy is wasted inefficiently.

Typically, the height at which the lamps are located is within 10-40 cm from the seedlings. At the shortest distance, the illumination is placed when the crops are pecking. You should check by turning on the lighting and placing your palm at what distance the heat will not be felt. It is desirable to be able to adjust the height as the seedlings grow.

The distance depends on the type of lamp and the age of the seedlings

Seedling lamps can be screwed into a regular table lamp or securely mounted together with the socket on a self-made stand (using bolts, self-tapping screws or special glue). This can be a rectangular hanging panel or other stable structure.

To install lighting for seedlings, it is very convenient to use brackets (special support parts for vertical fastening). They can be firmly screwed into place where they will support shelves or lamps.

Homemade lamp from LED strip

How to make an LED lamp + video

You can make a simple lamp yourself as follows:

Prepare materials and tools - a backlight lamp with a socket and power cord, a construction beacon made of galvanized steel (has a stiffening rib and perforation holes), bolts and nuts, pliers.
To make a stable support, bend the lighthouse into a rectangular frame that matches the size of the window sill.
In the middle, install a vertical stand in the form of a frame of two parts - lower vertical stands and an upper U-shaped curved part. The rack supports allow you to adjust the height of the structure by extending it to the desired length and fixing it with bolts.
Strengthen the rigidity of the fastening by screwing the jibs through the holes in the beacon on both sides.
Attach the lamp socket to the top of the frame using bolts; if required, you can attach several lamps.

Video: DIY lamp for seedlings

Additional lighting for growing strong seedlings with your own hands is simply necessary and there are many options for every taste and income that can be easily implemented at home. You can make the most of available materials or purchase everything in a set; the main thing is to correctly and effectively illuminate young plants, guided by the positive experience already gained.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands never get bored!

Content

Growing seedlings at home is not an easy task. Often, natural daylight and sunlight are not enough for plants to grow fully and normally, especially in winter. The first task that needs to be solved is to take care of additional effective lighting.

What lamps are needed for seedlings?

You can illuminate areas, shelves or window sills on which plants are grown using different types of lamps. An excellent solution is a phytolamp or phytolight. Infrared, fluorescent, sodium or LED lamps for seedlings are widely used. These devices, unlike conventional incandescent lamps, do not emit excessive heat and do not damage the stems of plants. They save energy by minimizing costs.

Phytolamps

Such devices have an important advantage - they create radiation that is as close to sunlight as possible. At the same time, they provide a certain duration of daylight hours. This guarantees the maintenance of normal seedling activity in the autumn-winter period. Phytolight emitted by phytolamps restores the natural process of photosynthesis, increases the amount of carbohydrates, oxygen and energy produced. This accelerates nutrition, growth, and supports the development and health of plants.

LED bulbs

Unlike other phytolights, LED lamps for plants have minimal power consumption, providing high intensity artificial light. They can shine in the red and blue radiation spectra, which guarantees the rapid development of plants, do not produce a spectrum not used by seedlings, significantly activating the process of photosynthesis.

LED phytolamps for plants have the following advantages:

Economical. The devices consume at least 8 times less electrical energy than standard seedling lamps.
Durability, high performance. With heat dissipation, the lamps can function properly for 50 thousand hours.
Possibility of installing LEDs of different spectrum and power. This guarantees the receipt of lighting that ensures the full and rapid development of seedlings at any time of the year.
Possibility of changing the spectrum. To get blue, green, red or yellow light that activates growth, nutrition and improves plant synthesis, you simply need to replace the diode in the device with a suitable one.
Minimal heating. This allows you to install seedling lamps above the plants, eliminating the risk of burns to their leaves.

LED lighting devices have one drawback - high cost. But if you wish, you can make them yourself, significantly reducing the cost of purchasing a finished device. If you create lamps for seedlings yourself, you need to take into account the level of natural light in the room, the expected intensity of use, the type of plants being grown and a number of other factors.

