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What lamps to use to illuminate seedlings. How to make a backlight for seedlings with your own hands? The main ways to highlight seedlings at home

25.11.2020

I like to do different experiments, making LED lamps like a techie, not burdened with deep knowledge of biology. However, the "misunderstandings" in the results and curiosity made me delve into the process of photosynthesis and it turned out to be quite an exciting experience.
I believe that for home growing seedlings, LEDs are better than any phytolamps, because they are devoid of the disadvantages inherent in lamps:

High power consumption
Heat dissipation does not allow the lamps to be very close to the smell
Increased volume for placement
Short service life
High requirements for electrical safety
Inability to adjust the spectrum for different stages of growth

LEDs have one drawback - their price, although steadily falling - the demand is quietly growing.
I mean monochrome LEDs plant spectrum440nm (blue) and 660nm (deep red). Let me remind you that monochrome LEDs emit light in a very narrow range plus minus 10 nanometers from their peak.
What kind of light plants need, botanists have determined for a very long time and, according to their recommendations, make phytolamps. Scientific research continues continuously, but we, summer residents, have no access to their results.
Vegetable LEDs continue to be very expensive due to very low demand and production volumes.
In the summer of 2013, the price of a Chinese one-watt LED is around 40 rubles.
High-quality branded LEDs are much more efficient and several times more expensive - practically unavailable for purchase.

Since they constantly ask questions in a personal, I decided to experiment with supplementary lighting of seedlings using not "plant", but ordinary, more affordable full-spectrum white LED lighting. Their "non-vegetation" lies in the fact that, in contrast to monochrome, they have very wide range radiation, and the peaks of the blue and red regions in their spectrum do not coincide with the peaks of photosynthesis (440 and 660).

But at the same time they are several times cheaper and it was encouraging!

Let me explain what reasoning prompted me to use white LEDs:
1. Under ordinary fluorescent lamps (not phytolamps), seedlings grow. Although their spectrum is "non-plant" - so why not try the same spectrum of LEDs

2. Biologists today claim that the blue region of photosynthesis contains two chlorophylls that regulate plant growth. Their photosensitivity peaks diverge in both directions from 440nm, i.e. stretched over the blue area. And at quality white lights, the blue area is just wide stretched, especially in "cold" whites. So can you try to do without the blue ones? so I tried

3. LED phyto-luminaires on sale for the most part do not have accurate information about the spectral composition. They shine red-blue, but this "lime" spectrum of them is often quite defective, usually 460-620 instead of 440-660. That is, "defective plant", but the seedlings are growing well!
Here's an example: the price is huge - 12,000 rubles, and there is a lot of information, but there is not a word about the spectrum, so why buy a pig in a poke:

4. There are cheap powerful white LEDs in the form of premium strips and rigid strips-modules, which makes it possible to dramatically simplify the manufacture of the lamp for forum users. White LEDs are designed for lighting, their production is growing at an unprecedented rate and therefore they are constantly becoming cheaper.
5. They are very easy to connect, and you can use simpler power supplies for power supply, no need to look for expensive drivers. You can use old adapters.

For the experiment, I made several lamps from ribbons and strips and grew seedlings of peppers and flowers under them. Tomatoes only shone for a couple of weeks. And the results surprised me so much that I changed my unscientific attitude towards "correct" LEDs.
In the photo: lamps are located where it is possible to "stick" a seedling box, even on the shelf of a kitchen cabinet.
I was attracted by the simplicity and versatility of using white LEDs in everyday life. I wanted to light up the premises in the country in the summer, it took - in the winter I illuminate the seedlings
I made the following conclusions:

Seedlings can be grown under white LEDs in the form of ribbons, strips and modules.
In this case, the total power of the lamp will have to be increased in order to compensate for the insufficient light output of whites in the peak regions of photosynthesis.

This graph is an attempt to graphically demonstrate what is the discrepancy between white LEDs and "vegetable" purpose.

