Do plants need full-spectrum light to grow

There are grow lights out there that will deliver both red and blue light simultaneously, this is referred to as full-spectrum lighting. Because of the nuclear fusion that the sun is constantly undergoing, electromagnetic radiation waves are cast out into space, eventually making their way here to Earth. The white light that enters water droplets suspended in the air breaks apart and, if viewed from the right angle, is seen in the sky as a rainbow.

Although for best results, growers should aim for a full spectrum light that can be adjusted to produce more blue light than red light. Then, as outdoor conditions warm-up, the plant can once again either go outside. The light that falls within this spectral range affects plant growth differently. In fact, the light needed for healthy plant growth only makes up a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum — which is visible light.

Plants need light to grow.

An LED plant light usually makes the best full spectrum grow lights. Electromagnetic radiation comprises lots of different energy types, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays, and — of most interest to us indoor gardeners — visible light. In particular, there are three main kinds of energy that help a plant reach optimal health — visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared radiation.

Although, as a general rule of thumb, most plants enjoy a light regime that starts at 12 hours per day — great for vegetative growth. In the plant science and horticulture world, we sometimes refer to this spectral range as photosynthetically active radiation — or PAR for short. A full-spectrum LED light not only produces full-spectrum light, but a high-quality model will also produce small amounts of ultraviolet light.

Guide: full-spectrum light for plants (+grow light spectrum chart)

Light is one of the most important factors for growing houseplants.

Grow lights, also known

Light spectrums outside of blue and red wavelengths are used least by plants to grow as reds and blues are where most photosynthetic activity occurs – a big .

As I quickly touched on above, blue light for plants, between and nm , is the perfect spectral range for vegetative growth. Or for houseplants, the lighting regime can return to a reproductive mode, high in red light, to stimulate reproductive growth. When a manufacturer refers to full spectrum grow lights what they mean is their product has an integrated feature that allows growers to switch in between vegetative and reproductive modes or deliver both at once.

Light affects plant growth in a few vital ways. As with most terrestrially based plants, aquarium plants also enjoy full-spectrum grow lights that produce artificial lighting that falls within both the red and blue spectral range. Plants absorb the violet-blue light and the orange-red light and reflect most of the green light that they receive. Kelvin K is a measure of temperature or, in the context of plant growth, a measurement of color temperature.

Red light, between to nm or 2, to 3,K , is the best for flowering and fruit production. The main advantage of full spectrum grow lights is that growers will not have to switch out bulbs or bring in different grow lights for the different stages of plant growth — something growers that use HPS high-pressure sodium lights like a metal halide or HID light will have to do.

Within this spectral range, artificial light produced by grow lights emulates the lighting conditions that are common during the spring and summer months — when plants flower and fruit.

How to Use Grow Lights for Seed Starting

With this guide, you should be able to confidently shop for LED grow lights for your indoor space. It is not until visible light wavelengths are separated that we can see them as different colors.

If you wish to overwinter your plants and keep them in a vegetative stage, a traditional fluorescent, halogen, or incandescent light with an adequate wattage output can get plants through the winter period. For sufficient rates of photosynthesis and chlorophyll concentration , plants require a visible spectrum of light ranging from between to nanometers — we humans see light that is nm as violet and light that is nm as red.

Although visible light makes up only a small portion of the total electromagnetic radiation that arrives here on Earth, it is within this range of light that facilitates photosynthesis.

Lighting for indoor plants and starting seeds - UMN Extension

So, does infrared light affect plant growth? Plants also use small amounts of ultraviolet light UV. There are three different types of ultraviolet light broken down by their respective wavelength:. The color of visible light varies in wavelength and is therefore seen in variations of green, yellow, and blue and red light.

So, what is the best color spectrum for vegetative growth? Besides visible light, plants also use tiny amounts of ultraviolet light and infrared radiation. Plants use violet and blue light waves, between to nm, for vegetative growth. And then shifts to a regime of 16 hours of light a day — perfect for reproductive growth. Therefore, full-spectrum lighting that produces blue, green, yellow, and red light, ranging from to nm, is best used for aquarium plants.

But, what about the 90 odd nanometers in between and ? While red light, which falls within narrow spectrum between to nm, is used by plants for reproductive growth. Within the visible light spectrum falls the light that you and I see with our eyes every day. When the full spectrum of visible light combines, we see it as white light.