Luminescent

70% of gardeners prefer to use lighting devices of this type for growing seedlings. The lamps have a tubular shape, create both basic lighting and are used for supplementary lighting, providing diffused, uniform light over the entire surface of the seedling box or cassettes. The ultraviolet light emitted by the devices is absolutely safe for plants; it does not cause burns to the leaves and stems. Fluorescent lamps must be installed at a distance of 15 cm above the seedlings. In this case, their lighting will be absolutely safe.

Fluorescent lamps for plants have the following advantages:

the entire spectrum of colors necessary for the full growth and normal development of plants;
generation of a small amount of heat by radiation;
A cost-effective device designed for different financial capabilities.

Sodium lamps for greenhouses

Lighting for seedlings at home using lamps of this type is no less high quality than lighting with similar devices. Lamps with sodium lamps can be installed on windows, placed above and below seedlings without the threat of leaf burns. The advantages of such devices:

minimal energy consumption;
development of the spectrum of rays necessary for the full development of seedlings;
high radiation power;
creating a warm climate in large and small rooms;
availability of maintenance and repair;
relatively low price;
high power;
ergonomic and practical design.

When purchasing sodium lamps for seedlings, study their technical characteristics in detail. Pay special attention to the power of the device; it should not exceed 100W, otherwise the seedlings may burn. If the window sills in the house are up to 1.5 meters wide, then only one lamp is enough to create a normal level of artificial lighting.

Illumination of seedlings with energy-saving lamps

The advantage of LED lamps is that the user has the opportunity to choose the required spectrum. There are lamps with a “warm”, “daytime” and “cold” spectrum. The latter is used for additional illumination of plants during germination and vegetative growth. The warm spectrum is indispensable for the flowering phase. The daylight spectrum is applied throughout the entire plant cycle.

LED lamps as lighting for seedlings are placed taking into account the following criteria:

if burn marks appear on the leaves, the lighting equipment must be raised, otherwise the seedlings will die;
elongated stems and pale color of leaves indicate that the lighting device is located too far away, in which case it must be lowered;
If the lamp is placed on the side, the seedlings may grow with a twisted stem, so it is best to place the lighting equipment above the plants.

DIY lighting for seedlings

If the budget for organizing lighting for seedlings is limited, it is quite possible to make the necessary lighting devices yourself; there are many accessible and inexpensive ways. The main thing is to follow all the instructions from the instructions and take into account the characteristics of the plants. The best option for home use is phytolamps. The materials required for their manufacture are inexpensive, and servicing the equipment does not require excessive time.

How to make a phytolamp

Step-by-step instruction:

drawing up a diagram (a drawing is developed taking into account all technical parameters, each diode must overlap each other, in this case the entire area under the lamp will be illuminated evenly);
preparing the necessary materials (you will need an old lamp body, diodes - 20 white, 30 red, 10 simulating midday light, 20 blue, led drive);
equipment assembly (using hot-melt adhesive, diodes are attached to an aluminum plate, a circuit breaker is installed, the device is connected to the network).

DIY LED lamp

This type of equipment, which organizes effective lighting for seedlings at home, is manufactured in the following way:

The necessary consumables are pre-prepared:

old energy-saving light bulb;
a piece of one-sided fiberglass;
a set of radio components;
LEDs – red, white and blue;
capacitor, resistance.

The scheme is being prepared:

You need to cut a circle with a diameter of 30 mm from PCB or foil;
draw paths on it using nail polish;
make a copper solvent and place the board there to clean the traces;
Drill small holes in the board and solder all the parts.

Assembling the lamp:

you need to disassemble the old lamp and remove all the insides, with the exception of the wires that come from the base;
Solder the manufactured circuit to the wires coming from the base.

Video: which light is best for seedlings

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Spring is coming, which means it's time to plant seedlings. As you know, in order for seedlings to grow and bear fruit, they need care and light. How to make lighting for seedlings, what lamps are needed, and the benefits of lighting. All these questions will be answered in this article.