To make it clearer what we are talking about, consider the spectral characteristics of white LEDs. Since they are made for lighting, their spectrum is tried in every possible way to bring it closer to white light, incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps familiar to people. White LEDs allow this choice in a wide range of colors from "warm white" incandescent to "cool" fluorescent white.
The main characteristic of a white LED is colour temperature radiation. From it you can understand what the light is "by eye". It is indicated in degrees Kelvin. The warmest (almost yellow like HPS) light starts from 2700K, the coldest (blue-white, like DRL) - 6500 - 13000 K.

Then, to increase the proportion of blue, I supplemented the lamp with a strip with blue LEDs 14W / m. (Because I had one). And to be objective - I did not notice a special need for the addition of blue - perhaps because it is not of the vegetable spectrum. You need to look at your first results.
I even dare to believe that such a white ribbon gives a lot of blue - the fragrance does not "lose weight". There is much more blue in the cool white ribbon. I tried to compare tapes from different manufacturers, but failed. But then I came across a Korean tape with a certificate for 10000K. And white LEDs 13000K quite tolerably ensured the normal growth of seedlings of peppers and flowers. The tomatoes were just not very happy. I suppose that when the budding phase is reached for tomatoes and peppers, the white ribbon is no longer able to give the required proportion of red. There is enough blue in it. I wanted red LEDs, but did not have time to add - the seedlings had time to grow
to be continued

I got acquainted with phytolamps about 6 years ago, when I bought the first fluorescent lamp at a rather high price - 400 rubles. Alas, I never saw the effect of it. As I understood, such lamps last from 3 to 6 months, and then they seem to "burn out" and do not give an effect. Then there was an aquarium phytolamp with a pink glow, but it did not cope with the task.

In the fall of 2016, we moved to our house. Joy was overshadowed by one thing: the largest windows overlooked the north side, and although the orchid blooms on it without ceasing, there would not be enough light for seedlings. And in winter, another problem became clear: all the windows, especially the only south-facing window, were very cold, the plastic was literally covered with ice. It was unrealistic to grow seedlings in such conditions. Therefore, I immediately told my husband - you need to buy a phytolamp and set up a table for seedlings. And she began to choose a new generation of lamps: LED.

What I took into account when looking for phytolamp

First drawing: the light from the lamp spreads out in a circle, and if you hang it at the right height, the circles turn out to be small and many places remain unlit, and you need a lot of lamps.

Second picture: the lamps were hung higher, the circle of light became larger, there are fewer unlit spots, fewer lamps are needed, but only the plants will receive much less light, and the effect will not be very noticeable, in addition, the "extra" light will illuminate the floor of the room and the street. This is where the manufacturer's wide product line came in handy, which also had linear lamps, just for the windowsill.

So, after weighing all the pros and cons, talking to the supplier directly, I figured out what kind of lamp I need for seedlings, what lenses I need to insert there, what power to buy. But the most important thing is at what height to hang and what area of \u200b\u200billumination it will illuminate at this height. That is, I received valuable instructions for my husband - what should be the rack for such lamps.

Little theory

Phytolamps usually shine red and blue, while the ratio of red to blue is 4: 1 or 3: 1. Let's take a look at the red glow as an example. The human eye detects red light with a wavelength of 625-740 nm (+ - depending on the information source), however plants in the seedling period required certain spectrum - 660 nm, no more, no less.

But the usual red LED has a spectrum of 630 nm, the plant does not get better from it. It is impossible to distinguish 630 and 660 nm by eye. That is why when buying a phytolamp, you should ask the seller (look on the box or on the product certificate) the length of the emitted waves, and not just the "red-blue spectrum".

And now the practice of using

I bought the first round lamps, but it was very inconvenient to hang them and use them. I had to order new ones - long, meter long.

