I grow seedlings myself, like many summer residents. Of course, this is a troublesome business, it takes time and attention. But somehow I don’t trust purchased seedlings. Sometimes they were misled: instead of cauliflower, they slipped white cabbage. And there is confusion with flowers.
The most important thing in caring for seedlings is to provide them with good lighting.
Why seedlings need lighting
I start growing seedlings in February. At this time, daylight hours are short and mostly cloudy. And most plants need to receive lighting for at least 12 hours a day for proper development, and some even more.
Plants grow frail in the absence of light. Weakened immunity leads to disease. Plants will not be able to control pests. You can't count on a good harvest.
Additional lighting will help the seedlings form a strong root system and aerial portion.
Choosing a lamp for illumination
It is not so difficult to organize supplementary lighting for green "babies". But there is such a large selection of lighting fixtures in stores that you don't know which one is more suitable.
Incandescent lamp
Don't be tempted by the price. Such a lamp consumes a lot of electricity. In addition, it creates a high temperature, which is bad for seedlings.
Luminescent
This one consumes less electricity, gives off light well, while not changing the microclimate near the plants. I choose a lamp that has pink and purple light. This light is very useful for seedlings, as it stimulates some processes at the cellular level.
Energy saving
With a modest use of energy, this long-lasting lamp fades over time. I install this if only one drawer or pot needs to be lit. Are the plants stretching anyway? This means that there is not enough lighting. I need to add one more lamp or more.
Metal halide, mercury, sodium
I pass by. Suitable for growing seedlings on an industrial scale.
Induction
The price is quite high, but worth it. I think this is the best option. Durable, does not react to voltage drops, "eats" little electricity, copes well with light output, emits little heat, does not fade over time. Provides plants with the desired color spectrum.
LED
It can please with its democratic price. It has the same advantages as induction. Between the two lamps, I choose this one. Still, the price does matter to me.
Phytolamp
The high price - is this lamp worth it? It cannot replace natural light, like other lamps, but it makes up for its deficiency well. Gives off little heat and lots of light.
Installation of lighting devices
When installing lighting fixtures, I follow certain rules.
- If, after installing additional lighting, the plants continue to stretch, I add lamps or change them to more powerful ones.
- I check if the lamps are dangerously close: I hold my palm over the plants for a while. If I don't feel warmth, the lighting height is normal.
- Before the emergence of shoots, the lamps are installed directly above the boxes. As soon as the seeds hatch, I move them half a meter higher.
- I illuminate each plant according to my own standards. On average, this is about 12 hours. And tomatoes, for example, need backlighting for 16-17 hours.
I did not always highlight my seedlings. Starting to apply additional lighting, I noticed that my seedlings became stronger, stopped stretching, and the color of the leaves, which was previously pale green, turned into a bright, saturated one. Now I install lighting fixtures on my windowsills every spring.
Read also: Effective ways to deal with slugs in the garden
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