Why do you need lighting for seedlings?

Light for plants is an integral part of their life. With proper lighting, any plant will be strong, healthy and fruitful. Pros of backlighting:

In this way, daylight hours can be extended, which is very important for early seedlings.
additional lighting guarantees proper growth for the plant, preventing the seedlings from stretching towards the light.
Proper lighting gradually develops seedlings to adult culture.

When it comes to lighting, the main thing is to bring it as close as possible to sunlight. Sunlight is beneficial for plants due to:

red rays, which are responsible for the development and growth of plants
blue rays, which ensures proper cell development
yellow and green light is reflected from plant leaves, but it is needed

When installing the backlight, these recommendations must be taken into account.

If there is poor lighting, then plant photosynthesis will be sluggish. The plant slowly gains biomass, the seedlings get sick. Each plant has its own preferences for the light spectrum.

What kind of light do seedlings need?

before picking seedlings. You need to use blue and red light, in the proportion of two red and one blue. Blue light will perfectly stimulate the growth of roots, but it will slow down the development of the stem - it will grow wider, not higher. The stem will be thick, and there will be a large distance between the leaves.
after the pick. You need to reduce the lighting for two or three days. The plant is stressed and needs rest. Over the course of a month, you need to highlight the seedlings one to one, blue, red.

Lamps for illuminating seedlings at home

There are several options for illuminating seedlings:

lighting without lamps on the windowsill
illumination with various lamps

When using one or another lighting method, there are pros and cons.

Backlight without lamps

For lighting on the windowsill, you can use a structure made of corton boxes covered with foil. Take a box, cut off the top and side wall, leaving small sides. The boxes need to be covered with foil and placed behind the plants. Sunlight hits the foil and comprehensively illuminates the seedlings. This method is very economical and accessible, but has some disadvantages:

cloudy weather when the sun is hidden behind the clouds
location of windows on the north side of the house

Given these data, the foil cannot cope with the lighting, and lamps are needed here.

An important process for this choice is to choose the right lamps. They are:

High pressure sodium lamps.

The lamp will provide a stable supply of warm light to the seedlings, which will have a beneficial effect on their growth.

It is worth considering the disadvantage that these lamps require a power regulator, and are expensive; it would be reasonable to use them for those gardeners who grow crops for sale; for amateurs this is not a justified expensive option.

Phytolamps

Phytolamp

A good solution for illumination is the spectrum of this lamp is violet-pink, which is ideal for plants, but the disadvantage of this method is that the light from the lamp is harmful to humans, a special light reflector is required.

The appearance of the lamps is similar to LED ones, but the spectrum indicator is different. The heat transfer is very small, which is good for plants. You can combine LEDs and phytolamps, this method is very economical.

Sodium metal halide elements

An affordable way to illuminate seedlings is also effective. But in the spectrum of this lamp there is little blue light, minus the plants develop and sprout poorly, it is more suitable for adult plants.

Mercury vapor lamps close to sunlight. Their light is white, more suitable for humans than for plants. They don't get very hot.

Fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamps shine brightly, but their color lacks the red spectrum. The light is very cold. Low radiation, can be illuminated over plants. The spectrum of these lamps can replace sunlight. The lamps themselves are inexpensive and have a long service life. Consumes little electricity. Can be used around the clock.

Incandescent lamps

This lighting method is useless. The lamps heat up very much, and it turns out that the seedlings are fried, and the light spectrum is poor for illumination.

LED lights

The best way to light. It has a number of significant advantages for the gardener. Using an LED strip, you can create an ideal lamp with a spectrum of blue and red light. Affordable price. LEDs consume little electricity and shine up to six thousand lux. Very easy to install - even women can handle it.

