The energy savings and cost in your scenario may only amount to a few dollars. For a home seed starter, you’ll be running a couple of lights at a hundred watts for a few weeks. Now for someone like a hydroponic lettuce grower operating a hundred lights and thousands of watts per hour (kWh) the cost-benefit of LEDs (especially the red and blue dual-band types) vs fluorescent will be highly tangible. (pictured below).īalanced spectrum, White LED tube in normal shop light fixture You can even buy led tube lights that will fit in your shop light ballast and require less energy. But as we know, LEDs, like those available for home lighting, come in more neutral white colors that will also work for seed starting.
#Light schedule for germinating seeds full
This is why some LEDs give off a purple glow, unlike full spectrum lights that emulate daylight. Some LED systems are designed to improved efficiency by delivering red and blue spectrums of light exclusively (the wavelengths required for plant growth). LEDs are unique in their ability to produce a high quantity of light with lower energy requirements-some models producing more than twice the amount of light per watt compared to fluorescent. For example, when growing seedling in a standard 10 x 20” seedling tray you’ll want four tubes or two shops light fixtures (~5” wide) to cover the 10” tray width, otherwise your plants on the edges will stretch towards the middle (pictured below).Ī new technology, compared to the other lighting options in the horticulture world. Whether you’re using tubes or CFLs, fluorescent lighting should be kept close to growing plants (within 1-2” of plant tops) and the area they can effectively cover is limited to the surface area of the bulb. High output T5s (HOT5) are considered as the most efficient and best in terms of light quality for fluorescent plant production but they will require a special fixture that is less often found at the hardware store. T8s and T12s fit most standard shop light fixtures.
Bulbs are classified by T for tube and the number represents their diameter 5 = 5/8”, 8 = 8/8 or 1”, and 12 = 12/8” or 1.5”. The T5, T8 and T12 bulbs are the most common tube types. However, because of their shape and expanded surface area tubes are typically more efficient than CFL and fit well into a shelving system. These compact types fit into a standard lamp socket, unlike tubes that require a ballast/shop light fixture.ĬFLs benefit from use with a reflector to focus the light on plants. For folks that are pretty new to growing indoors or have a small space, the CFLs can be a great option. And there are two types commonly employed for starting seeds, tube types and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's). In simple terms, fluorescents use their energy to produce more light than heat comparatively. They are significantly more efficient than the once common home incandescent bulbs. The lights in this category are tried and true. What is the difference and how do you choose? When it comes to horticultural lighting there are many options (including high-intensity gas discharge lamps or HID's) but for the average home seed starter, LEDs and fluorescent lights are the main options. But everybody’s heard about the benefits of LED's (light-emitting diodes), their touted efficiency and longevity. Extension’s recommended setup for starting seeds indoors typically features a PVC stand and fluorescent shop light setup. This topic of conversation has evolved over the last 10 years alongside advances in lighting technology and the increasing amount of ‘grow light’ products now available to consumers-especially online. And when gardeners want to get a jumpstart on their annual herbs, flowers and veggies, dedicated grow lights are necessary to produce quality plants from seed. As anyone who has relied on the light from their house fixtures and a south-facing window know, plants need greater light quantity and quality for healthy growth. One of the reoccurring topics of interest in the horticulture wing of our office has been seed starting and artificial lighting options for growing indoors. In last month’s article, we discussed some of the indoor gardening tasks that fill the winter void for green thumbs and help prepare gardeners for greater productivity come spring. Lighting options for starting seed (LEDs vs.
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