Especially for the lamps, my husband manually (in the sense of an ordinary saw, jigsaw and sandpaper) made me a rack for seedlings. I bought the necessary materials in the store and made shelves for seedlings. Width 75 cm (60 cm - my lamp is at the optimal height) and 120 cm long, about 80 cm between the shelves.

To hang the lamps, I used hooks (on the rack) and a chain screwed to the lamp. It is very easy to outweigh the lamp by simply hooking another link in the chain onto the hook. The rack stands 5 meters from the window, the sunlight does not fall on it at all. Never. That is, my seedlings grow in the so-called "photoculture".

The first switching on of the lamp showed that it was shining quite dimly. Perhaps because the lenses on my lamps only allow light to travel in a given direction.

Those who grow seedlings on brightly lit windows immediately told me that there would be no sense from the lamps - they shine a little and everything will stretch out. She didn't argue - time will tell. Of course, I checked the lamps by sowing radishes. However, at a temperature of + 26 ° C, the radishes were drawn into tails. I was upset. Then she sowed eggplants, peppers, all sorts of different flowers, and then the magic began. Petunia and any such "trifle" (lobelia, viola, strawberry) were especially pleasing - they grew compact, did not stretch out.

The only thing that frightened me was the balsam (which grows like a candle), its hypocotal knee stretched 10 cm in a couple of days. Frightened by this, I just threw it away. It turns out that in vain - this is his peculiarity.

Eggplants grew burdocks, the peppers picked up color ahead of time, then bloomed (I removed the crown flower) and set fruits - the cold spring and late planting in the ground affected.

And what beautiful cucumbers grew - seedlings - to envy. One thing a little puzzled: the petunias standing on the window bloomed a month earlier, although they looked elongated. And the petunias under the lamps were compact, bushy and without signs of budding (the varieties are the same).

Summer, autumn, winter has passed. Now the second year of using lamps has come. Everything went great, but that year I tested Aelita's petunias.

They got a lot of space on the shelf, they grew great, but ... again they didn't pick up the buds until I put them on a window with sunlight, and then in a greenhouse. The same thing happened with tomatoes - they did not want to plant flower buds under the lamp.

I went to study theory again. It turned out that the spectra of blue and red are very effective at the seedling stage, and plants need other parts of the sunlight for flowering. And since my rack was very far from the window, the plants did not receive these light waves.

Conclusion

There is nothing better than sunlight. But if it is not enough (window orientation, constantly cloudy weather, length of daylight hours), then it is necessary to supplement the seedlings. What exactly is your choice. It is possible to give a warm white glow with LED (fluorescent) lamps, but then put the lamps closer to the plants and do not skimp on the quantity. At the seedling stage, bicolor lamps (red-blue) will be more effective, but for growing far from the sun and for flowering plants, choose lamps with a full spectrum, where additional waves stimulate the plant to bloom.

Advice: do not shine the plants day and night - they must sleep, an excess of light can also lead to oppression of seedlings.

A little more trials

There are no universal fitolamps. Each plant species reacts in its own way to certain spectra. For example, an ordinary lettuce of one variety grows well under 660-440-460 nm lamps, while another growing nearby refuses to grow.

So do not throw your slippers on the lamp if you don't have strawberries under it that you wanted to grow in winter - try planting something "green".

To grow healthy seedlings, you need to properly organize the lighting. There are situations when daylight does not meet all the light needs of the sprouts. To solve this problem, a phytolamp for plants is used. The purchase and installation of the structure must be done in advance. Then the seedlings will receive the correct initial development.

Every plant needs natural light. It provides the necessary energy, the process of photosynthesis is successful.

Illumination is mandatory for seedlings in winter, when daylight is not so active and short-lived. The lack of additional lighting will negatively affect the seedlings. The sprouts will not receive adequate nutrition, they will become weak, elongated.

The principle of the sun's influence is that it acts on the Earth with light energy, which consists of segments of electromagnetic waves of different lengths (photons). The viewed white beam is decomposed into colored photons (spectra). They differ in wave length:

red spectrum - the longest wavelength (700 nm) affects photosynthesis, the growth of the deciduous system;
blue and violet spectrum - the shortest wavelength (400 nm) affects the formation of a full-fledged stem.