LEDs– a material of modern generation, it is used in everyday life and production due to its availability. This lighting method is perfect for seedlings, as LED lighting covers a large area and does not heat the air. To create an LED lamp you need:

LED lamps in red and blue.
hot glue or thermal paste, paste is cheaper than glue.
profile, wooden slats, any long object that is suitable for the base.
power supply for the required voltage.
plug and cord.

For seedlings, it is necessary to alternate LED elements in the following order, two red, one blue. The elements must be connected to each other using a soldering iron, connected to the power supply, and a switch, plug.

The tape must be attached using bolts, double-sided tape, or in any convenient way to the prepared surface. Then connect everything into one structure. The lamp for illuminating the seedlings is ready.

Bolts or screws are needed for fastening. The whole design depends on the size of the boxes; in order to make shelves in the rack, you need to measure the width of the box. Next, a rack with hollow shelves of no more than three rows is assembled. Boxes with seedlings are installed in a rack. A lamp is attached to the bottom of each box.

LED backlight design (2nd method)

LEDs are convenient because their location can be any, but it is best to mount them in two rows so that the lighting is uniform. It must be taken into account that the cone of light of an LED is equal to an angle of seventy to one hundred and twenty degrees. They need to be positioned as follows so that they overlap each other.

This lighting is used by experienced gardeners. This backlight is a good choice, it consumes little electricity, and you can make the light spectrum as desired. By combining different types of spectrum through an LED, you can grow different varieties. This light will also allow you to grow strong seedlings.

To design a lamp you need:

thirty red diodes,
twenty blue diodes,
white diodes ten pieces.
drivers.

The housing can be taken from an industrial lamp by removing the contents from it. You need to combine in such a way that you can combine light, for example, red and blue, or white and red, and so on.

LEDs are glued to hot glue or thermal paste. Then you need to attach fans, maybe from old power supplies.

the light should be located low, as close as possible until the seedlings have sprouted, after sunrise it should be raised as much as possible, you can raise it by forty to sixty centimeters.
to more accurately determine the distance, you need to bring your hand to the top of the lamp; if your hand is comfortable, the plant will also feel good.
It is best to install adjustable shelves. This is convenient for plant growth.
if seedlings are in the living room, you need to use light reflectors. It will concentrate the light on the plant and will not irritate the eyes.
There is no need to illuminate seedlings around the clock, plants also have day and night, the length of the day should be fifteen hours. At night, the lamps must be turned off.
There is no need to highlight seedlings that are located on southern windows as long as the sun hits them.
It is best to adhere to the illumination schedule; if this is not followed, the light may appear poorly on the seedlings.
the most optimal illumination is from six to eight thousand lux. For exotic plants, illumination from ten to twelve thousand lux is suitable. In winter, seedlings need to be illuminated at about two thousand lux. On cloudy days at five hundred lux.

Shelves for seedlings with lighting: video

Today there are few people who grow seedlings “the old fashioned way.”

Technologies do not stand still; gardeners can choose any type of lighting for seedlings, which will bring them good results in the future, because a lot depends on light. At first, the sprouts gain strength, and only then strong and healthy plants grow.

Natural lighting occupies one of the first places in the life of all living organisms, but not all living things can move in order to be under the sun for the required amount of time. We will talk about those who are in a phase of active growth and need additional lighting, which lamps for them will help provide.

The importance of lighting

Everyone knows that light is an important component for growing strong seedlings. And in winter and early spring, when new plants are gaining strength, the natural sunny day is quite short.

In this case, additional light sources, such as lamps, come to the rescue. It is necessary to supplement plants at home in accordance with the stage of development and the purpose of cultivation, therefore the choice must be made consciously.

Each color of the light spectrum has its own characteristics:

red and blue - stimulate metabolic processes, increase chlorophyll production, accelerate photosynthesis;
orange - accelerates fruiting, used in winter greenhouses to accelerate the ripening of fruits;
yellow and green are important colors during growth and are easily reflected by seedlings;
ultraviolet - has a bactericidal effect, inhibiting the growth of harmful organisms.

