Hydroponic Grow Lights Explained

So, you have decided to try your hand at growing plants hydroponically (without soil) which can be a great experiment or hobby, but did you know that your choice of light will affect how well your plants grow? Leading online hydroponics experts, Great Stuff Hydroponics, explain...

Plants thrive in sunlight, and the more sunlight they receive the better they grow. Because hydroponic plants are cultivated indoors, in a controlled environment, it is important that you give your plants the right kind of lighting in order for them to reach their full potential.

The light which we can see coming from the sun is known as the visible spectrum, which can be refracted into many different colours. However, plants are very sensitive to infrared and UV light which is just outside the visible spectrum for humans. Plants use this light to make food in a process known as 'photosynthesis'.

Infrared and UV light fall into the red and blue spectrums which are the colours of light used by plants; blue for vegetative growth and red for flowering. Your successful hydroponic plant growth will depend on the type of lighting you choose.

Metal Halide lights (MH) give off blue light and are therefore suitable for vegetative growth. High Pressure Sodium lights (HPS) do the opposite, emitting red light to encourage flowering. Alternatively, you can buy full spectrum lights, such as the Grolux or Osram grow light available on Great Stuff Hydroponics' website in a variety of wattages. These emit all the wavelengths of light which your plant will need. Great Stuff Hydroponics' grow lights all come with a reflector and the ballast needed to ignite them.

For growers who are just starting out, however, Great Stuff Hydroponics can also recommend Envirolites. These are fluorescent lights which give off considerably less heat than the sodium or metal halide lights mentioned above. Beginners often do not have adequate ventilation and could be disappointed if their plants suffer due to the high levels of heat given off by MH and HPS lighting.

Steven Parker, director of Great Stuff Hydroponics has a few words of advice to new hydroponic growers; "Remember to give your plants plenty of space. They should receive more light if you are growing them hydroponically, but crowding them into a small space will just result in more upward growth - this can be a problem if you are growing indoors!"

If your lights are running for 12 hours per day, they are likely to need replacing relatively frequently. Industry advice is to replace them every 6 to 9 months.

For more information on the wide range of hydroponic grow lights available online and to find out more about hydroponics, visit Great Stuff Hydroponics' website, www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com.

About the Author

About Great Stuff Hydroponics

Great Stuff Hydroponics supplies a vast array of hydroponic equipment for all your hydroponic plant cultivation needs. Sales can be placed online at www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com.

Please direct all media queries, requests for press information and editorial details, to Anna Waters. Tel: 0208 123 5178 or email: marketing@topposition.co.uk