Optimum illumination is represented by 8000 lux. Phytolamps for seedlings of proven quality fully cope with this task.

For a full power supply, the device is connected several times a day. Especially in cloudy weather.

Can I use incandescent bulbs

There are tips on how to choose the right artificial lighting for your seedlings. Gardeners often ignore them, using them to grow seedlings. But a full-fledged plant with a strong trunk and deciduous system will not work. Color spectra are not emitted in the required volume.

The second negative side of using an incandescent lamp is the great need for electricity. Up to 5% of all released energy is spent on the luminous flux, and the rest is spent on thermal radiation.

Proximity to the leaves of the seedlings from an incandescent lamp will cause the seedlings to burn.

What are the requirements for additional lighting

Additional illumination characteristics are: duration, intensity level. The second indicator depends on what power the lamp for seedlings is, at what distance it is from the plant. To set the correct distance you need:

turn on the lamp;
place your hand over the seedlings;
if strong warmth is felt, then the distance increases.

The duration depends on the type of seedlings. For example, tomatoes need lighting up to 17 hours, peppers - 13 hours.

If the distance between the lamp and the sprouts is increased, then the light can be scattered to the sides, which often interferes with the inhabitants of the room. To avoid this, foil is used as a light directivity limiter. This method will help direct the entire light flux to the culture.

If the weather permits and the opportunity, then you can pamper the plant for a short time with direct exposure to solar radiation.

What types of phytolamps exist

Phytolamps of the following types are produced: , luminescent, induction, LED, sodium.

The first type is a variation of the second. The form is compact, productivity is from 15000 hours, they have a choke in the structure, a standard E27 base. The product is safe to use and economical.

do not warm up near the air space, are easy to install, therefore, no special skills in installation or replacement are required. The disadvantage is that they are low-power; one box of seedlings will need from three pieces. They also produce a small amount of red spectrum radiation.

For growing seedlings, illumination with LBD, LB lamps is used. Such as LD, LDC are not used, since they negatively affect plant growth.

Induction optionsimilar to the luminescent principle of operation, but the difference in design. The inside of the induction light is not equipped with electrodes. It consists of an induction tube, inside of which is a phosphor deposition, an induction coil, a magnetic ring, and a current generator. Not affected by voltage drop.

The operating period is up to 60,000 hours. That is, when working up to half a day, daily operation will be up to 20 years. This will reduce the light intensity to 5%. This indicator is insignificant when compared with other analogues. Also, the positive side is not heating during prolonged use. Therefore, it is permissible to place lamps close to the sprouts. The luminous flux is similar to natural radiation. Induction structures are produced for greenhouses and home use.

Sodium lamps are more economical, the radiation is warm. The power is adjustable, which is convenient when using for different types of plants. The light is distributed evenly, which allows the plants to produce all the necessary elements.

LED lamp for seedlings it is distinguished by its quality, operational life, economy. It is also used under constant (round-the-clock) lighting. Advantages: even, full-fledged light distribution of all radiation spectra. Bicolor varieties are produced. No decrease in luminous flux is observed throughout the entire service. There is no heating of the leaf surface.

Sodium lamps are convenient to use for illumination, as they have a mirror reflector (model Dna3), which directs the light in the desired direction. It consumes little energy. The radiation does not irritate the eyes, the color is warm, orange-yellow.

Which lamp for illuminating seedlings to choose

Not all lamps are suitable for growing seedlings. Some can be harmful. When buying, you must take into account the power, spectra, efficiency.

Lamps with reflectors are in priority. He can be both inside her and outside. If the illumination is with such lamps, then additional structures are not required.