Did you know? Illumination of plants using lamps was first used in 1868. This was done by a scientist from Russia Andrei Famintsin.

Despite the fact that each plant has its own specific requirements for the light spectrum, if there is a lack of light, photosynthesis slows down, biomass grows slowly, and seedlings begin to get sick. A suitable illumination level is 8 thousand lux. Modern technologies, namely illumination of plants at home, will help to bring the seedlings as close as possible to the desired parameters and achieve illumination of 6 thousand lux.

Primary requirements

Having decided to grow your own seedlings at home, it is important to know what to look for when choosing additional light sources. Let's consider how The lamp must meet the following requirements:

for full growth, it is better to choose devices that emit red or blue light;
the main purpose of the additional light source should be lighting, and not drying out and increasing the air temperature;
the rays of light should be soft;
The container must be illuminated evenly and completely.

To obtain high-quality seedlings, you need to correctly calculate the duration of additional illumination, which will depend on the power of the device, as well as the distance from it to the surface. You can check the thermal radiation of the device by placing your hand on the surface that is illuminated, and thus feeling the heat.

Are any or types of lamps suitable for lighting seedlings?

Today the market is saturated with various lighting devices that help get the right amount of light. However, many are interested in how to choose the right device for illuminating seedlings and what features popular models have.

Important! Any selected type of lighting can be equipped with light screens to save energy. To create them, just stick foil or regular white cardboard on the sides of the container.

Some people think that in order for the plants to receive the right amount of light and heat, it is enough to hang several ordinary lamps over the seedlings. However, ordinary devices do not have the necessary color spectrum for complete illumination of plants.

Consuming a fairly large amount of electricity, they convert only 5% of the light, and turn the rest into heat. As a result, the plants do not receive light, but additional heat and, as a result, overdrying or burns on the leaves occur. Therefore, the use of incandescent lamps is not as efficient as others that are gaining popularity today.

Luminescent

one of the best options to obtain ultraviolet light, which is so necessary for plants. Thanks to this effect, intensive growth of seedlings of rich color will occur. In whom, this color leads to a decrease in the level of pathogenic microbes.

Additional advantages of use are the lack of high temperature at the lamp, which makes it possible to maintain the desired microclimate around the plants. Despite the positive aspects, such lamps still have some disadvantages. These include the lack of the required number of waves in the red part of the spectrum.

They also do not have much power, and therefore, quick results cannot be obtained with them. To obtain the desired result, the distance from the lamp to the seedlings should be within 20–30 cm. The ideal power is 40 W.

Sodium

Sodium lamps are considered the brightest compared to others. Their emission spectrum optimally supports plant growth. They are divided into two types: low and high pressure. It is the latter that are used for supplementary lighting of seedlings at home and accelerating the ripening of fruits.

Some representatives of this group have a mirror reflector, which allows illumination of a large area, which saves money. The negative aspects of use are strong heating and unsafe use, since mercury and a mixture of sodium are used in production.

These lamps cannot be turned on if there are voltage drops of more than 10%. A decrease in ambient temperature leads to a decrease in the efficiency of such lamps. The lamp power should be no more than 100 W.

Important! Lamps with sodium lamps are strictly prohibited from being plugged into simple sockets. For them, you need to use special equipment, chokes and pulsed ignition devices.

LED

LED lamps for seedlings are gaining popularity among farmers. Using similar lighting on seedlings leads to the following results:

reduction of electricity consumption;
thanks to minimal heating, the lamp can be placed almost near the plants;
the lamp contains diodes of different colors, which allow you to obtain red and blue colors at the same time;
high operational safety minimizes possible losses;
absence of drying and excessive thermal humidity;
no minimum infrared radiation.

Lighting seedlings with LED lamps will speed up photosynthesis in plants due to the different glow.