Wow! Learning about lights for hydroponics, or just plant growing, gets overwhelming fast. So many terms and numbers to keep track of. Here’s a roundup of posts that help explain lighting, all written for an absolute beginner in mind!
Not everyone has a PAR meter or Quantum meter; they can be expensive. So how else can you measure the light your room gets? Whilst not very accurate, this can give you an idea of how bright your rooms are; helpful in finding out if you need to invest in a grow lamp!
How Bright Should My Hydroponic Lights Be?
This post explores how much light certain plants needs to grow. I also show you how to convert to the more common used light measurement value umols/m2/s or PPF, which many grow lights use. Understanding these values, and how they get them, will help you make an informed purchase.
How Long Should My Grow Lights Be On For Hydroponics?
So you know how bright your light should be, but how long should it shine? Plants need time to sleep and rest too, just like you. This post explores how to determine how many hours of light your plant needs (it can vary a little depending upon how bright your light is).
Grow light heights? Is it too close or too far away? – coming soon
Lights have different intensities, depending upon how far away you are to them. That little candle might not put off much light or heat from across the room, but up close you can still get burnt! This post will be exploring PAR, PPF and PPFD.
Waveforms and Colors – coming soon
Humans can see white light, and our eyes prefer it. But plants actually prefer different colors, most often reds and blues. This post explores the colors that lamps output – usually referred to in waveforms.
If you want a more advanced list of lighting resources, check out the post SAG’s plant lighting guide linked together.