The most common for backlighting are:

Fluora (Osram company). Enough 18 W bulbs. To illuminate the windowsill up to one meter, one, maximum two bulbs are used.
LFU-30. One 30 W luminaire illuminates an area 70 cm long and 40 cm wide.
Enrich. Does not irritate the eyeball. But it has a thermal effect, which must be taken into account when choosing the distance to the plant. Efficiency up to six months.
Paulmann. Produced in different capacities. Do not heat up. Long service life.
Fitosvet-D. LED view. Used at home, greenhouses.

How to properly highlight seedlings: instructions

If the seedlings are grown at home on a windowsill, then the rules for creating artificial light must be observed:

the light device is installed from above;
depending on the type of lamp, the distance to the shoots is regulated (25–40 cm);
installation capacity less than 70W per 1m2;
in winter, additional lighting is required with LED or sodium type lamps;
when illuminated, day and night norms must be observed;
for flower seedlings, lighting should not be less than 16 hours.

The table shows the parameters of heat tolerance of plants:

How long does it take to highlight

The duration of the backlight depends on the crop and the weather. If the days are cloudy and short, the backlight time will increase. Also, the duration depends on the age of the seedlings. If she just ascended, then round-the-clock lighting is required, then follow the regime.

If the plant begins to fold its leaves, then it requires rest, the light can be extinguished.

When processing seedlings and transplanting, a period of adaptation is expected, accompanied by a decrease in the supply of light.

How to install on a windowsill

You can make a backlight for growing seedlings on the windowsill yourself.

Required material:

lED strip of white, red, blue spectrum;
adapter or driver;
connectors for the required connector;
base, holder;
aluminum or foil.

Phased execution:

the required backlight level is determined (area, power are taken into account);
the number of LEDs is calculated: the luminous flux is divided by the lamp power indicated on the package;
the ratio of the spectra is calculated;
the basis can be plastic;
a profile is attached to the base;
the diode tape contains special marks for cutting, the required amount is counted on them, the excess is cut off;
attach the tape with double-sided tape;
the power supply is connected with connectors, while observing the polarity;
the luminaire is suspended or mounted on a bracket;
foil to make reflectors for the correct distribution of light.

Finally

UV plant lamps are installed as an additional light source. The installation of the backlight should be carried out taking into account the rules, instructions. Subject to the light regime, the seedlings will be strong and full.

Did you understand the instructions? Leave your comments, share the article on social networks.

Competently organized lighting in compliance with the required intensity indicators is one of the most important keys to obtaining healthy and strong seedlings. In some cases, simple daylighting is sufficient, but in most situations it is necessary to organize additional artificial lighting using lamps. Today manufacturers offer a fairly wide range of such devices.

For the most part, flower and vegetable crops are thermophilic plants, the growth efficiency and development features of which are largely determined by the length of daylight hours. A lack of light leads to a slowdown in the course of photosynthesis processes and the emergence of various diseases in seedlings. To avoid these and related problems, additional lighting is organized.

Sunlight consists of several waves of different lengths and colors. In order for the photosynthesis of plants to occur in accordance with the established norms, it is necessary to organize their illumination with full-spectrum light. Along with this, each spectrum performs its own important functions.

About them in the table.

Table. The role of light spectra in the development of seedlings

List of spectra	Role and tasks
Red	Contributes to the normalization of the processes of seed development and vegetation. Under its influence, the quality of flowering increases.
Blue	Takes an important part in the processes of regulation of plant cell growth. Provides the development of strong shoots.
Violet	Similar to blue.
Green	Plants hardly absorb this spectrum of light, reflecting it by the surface of the leaves.
Yellow	Similar to green.

Basic lighting requirements

The key characteristics of lighting are duration and intensity level. The intensity is determined by the wattage of the lighting fixture used and the distance between it and the plants. The optimal distance is determined as follows: you turn on the lamp and put your hand under the light. If warmth is felt, the light should be moved away a little.

