VegasWinner
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Keys to Successful plant growth
1. Intensity
The higher intensity of light, the better your plants will grow. By increasing wattages you are increasing the intensity or quantity of light available for your plants.
As light levels increase, be sure to monitor other environmental elements, including heat, carbon dioxide, humidity, and nutrient supply.
2. Spectrum
As light intensity increases, the light spectrum becomes more important. Natural sunlight is intense and has a broad and balanced spectrum. Indoor plants require the same high intensity and broad but balanced spectrum.
3. Focus
The reflector directs the light where it is needed. Well-designed reflectors are made of quality materials that have a long service life. They deliver a high percentage of the available light precisely where it is needed, uniformly.
Light effects
This chart shows how the intensity of light, the quality of the spectrum and the amount of time the lights are on, can affect different aspects of plant growth.
As you can see from the chart above, intensity, spectrum and photoperiod also have affect all aspects of growing. As an indoor grower you must consider all these lighting aspects to be a successful grower.
McCree Curve
The McCree Curve represents the average photosynthetic response of plants to light energy. The McCree Curve, also known as the Plant Sensitivity Curve, begins at 360nm and extends to 760nm. This curve can be placed over a spectral distribution chart to see how well a light source can affect plant growth.
Kelvin vs. Spectrum
Kelvin temperature is the unit of measure used to describe what color a lamp appears to be when it is lighted. Kelvin temperature is a lighting term used to relate the color appearance of a lit lamp to the color appearance of a glowing hot piece of metal. An example is hot steel which glows bright yellow when heated to 1200 degrees Kelvin. A lamp may be called 1200K if it looks like that same shade of yellow when lit.
Kelvin temperature has no relation to light spectrum, light quality or plant growth. It is used only to describe color appearance. The examples below show the spectral distribution charts of two lamps with the same Kelvin temperature but very different spectral outputs. So never purchase a grow lamp based upon its Kelvin temperature, especially if there is no spectral distribution chart to display the quality of the light emitted by the lamp. If you choose a lamp based on its Kelvin temperature alone, you may be depriving your plants of the wavelengths they need to reach their maximum potential. Always choose a grow lamp based on its spectrum, not its color temperature.
CRI
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a rating system that measures the accuracy of how a light source makes specific colors look.
CRI tells us how accurately a light source displays specific colors. They are listed below.
If a light source displays these 14 colors perfectly the corresponding CRI would equal 100. If the light source did not display any color correctly its CRI would be 0 (zero).
The CRI index was created to help companies sell products. If a light source does not accurately display colors, the carpet that you purchased in the store may look completely different at home. A red shirt may look orange or pink. A white car may look grey or cream.
Do your plants care about CRI? Only if they are buying carpet, shirts, or cars.
Some horticulture lighting brands publish the CRI values. However, CRI value has little to do with lamp spectrum or its ability to grow plants.
- See more at: http://www.eyehortilux.com/education-room/grow-guide.aspx#sthash.R1upneFi.dpuf- See more at: http://www.eyehortilux.com/education-room/grow-guide.aspx#sthash.R1upneFi.dpuf
1. Intensity
The higher intensity of light, the better your plants will grow. By increasing wattages you are increasing the intensity or quantity of light available for your plants.
As light levels increase, be sure to monitor other environmental elements, including heat, carbon dioxide, humidity, and nutrient supply.
2. Spectrum
As light intensity increases, the light spectrum becomes more important. Natural sunlight is intense and has a broad and balanced spectrum. Indoor plants require the same high intensity and broad but balanced spectrum.
3. Focus
The reflector directs the light where it is needed. Well-designed reflectors are made of quality materials that have a long service life. They deliver a high percentage of the available light precisely where it is needed, uniformly.
Light effects
This chart shows how the intensity of light, the quality of the spectrum and the amount of time the lights are on, can affect different aspects of plant growth.
- Intensity mainly affects the overall yield of your crop
- The quality of the spectrum mainly affects the quality of the plants’ structure, tastes and/or smells
- The Photoperiod (the amount of time the plants are exposed to light) mainly affects when the plants begin their flowering/ reproductive process
As you can see from the chart above, intensity, spectrum and photoperiod also have affect all aspects of growing. As an indoor grower you must consider all these lighting aspects to be a successful grower.
McCree Curve
The McCree Curve represents the average photosynthetic response of plants to light energy. The McCree Curve, also known as the Plant Sensitivity Curve, begins at 360nm and extends to 760nm. This curve can be placed over a spectral distribution chart to see how well a light source can affect plant growth.
Kelvin vs. Spectrum
Kelvin temperature is the unit of measure used to describe what color a lamp appears to be when it is lighted. Kelvin temperature is a lighting term used to relate the color appearance of a lit lamp to the color appearance of a glowing hot piece of metal. An example is hot steel which glows bright yellow when heated to 1200 degrees Kelvin. A lamp may be called 1200K if it looks like that same shade of yellow when lit.
Kelvin temperature has no relation to light spectrum, light quality or plant growth. It is used only to describe color appearance. The examples below show the spectral distribution charts of two lamps with the same Kelvin temperature but very different spectral outputs. So never purchase a grow lamp based upon its Kelvin temperature, especially if there is no spectral distribution chart to display the quality of the light emitted by the lamp. If you choose a lamp based on its Kelvin temperature alone, you may be depriving your plants of the wavelengths they need to reach their maximum potential. Always choose a grow lamp based on its spectrum, not its color temperature.
CRI
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a rating system that measures the accuracy of how a light source makes specific colors look.
CRI tells us how accurately a light source displays specific colors. They are listed below.
If a light source displays these 14 colors perfectly the corresponding CRI would equal 100. If the light source did not display any color correctly its CRI would be 0 (zero).
The CRI index was created to help companies sell products. If a light source does not accurately display colors, the carpet that you purchased in the store may look completely different at home. A red shirt may look orange or pink. A white car may look grey or cream.
Do your plants care about CRI? Only if they are buying carpet, shirts, or cars.
Some horticulture lighting brands publish the CRI values. However, CRI value has little to do with lamp spectrum or its ability to grow plants.
- See more at: http://www.eyehortilux.com/education-room/grow-guide.aspx#sthash.R1upneFi.dpuf- See more at: http://www.eyehortilux.com/education-room/grow-guide.aspx#sthash.R1upneFi.dpuf
