What kind of lighting should be in the greenhouse?

What you need to know?

Before starting the organization of greenhouse lighting, it is necessary to remember that for different plants the need for light is also different. The most photophilous are cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, lettuce and other greens. They need special care and light 10 hours a day and, of course, in winter it will be necessary to carry out additional lighting to save the harvest.

What kind of lighting should be in the greenhouse? There are a lot of options, but we immediately warn that ordinary incandescent lamps for these purposes are absolutely not suitable. They quickly heat up, are short-lived and besides in their spectrum there is no blue color necessary for plants. Best for a covered garden in the country or in a private house fit luminescent, gas-discharge and LED lights.

Lamp variants

Fluorescent

The so-called fluorescent lamps( pictured below) is the most popular option for lighting greenhouses and is often used for sprouting seedlings. They do not heat up and in no way affect the temperature and humidity in the hotbed, therefore they are practically safe for any plants. Fluorescent lamps are ideal for lighting in winter and at night. Of the advantages also can be distinguished long-term operation, low price and a good spectrum of radiation. The disadvantages most often include low light output, large product sizes and voltage dependency. Mounts both horizontally and vertically.

There are also energy-saving fluorescent lighting lamps. They are most suitable for owners of small greenhouses due to their compactness and the absence of any additional equipment. Economy and durability are the main distinguishing features of these light bulbs, which is confirmed by a lot of feedback on thematic forums. The only thing to be taken care of is the choice of a model with the desired spectrum of radiation and a large number of blue rays.

Gas Discharge

Gas-discharge lamps include mercury, sodium and metal halide lighting devices. This option is most often used for lighting industrial greenhouses, they are characterized by high light output and the best spectrum of radiation for plants. In addition, a small plus is the compactness of products. As for the shortcomings, here it is noted that the models are expensive, that they are difficult to install and dispose of bulbs. This is a professional equipment, which you should think about only if you have a large complex and growing plants is also earnings. In the photo you can see a variant with metal halide lamps:

If you chose mercury lamps for lighting, then note that they can warm up, and in case of breaking and flow of mercury, the harvest will have to be destroyed. So of all the gas-discharge products, mercury models are less preferable. Metal halide devices are considered the best option, but they can disappoint with their short life, at a rather high price and with a complicated installation system.

LED

LED tapes and lamps are gaining popularity in all spheres of lighting, including greenhouses. Practically unlimited lifetime, safety for people and plants, continuous operation even from low voltage and adjustment to the required spectrum - all this is about LED lightings. You can choose different colors depending on the needs of the plants - red, blue or combined, as in the photo below. Interestingly, at this time in development are white LEDs, which in the future will be able to completely replace sunlight. The only disadvantage is the relatively high cost of such lamps. However, if possible, we advise you to choose exactly on LED greenhouse lighting.

Useful information about lamps for additional light in hotbeds you can see on the video:

Self-made electrification

It is not very problematic to independently light a greenhouse, even an electrician-beginner. To begin with, you need to pull a separate wire from the home switchboard and extend it to the greenhouse. At this stage, you need to solve the main issue - to conduct electrical wiring under the ground or through the air. In the first case, the requirements are as follows:

• the depth of the trench must be at least 0.8 meters;
• cable under ground must be protected by a corrugated pipe;
• the path of the trench must not overlap with the drainage system.

If you decide to carry out lighting in the greenhouse by air, consider that the wiring should not pass through the branches of trees( they can damage the cable in wind gusts).

That's all we wanted to tell about the lighting of the greenhouse with our own hands. We hope that this information was useful. You have to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, namely to buy the necessary lamps and to install artificial light in the greenhouse.

Also read:

• Heating of greenhouses with electricity
• Lamps DNaT technical specifications
• Which lamps are better for growing plants