In their natural habitat, plants absorb as much sunlight as they are entitled to. At home, there is always less light, especially in winter, when almost all flowers need extra light. Let's find out what lighting should be for flowers, and which lights are best to use.

Light next to a window

Lighting next to a window

Source independent.co.uk

The effect of light on plants

Light causes green leaves to form carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water, substances that are vital to the successful development of plants. It is light energy that triggers this process, photosynthesis; when light is lacking, it slows down. This affects the appearance of flowers: leaves lose color, shoots thin out and grow poorly, flowering weakens.

Much of Russia's territory is located in regions with a long winter period. In winter the daylight hours get shorter, and even the flowers on the southern window sill lack natural light; plants located more than a meter away from the window are particularly affected.

To support normal plant development, you need extra light. The problem is that different flowers have different requirements for light and react differently to both too little and too much.

Organizing shelf lighting

Organising the lighting on your shelves

Source okland.vn

Artificial lighting: when you can't do without it

To ensure that installing extra light is not an unreasonable waste of the family budget, it is useful to figure out when it is really necessary. Plants can not do without additional lighting in the following cases:

If the number of overcast days prevails over the number of sunny days in a given area.

If the flowers are kept on a window sill, but due to an unfortunate location (north side) direct sunlight is delayed for less than 3.5 hours.

In autumn and winter in regions with short days (the whole of the middle belt of Russia and the more northern areas) if the temperature is over 22°C.

For delicate succulents

For delicate succulents

Source minifermer.ru

Artificial light will be beneficial if it meets the following criteria:

It is of high quality. Sunlight is made up of different wavelengths. They form a full spectrum, ranging from short ultraviolet to long infrared. Artificial lighting must match sunlight as closely as possible. The task is complicated by the fact that in different periods of life, flowers benefit from different wavelengths (from different parts of the spectrum).

Will have the right duration. For different species, the favorable length of daylight differs, and this must be taken into account when choosing a light regime. Some flowers are only capable of flowering if they are in light for 12-14 hours a day; for others 8-10 hours is enough.

Will have the right intensity. The need for light varies from species to species, and ranges from 10,000 lux (bright) to 3,000 lux (weak) light.

There will be a periodicity. In nature, everything is cyclical, so not only the parameters of light, but also the periodicity of light is important for houseplants.

https://onthegreenfarms.com/hydroponic/how-to-use-led-grow-lights/