The normal light level for plants is considered to be 8000 lux. The lamps for home seedlings presented in today's publication will cope with the task of ensuring it perfectly, but additional illumination will have to be turned on not only in the morning and in the evening, but also during the day, especially if the weather is cloudy outside.

To check if the lamp is needed, just turn it on. Notice a significant change in light levels? There is a need to use additional lighting. Don't you see much of a difference? The backlight can be omitted.

Highlighting seedlings - photo

Range of seedling lamps and their main features

There are many types of lighting available on the market that can be used when growing home seedlings. Let's consider the most popular ones.

Sodium lamps

Reflax lamps are the most popular among domestic gardeners.

The key positive qualities of sodium lamps include the following:

high rates of lighting efficiency;
ensuring a stable flow of light;
impressive service life;
creation of generally favorable conditions for the normal course of photosynthesis processes.

The main disadvantage is the relatively high cost.

The table provides information about the main representatives of the range.

Table. Popular models of sodium lamps

List of models	Basic information
	Equipped with a built-in mirror reflector. Outperforms competitors in all main characteristics. The above-mentioned mirror reflector provides an increase in the intensity of the light flux and its directivity to the grown plants. To illuminate the seedlings on a 1.5-meter windowsill, a 70-watt lamp in the amount of one piece is enough. Select the required number of lighting fixtures, guided by this pattern.
	Do not have a pre-installed reflector. A 70 W lamp is enough for supplementary lighting of plants on no more than a 1-meter windowsill, i.e. these devices are less powerful than the representatives of the above group. If necessary, sodium lamps can be used in residential premises - the light emitted by these devices does not irritate the eyes.

List of models

Basic information

Equipped with a built-in mirror reflector. Outperforms competitors in all main characteristics. The above-mentioned mirror reflector provides an increase in the intensity of the light flux and its directivity to the grown plants.

To illuminate the seedlings on a 1.5-meter windowsill, a 70-watt lamp in the amount of one piece is enough. Select the required number of lighting fixtures, guided by this pattern.

Do not have a pre-installed reflector. A 70 W lamp is enough for supplementary lighting of plants on no more than a 1-meter windowsill, i.e. these devices are less powerful than the representatives of the above group.

If necessary, sodium lamps can be used in residential premises - the light emitted by these devices does not irritate the eyes.

Fluorescent lamps

Emit cool light similar to natural daylight. They are characterized by weak power, which forces them to be installed in an increased number. In addition, the disadvantages of fluorescent lamps include a low content of red light in the spectrum.

Calculating the required number of lamps, we use the following relationship: every 1 m of the length of the window sill with seedlings is served by a lamp with an 80-watt or two 40-65-watt lamps.

Important! Do not use LDC and LD fluorescent lamps to illuminate seedlings - plants react poorly to the light emitted by such devices.

Phytolamps

The most popular among gardeners are phytolamps of several brands.

Fluora from Osram. Luminaires with a power of 18 W are suitable. To illuminate 1 m of a window sill, one or two such lamps are enough.
LFU-30. They are characterized by a power of 30 watts. One lamp is enough to service a 40x70 cm platform.
Enrich. Relatively weakly irritating to the eyes, but characterized by a short (on average up to 6 months) service life. In addition, such lamps very much heat up the leaves of the seedlings, which does not reflect in the best way on its condition.
Paulmann. They can have different capacities. They differ from the closest analogs by almost zero heating, which eliminates the risk of overheating of seedlings, as well as an impressive service life.
Fitosvet-D. Category of LED devices. Suitable for both home use and greenhouse use.

The key advantages of all phytolamps are as follows:

high efficiency;
compactness;
impressive indicators of environmental friendliness, efficiency, durability and safety in general.

The disadvantage is reduced to the lilac-pink color of the glow, which is not the best way reflected in the state of a person's eyes and his health. In residential premises, such lamps are allowed to be used exclusively in combination with an external mirror reflector.

Can ordinary bulbs be used?

As it becomes clear from the information above, many different types of lamps can be used for seedlings, however, each of the options has its own weaknesses.

The question arises: is it necessary to buy additional lighting fixtures? Can't you get by with ordinary household incandescent bulbs?

You can't. Such lighting will be ineffective and simply useless. According to averaged data, incandescent lamps with a traditional tungsten filament transform into light no more than 5 percent of the energy. Everything else is just warm. In addition, the light spectrum of such lamps is not suitable for plants: they will dry out, burn, stretch and, in general, not form as they should.

Now you know which lamps you can use when growing your own seedlings. A rich harvest!

Video - What lamps are needed for seedlings

Like any summer resident, it is important for me to grow strong viable seedlings, which in the future will please with a rich harvest. Like any summer resident, my hands start to itch in winter, when it is cloudy and gray outside.

How to be? Wait for the sun? Or help the plants with the help of lighting, especially since the Internet is full of stories about the miraculous effect of phytolamps on their growth and development.

A bit of theory

Let's start by examining the issue. Who invented phytolamps, and why is their light so useful for plants? What I remember since high school ... every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits) And yet - it seems like the colors of the spectrum all together form the white color we are used to ... The Internet, as always, is ready to provide any information on studying spectral analysis and its effect on plants ...

What I remember from high school ... every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits)

Quantitatively, the wavelength of light is measured in nanometers (nm), from 400 in violet to 800 in red. Photosynthesis takes place in the light, with the help of water and carbon dioxide. I also remember this from the school curriculum. Then you just have to believe, because I do not have the necessary equipment for testing. But I can turn on the logic. Why do we see this or that color? Because it is this part of the spectrum that the subject reflects. The green leaf reflects light 510-570 nm. Therefore, our eye transmits a signal: "I see green." It turns out that the plant does not absorb this part of the spectrum. And here a new word "photomorphogenesis" appears. Wikipedia explains the term as follows: photomorphogenesis is the processes occurring in a plant under the influence of light of various spectral composition and intensity.

In order not to repeat once again what has already been written a million times on the Internet, I will only remind you that studies confirm the positive effect of the blue and red spectrum on the development of plants. Blue promotes root development, while red is essential for the growth of leaves and stems. Together they allow you to get strong seedlings that do not stretch and develop correctly. And what else can a summer resident want)))

Choosing a phytolamp by parameters

Before buying a phytolamp, I decided to compare what different online stores offer and how much.

Beautiful graphs show how much better photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis and photomorphogenesis are going on. I did not understand why the values \u200b\u200bof the latter jump on the graph only in the region of 700 nm. Blue - for growth, red - for closer flowering. Okay, I'll move on to more understandable parameters: power, luminous flux, price.

To calculate the illumination, you need an indicator of the luminous flux (in lumens - lm). Photosynthetic activity is indicated by the manufacturer in PAR (PAR). Here you just have to believe what was written, because I have certainly never seen a device for determining this parameter.

Seedlings require an illumination of 8000 lux (lx). Is it for conventional or phytolamps? The lamps are marked with lumens (lm). To calculate illumination (lx), divide lumens (lm) by area (m²). To illuminate 1 m² of seedlings, you need to divide 8000 by the indicator specified in the characteristics of the lamp, the result is the number of lamps for lighting 1 m².

I'll open the first few sites that the search engine gave me. I will choose lamps of similar parameters.

The first group - point phytolamps

It so happened that at first I paid attention to point phytolamps.

HTF LED Lighting . LED phytolamp for plants E27 9 PLT 9W 220V SPOT (FITO)

This series of lamps consists of high quality Epistar LEDs with wavelengths of 460 nm (blue tint) and 620 nm (red tint).

recommended suspension height - 1-1.2 m;
effective illuminated area - 3-3.5 m².
luminous flux - lm 500 ± 15%;
power consumption - W 9 ± 10%;
number of LEDs - 9 pcs .;
price - 1220 rubles.

RDM-Garden . Phytolamp RDM-27

Now I am reading: “RDM phytolamps are universal devices for providing plant illumination both as additional to natural lighting and as the main lighting”.

power consumption - 9 W;
moderate lighting area - 0.27 m2;
number of LEDs - 9 pcs;
red 660 nm - 6 pcs;
blue 445 nm - 3 pcs;
price - 1590 rubles.

Phytolight . LED phytolamp 21 W (analogue Diamond 7)

So, we look at its parameters:

additional lighting of the area - 0.75 m2 LED (1 blue, 6 red), ultra-bright;

power consumption - 7 W;
luminous flux - 1470 lm;
LED wavelengths: 650-660nm (red), 440-450nm (blue);

price - 1399 rubles.

I didn't understand a little here: a lamp of 21 W with a power of 7 W ... I remembered my grandmother. She often translated prices "in the old way", before the monetary reform of 1961))) Maybe there is something similar in capacity, inaccessible to a simple buyer?

As a result, the overall picture for me was as follows:

a spotlight in different stores does not differ much in price;
it is designed for a small illumination area;
will only help those plants that fall into a circle of about 0.3 m².

You will find a large selection of point phytolamps in our catalog of goods for summer cottages, which includes offers from large garden online stores. :

Phyto-lamp (phytolamp) growing HEALTH treasure, 16 W 2 349 rub
seedspost.ru

LED phytolamp Espada Fito LED E27-10-15W 85-265V 1 170 rub
Pleer.ru

LED phytolamp Espada Fito LED E27-10-10W 85-265V 1 150 rub
Pleer.ru

LED phytolamp Camelion BrightPower LED10-PL Bio E27 EN-13241 371 rbl
Pleer.ru

The second group - linear phytolamps

They resemble the familiar fluorescent lamps in shape. Only the filling in them is different. Instead of mercury vapors, there are LEDs of the same colors as in point phyto-lamps.

Ultra-thin LED plant lamp "Fito" 18W 0.9m 12V IP44 GL from HTF for 1490 rubles promises to illuminate an area of \u200b\u200b5-6 m2. No matter how much I thought, I didn’t get such an effective lighting area, alas.

"Fito" ultra-thin LED plant lamp photo st26.stpulscen.ru

Then I came across some incomprehensible sites where sellers did not bother themselves with unnecessary, in their opinion, explanations. And they just indicated the power and price. Lamps "NPO Agronomy 21st Century" were offered, but the company itself was not found on the Internet. It's strange. I know that I am an unnecessarily meticulous person, but to give a third of my pension for lamps that nobody knows who made and who sold it ... And if they break down?

So the whole evening passed, and I still have not found where to choose. The last on the search engine page was the site. I no longer hoped to find something worthwhile. And I looked at the site with the thought: "That's it for today, I'll look - and sleep." But "sleep" had to be put off for another hour. Because it was here that I found what I needed. LED, which is perfect in size for my shelving. And on its own will allow you to normally highlight the plants on the shelf.

Linear LED phytolamp for growing seedlings LN-1200 "Fito-M", 220 V

Price - RUB 2187.90 I read: “In a lamp, it is not just the power of the luminous flux that is important to us, but in a certain spectrum! That is why you should not pay attention to the lux (Lux) and lumens (Lm) in the characteristics of LED lamps. We need another parameter - PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation), an indicator of photosynthetically active radiation. PAR refers to the spectral range of light from 400 to 700 nm. Which is involved in photosynthesis ... It is the spectral composition and the PAR index that determine how efficiently this or that lamp works and how well (quickly) the plant will grow! "

I like it when a seller not only displays a product in a window (albeit a virtual one), but also tries to explain its properties and qualities in an accessible language. Resolved - ordering this lamp. Moreover, it was made here, in Russia, and is offered by its manufacturer. You can always clarify something if you have questions.

You will find an extensive selection of phytolamps (linear and panels) in our catalog, which includes offers from large garden online stores.

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