Deciding on the best Kind of Grow Light

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Most hydroponic gardens use a mixture of natural and artificial lighting while there are also some that either uses natural or artificial light. Crops use different parts of the light spectrum at different phases of growth. In hydroponics, a special light is utilized known as grow lights since these lights help hydroponic plants grow. Since synthetic lights do not contain the full spectrum of a natural light it is of high significance the you choose and make use of the appropriate type of grow light depending on the type of plant your using the the stage of growth and development. Here’s a little bit of information to help you make those decisions.

For the early growth of plants, and/or for leafy varieties of crops, the blue-white part of the color spectrum is best. Metal Halide (MH) bulbs are very good at providing this kind of light. The MH bulbs are categorized under the High Intensity Discharge category which is composed of grow lights that burn hot while supplying the required lighthing even without close distance. Plants that are exposed to MH bulbs are usually thick and leafy. MH bulbs are utilized as the main lighting source in numerous gardens.

For the early growth of crops, and/or for leafy varieties of plants, the blue-white side of the color spectrum is perfect. The MH buls or Metal Halide bulbs are superb resources for blue-white light. They’re a High Intensity Discharge bulb (HID), which means they burn hot but can provide the necessary lighting without being placed too near to the crops. Plants grown solely under MH bulbs are usually thick, leafy and compact. MH bulbs are usually the primary light source in different types of gardens such as hydroponic gardens.

Orange-red lights are perfect for plants that are on the blooming stage. High Pressure Sodium bulbs (HPS), yet another kind of HID grow light, are very good at this stage of plant growth. Due to their restricted spectrum, HPS bulbs are not a good choice as a primary source of light, but are best utilized as supplemental to other types of lights (like MH), or to supplement natural sunlight. Otherwise, your plantswill grow unusually tall and thin.

For seedlings, it is best to use a standard fluorescent bulb placed near the seedlings. Standard fluorescents cover a good part of the light spectrum while emitting a low intensity-a near perfect condition for seedlings. They also emit low heat, so they can be placed close to the young plants without burning them. However, when used otherwise the low intensity light manufactured by standard fluorsecent bulbs don’t promote plant development.

Most hydroponic gardens combine two or more types of grow lights, but if you are a bit tight on the budget then you may use high-output fluosrecents. In contrast to regular fluorescent grow lights, the high-output bulbs provide a more powerful light with low heat, and can be arrayed to cover almost the entire spectrum of natural light. Although less intense than HID bulbs, they’re also more affordable; and because they are cooler, they may be placed much nearer to the plants to compensate for the low intensity, with excellent results.

Choosing the Right type of grow light for your hydroponic garden could be intimidating, but knowing how different types of light help your plants develop will help you choose the right grow lights for your garden.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Nutrients

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Using hydroponics to grow crops is different than cultivating crops outdoors using soil. For your crops to be able to get everything they require to mature fast and strong, each condition of the procedure must be managed. For your crops to flourish you will need to ensure that they get the most effective nutritients feasible. When raised outdoors the plants will need to extend their roots much deeper into the soil to acquire the nutrients they require. Regarding hydroponic gardening, plants don’t grow in the soil rather they grow in water and you have to add the nutrition solution personally.

The Correct Plant food Balance

Phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium are three have to have nutrients for all plant types. For roots to develop and for plants to bloom, phosphorus is required. Nitrogen results in the strong growth of stems and leaves, and potassium is crucial to guard plants from diseases, insects, and insufficient growing conditions.

You need a fertilizer which has all these 3 nutrients with a larger ratio for nitrogen when nurturing hydroponic plants. The 20-10-10 formula is famous among individuals who participate in hydroponic growing which virtually means 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, and 10% potassium. However, if you are raising fruit bearing crops then you will need a fertilizer that contains extra phosphorus than nitrogen.

Several Important Nutrients

B vitamins can help the roots of hydroponic plants soak up more nutrients and improve rate of growth. This is essential if your hydroponic system needs electricity, since this will permit the plants to grow faster and have higher yields.

Another nutrient that is utilized for the strengthening of cell walls in stalks and foliage is calcium. Leaf burn occurs when hydroponic plants do not get enough calcium and this will lead to black leaves and blossoms to rot. The greater part of hydroponic fertilizers contain the right amount of calcium but if symptoms of calcium deficiency are evident then a supplement may be necessary.

An important part of photosynthesis is the use of sulphur, and when leaves don’t have the right amount of this nutrient, they are often gnarled and pale. Numerous ingredients identified in hydroponic fertilizers can sometimes slow the uptake of sulphur, and therefore more sulphur would be necessary.

Magnesium enables hydroponic crops to take in sufficient light. Right quantities of magnesium is needed to make chlorophyll and prevent plants from dying. Magnesium can generally be observed in fertilizers that are well balanced.

With the proper nutrients, hydroponic plants can thrive and produce high yields faster than ever before.

Tags: grow light, hydroponic grow boxes, hydroponic supplies, hydroponic system, nutrients
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »