Flowers in a light bulb. DIY. Ecosystem in a light bulb. Which light is best for growth

Every experienced grower knows what a huge role the right lighting of indoor plants plays. Along with watering and soil, light is an indispensable component on which successful growth directly depends. It is no secret that in the natural environment, some plants feel great in shady places, while others cannot develop without direct exposure to sunlight. At home, the situation is similar. We will talk in detail about how to competently make artificial lighting for indoor plants.

Decorative lighting and lighting for plant growth

A houseplant growing lamp is a great way to extend daylight hours. After all, many indoor flowers are of tropical origin, which means that they experience a shortage of solar energy every day, especially in winter. For effective plant growth, daylight hours should be about 15 hours. Otherwise, they weaken, stop blooming and are exposed to various diseases.

When planning the future illumination of indoor flowers, it is important not to miss the aesthetic component. The phytolamp should become part of the interior, a kind of decor element. On sale there is a huge number of lamps with wall mounts of various shapes, for any energy-saving lamp: CFL or LED. Depending on the size of the home flower garden, the backlight can be made from several spotlights aimed directly at each green pet, or from tubular fluorescent lamps with a reflector. By connecting your own imagination, you can make an original LED phytolamp yourself.

The most important component of growth is the spectrum of light

In order to understand how heterogeneous the light from different electrical sources and the sun is, it is necessary to look at their spectral composition. The spectral characteristic is the dependence of the radiation intensity on the wavelength. The solar radiation curve is continuous in the entire visible range with a decrease in the UV and IR regions. The spectrum of artificial light sources in most cases is represented by individual pulses of different amplitudes, which, as a result, gives the light a certain shade.

During the experiments, it was found that for successful development, plants do not use the full spectrum, but only its individual parts. The following wavelengths are considered the most vital:

640–660 nm - velvet red, necessary for all adult plants for reproductive development, as well as for strengthening the root system;
595–610 nm - orange for flowering and fruit ripening;
440-445 nm - purple for vegetative development;
380-400 nm - near UV range to regulate the growth rate and protein formation;
280-315 nm - medium UV range to increase frost resistance.

Lighting only with the listed rays is not suitable for all plants. Each representative of the flora is unique in its "wave" preferences. This means that it is impossible to fully replace the energy of the sun with the help of lamps. But artificial lighting of plants in the morning and evening hours can significantly improve their life.

Signs of lack of light

There are a number of signs by which it is easy to identify a lack of light. You just need to carefully look at your flower and compare it with the standard. For example, find a similar view on the Internet. A clear lack of illumination is manifested as follows. The plant slows down its growth. The new leaves are smaller and the stem becomes thinner. The lower leaves turn yellow. The flower either completely stops blooming, or the number of buds formed is less than the average. At the same time, it is considered that watering, humidity and air temperature are normal.

How much light do you need?

It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. Just as a person can live in different parts of the globe, so an indoor flower can grow on a windowsill with access to the north, south, west or east. The plant throughout its life will strive to adapt to the current conditions: to stretch upward from a lack of light or, conversely, to expose another blossoming bud to the sun's rays.

Observing the appearance of the stems and leaves, the size and number of flowers, you can determine the sufficiency of the level of illumination. At the same time, one should not forget at what stage of development the indoor flower is: vegetation, flowering, seed ripening. At each stage, he takes from the sun the light of the wavelength that he needs at the moment. Therefore, when organizing additional illumination, it is important to take into account the qualitative component of the luminous flux.

Prolonged exposure to the bright light of the sun and lamps with an illumination level of more than 15 thousand lux is loved by those indoor flowers that grow in their natural habitat in the open. This is a favorite of many Crassula, geranium, Kalanchoe, begonia. Artificial lighting for plants of this type in the evening will benefit them.

Representatives of the flora that feel comfortable with an illumination of 10-15 thousand lux include Spathiphyllum, Clivia, Saintpaulia, Tradescantia and Dracaena. The leaves of these types of indoor flowers do not like hot sunlight, but they also do not tolerate early twilight. Therefore, the ideal place for them would be a window sill with access to the west, where in the evening their leaves will receive the necessary energy from the setting sun.

The so-called shade-loving plants can bloom and develop far from the window opening, being content with illumination up to 10 thousand lux. However, this does not mean that they will die if they are placed in a brighter place. They just need less direct sunlight. These include some types of ficus and dracaena, philodendron, and tropical vines.

Illumination of plants and artificial light sources

In most cases, indoor plants need additional lighting. Flowers, which at first glance have bright green succulent leaves and bloom regularly, will look even better if they begin to be affected by a phytolamp. If someone thinks otherwise, then he has a great chance to be convinced of the fallacy of his thinking and collect. Various sources of artificial light are used to extend daylight hours. Consider each of them and figure out which light is best for plants.

Incandescent lamps

Illumination of plants using incandescent lamps is the least effective for several reasons. The emission spectrum of ordinary light bulbs with a spiral is strongly shifted to the red region, which does not contribute to photosynthesis in any way. Low efficiency and, as a result, a huge heat release direct their energy and light efficiency to zero. In addition, incandescent lamps are characterized by the shortest service life in comparison with other sources of artificial light.

Fluorescent lamps

Tubular fluorescent or, as they are most often called, energy-saving daylight T8 full spectrum (T = 5300-6500 ° K) lamps have been considered the best option for lighting indoor plants for many years. They have earned a lot of positive feedback due to the presence of a selective spectrum, efficiency and low heat transfer, combined with an acceptable cost.

Companies specializing in the production of fluorescent lamps offer growers an improved option - a phytolamp with a selective emission spectrum. They work mainly in the blue and red range, as can be seen from the characteristic glow. But the cost of such lamps for illuminating plants is an order of magnitude higher than conventional analogues.

The sodium lamp is the most efficient light source. In terms of luminous efficiency and working life, these lamps are comparable to LEDs for plants. That's just for home conditions, they are not suitable because of the excessively high brightness (more than 15 thousand lux). But in many greenhouses and greenhouses, growing plants under artificial lighting is based on gas discharge lamps. Due to the fact that they emit more red light, they are installed in combination with 6500K fluorescent lamps.

LED light sources

All phytolamps on LEDs are divided into three groups:

bicolor;
with multispectrum;
with full spectrum.

Bicolor or two-color fixtures are based on blue (440–450 nm) and red (640–660 nm) LEDs. Their light is considered to be the most optimal for organizing the illumination of any plants during the growing season. The specified working spectrum favors the process of photosynthesis, which leads to an accelerated growth of green mass. That is why summer residents prefer blue-red LED lamps when growing vegetable seedlings on the windowsill.

LED lamps with multispectrum have a wider application due to the expansion of the red range into the infrared and yellow light. They are in demand for highlighting adult plants, stimulating flowering and fruit ripening. In apartment conditions, it is better to use the LED multispectrum for flowers with a dense crown.

On a phytolamp with a full spectrum of radiation, you can make a backlight for flowers in an apartment, regardless of the type and location. This is a kind of universal source of artificial light, which emits in a wide range with maxima in the red and blue zones. The full spectrum LED luminaire is a tandem of energy efficiency and light energy, reminiscent of the action of sunlight.

Today, the creation of favorable conditions for an extensive transition to phyto-LEDs does not occur for two reasons:

the high cost of high-quality lamps for plants;
a large number of fakes collected on conventional LEDs.

What light is best for growth?

Of course, the ideal source of light is solar energy. In apartments with windows to the southeast and southwest, you can grow any flowers by placing them at different points in the room. But do not be upset for those who have a view from the window only to the north side. Fluorescent and LED lamps for lighting plants compensate for the lack of sunlight.

Daylight plant lamps are a time-tested budget option. They are suitable for those who are trying to create normal conditions for a flower with a small investment. LED phytolamps for those who seek to force things and achieve the best results in a short time, despite the price of several thousand rubles.

Before buying another “leafy pet”, you should find out how light-loving it is. Perhaps the allotted space in the room will not be able to provide him with full development.
An inexpensive option for lighting light-loving plants can be made from an 18 W fluorescent lamp and a 25 W incandescent lamp.
The prevailing radiation in the yellow region of the visible spectrum inhibits the growth of stems. Highlighting dracaena (and other tree-like ones) with warm light will give it a compact shape.
If a plant with variegated foliage loses its original color and becomes monochromatic, then it clearly lacks light. To return the flower to its former attractiveness, an LED phytolamp will help.
Light from red and blue LEDs accelerates eye fatigue. In this regard, visual work in the area of their action should be excluded.

Summing up

We hope that the material read has helped the reader to master the basic knowledge of organizing lighting for flowers in the house and on the balcony. Once again, I would like to emphasize the cost-effectiveness and high efficiency of LED lamps for growing plants, the mass transition to which is just around the corner. Let every grower who has the opportunity to purchase a LED phytolamp today, evaluate its power and leave your feedback for other readers in the comments below.

The main signs of insufficient lighting

With insufficient sunlight, the plant quickly begins to change its appearance. The leaves acquire a less saturated color, and sometimes they simply begin to crumble. In some cases, the appearance of round spots on the surface of the sheet plate is not excluded.

The flower grows noticeably in height. The stem becomes thin and lifeless.

If one of these symptoms is found, it is necessary to change its location on the window opening.

To quickly restore the plant, you can install an additional light source. How to arrange lighting for indoor plants? Everything is quite simple.

For this you will need:

LED Strip Light;
table or stationary lamp designed for indoor plants.

To normalize the life process of plants, there are special varieties of lamp lighting.

For each species, it is necessary to select the appropriate intensity of artificial radiation. The photo of indoor flower illumination shows a variety of designs.

Tropical species need more powerful devices. As for indoor violets and orchids, a small amount of lighting is enough for them. In such devices, there are several modes of simulating solar radiation.

How to choose?

The main thing in this matter is to choose the most appropriate intensity of light rays for most species.

In specialized departments, a huge selection of LED strip with changing light beams is presented. Here the maximum imitation of solar radiation is created. The operation of such a lamp can take quite a long period of time.

In the event of a malfunction of such a backlight, an inoperative element can be easily replaced. This applies to both the whole segment and its individual parts. The LED strip is firmly fixed on any surface.

Fluorescent lamps have been developed to save electrical energy. They have minimal weight and simple design.

An incandescent lamp is also suitable for lighting indoor flowers. The only drawback of such a device is its excessive power consumption.

The most budget option is still an LED strip or a table lamp with an energy-saving light bulb. These types of designs are able to maintain the optimal supply of light in the dark.

Installation

In the process of creating an artificial light source, you need to think about its location. Incorrect supply of light rays can cause serious problems for a houseplant.

At the time of fixing or installing the device, it is recommended to take into account the maximum distance from the pot to the lamp. In this case, you can stick to 30 cm.

If burns or light spots begin to appear on the surface of the leaves, then it is necessary to increase the light distance. Uniform dispersion, helps indoor flowers maintain a beautiful appearance.

Photo lighting for indoor flowers

Additional lighting of indoor plants is a guarantee of their full growth and development. Light is the energy vital for the natural process of photosynthesis. Consider the rules for choosing a lamp for a flower.

In summer, the green inhabitants of the apartments receive it unilaterally from the window through which the sun's rays break through. With the advent of cold weather, they are in constant semi-darkness, spend extra strength, do not bloom, grow poorly.

You can correct the situation by creating artificial lighting.

To choose a complete replacement for sunlight, you should know that light has two characteristics - the spectrum and light power. It is necessary to select these parameters correctly, taking into account the stages of development of a houseplant.

Seedlings are easier to grow with the right lighting.

Young seedlings especially need additional light. It affects the division, stretching and formation of cells.

For seed germination, seedling growth, more blue spectrum is needed. Only he can provide active photosynthesis and, accordingly, active growth. The power of the device at this stage can be small - up to 200 watts.

With the red spectrum shoots get stronger, flowering intensifies. But it is impossible to consider each spectrum separately. Chlorophyll, under the influence of different parts of the spectrum, absorbs light, transforming energy.

Therefore, artificial lighting must match the spectrum of daylight.

Lamp and its color temperature

It's time to consider the types of lamps and their temperature. It is measured in kelvins (K). There are these:

incandescent lamp

Choose it to highlight green spaces - bad idea. It gives off a lot of heat. The plant is stretching. There is a danger of burning the leaves. The temperature of a 40 W bulb is 2200 K, a 60 W bulb is 2680 K.

There are more minuses than pluses: fragility, short service life, it quickly burns out with power surges.

classic incandescent lamp

Fluorescent

Represented by two types: general and special purpose. They differ only in the coating applied to the glass flask. It is believed that the coating on special-purpose lamps brings them closer to the desired spectrum.

Of the pros: it gives off light well, they have low heat transfer, efficiency.

By cons– ballast (special equipment) is required for operation. They are electromagnetic and electronic - EMPR and EPTRA (indicated on the package). They emit warm and cool colors and match the appropriate spectra.

Combine two types of lamps. The temperature of a 200 W lamp of warm color is 3000 K, cold color is 3500 K.

gas-discharge

They are mainly used by professionals in greenhouses, conservatories, winter gardens. At home, you can only use it in non-residential premises, since strong brightness hurts the eyes.

There are mercury lamps that emit 2 times less luminous flux than sodium lamps. Their spectrum not suitable for seedlings.

Sodium more in line with the sun. Metal halide is the most expensive among gas-discharge devices. Suitable for vegetative growth.

Finished luminaires

In specialized stores you can buy ready-made devices. Leading the way are LED lights. They emit a stream of the desired spectrum.

Of the pros– economical, ecological, energy-saving with a long service life. They consume 10 times less electricity than fluorescent ones. They can work up to 100,000 hours without interruption.

They heat up to a maximum of 35 degrees. 1 diode consumes 1 watt per hour. For comparison, fluorescent - 15 - 65 W per hour. The efficiency of LEDs is 95%. The light bulb is screwed into a regular socket.

Finished fixtures are connected to a regular network. There are different sizes and capacities, which allows you to choose both for one flower and for shelf or rack(sell whole panels).

The diverse design of such devices allows you to choose them for the overall style of the room.

How to make a backlight on the windowsill

Modern appliances allow you to make the backlight even on a regular windowsill do it yourself. For this you need:

Choose plants that are the same height.
Buy cheap lamps.
Arrange pots, boxes on the windowsill, behind them at the window place foil or a mirror to reflect the rays.
Arrange lamps on both sides of the windowsill.

Can be connected to the mains.

When lighting with LED strips, you should know that cannot be connected directly to a power outlet.. They need a special block for voltage transformation.

Features of lighting in winter

In cold weather, the number of hours for backlighting is extended. In winter, the choice of device depends on the temperature characteristics of the plant. Heat-loving ones can winter with a very small decrease in heat and daylight hours.

They must receive illumination throughout 12 hours. Spend it in the morning and evening.

In articles about caring for flowers, we often reveal the features of their wintering. So, we talked about the role of additional lighting when we talked,.

In winter, plants need more light than in summer.

What is the feature of the correct illumination

Proper illumination depends on the greenest inhabitant. You need to find detailed information about it, only after choosing the right device.

The main feature of the additional backlight is make up for the lack of sun. Therefore, you need to know the seasonal norms. This determines the effectiveness of artificial light depends on the duration of the day and night at different times of the year, its intensity, the needs of the flower itself.

Proper lighting should be a good growth stimulator.

Not all plants adapt to the lack of light. By their appearance, they indicate a problem that has arisen.

Given the level of illumination, you can install the device correctly for support green dweller.

Signs of lack of light

By the appearance of the plant, you can determine whether it has enough light.

The shortage is displayed:

Stretched shoots.
small pale leaves.
Rare flowers or their absence in flowering species.
Long internodes.
Yellowing, falling, drying of the lower leaves.
motley leaves gradually darken turn green.

Having noticed such signs, you need to give your green friend additional light.

You can accurately measure the amount of light in a room using a light meter. The device will give accurate readings.

What level of light do flowers need?

Illumination is measured in suites. In nature, its level reaches 100,000 lux. This intensity is not required for colors.

In winter, enough for plants:

This is the minimum level to sustain life. Bloomers will need to increase the light level even up to 9000.

How to install a lighting fixture in an apartment

When installing lamps, you should be aware that with an increase in the distance from the flower to the lamp by 2 times, the light intensity decreases by 4 times.

Consider the distance to the lamp so that the plant does not burn or stretch

When burns are visible on the leaves, then the device is too close. The elongated stems indicate that the lamp is far away.

To avoid distortion, the lamp should be placed on top. The minimum distance to the heat-loving one is 15 mm, the shade-tolerant one is 55 mm.

The rule of three "F" for plants

Proper flower development depends on three processes:

photosynthesis in which red light predominates. It speeds up the metabolism.
Photomorphogenesis defining growth and development. When there is not enough blue spectrum, the leaves are underdeveloped, the stems are stretched.
Photoperiodism, which takes into account the reaction of plants to the ratio of day and night (light and dark periods).

Each green tenant needs an individual approach: a different period of lighting, the number of light hours, a specific time. Having studied everything in detail about each flower that lives in the house, you can choose the right lamp.

To make green friends feel good in an apartment at any time of the year, you need to:

Make it possible to capture light longer with the help of additional devices. They need different colors of the spectrum for growth and development.

No need to constantly turn on the lamps in the dark. 12 - 14 hours is enough for a normal life. Important processes that are important for life take place at night.

For diffusion, you can make a matte screen that will create a universal glow for any green inhabitant.
With artificial lighting it is important make a schedule. He will not let you bring down the rhythm of life.
Routine window cleaning and glass cleaning save energy by letting in more daylight.

Cleaning windows will allow you to get more sunlight, which is also good for pets.

If you choose the right additional lighting, then indoor "pets" will delight in appearance.

A terrarium is a small world, with its own closed ecosystem, enclosed in a glass dome, under which it can exist almost forever. Such an amazing thing in the house will not leave anyone indifferent. Today we will talk about how to create such a terrarium.

Training

We will make a terrarium from the most ordinary incandescent lamp. First we need gloves, pliers and a screwdriver.

Using pliers, remove the contact point of the light bulb and its fastening from the base. Simply put, this is a metal penny at the bottom of the light bulb and its insulation, reminiscent of black glass.

Next, we need to remove all the contents from the glass flask. We take a screwdriver and push the contents inward with translational movements, after which we successfully remove it from the light bulb. Ready. After that, it is desirable to process the inner surface of the base for sharp fragments.

You also need to think about the system of fastening your closed ecosystem. It can be copper wire, hot glue on some flat surface, or ordinary nylon thread for hanging a light bulb.

But at the same time, do not forget: although the terrarium is a closed ecosystem, it needs sunlight. This must be taken into account when designing the fixture.

The preparation of our future terrarium is completed, and now we can start filling.

Selection of the contents of the terrarium

At a minimum, for the normal functioning of the terrarium, it needs: gravel or small gravel as drainage, sand and earth for soil formation. All these materials are quite accessible and sometimes lie right under your feet. Next, you can pick up a few small plants of your choice.

For example, moss - this choice is due to the extreme vitality and persistence of the species. Let's add a few more plants at random and some wildlife, be it an acorn, a small cone or a shell, and much more that comes to your mind, as an entourage.

Filling the terrarium

Since we will make our terrarium in a light bulb, and it will be quite small, we suggest you make a funnel out of paper, with which you can easily distribute bulk materials evenly over the surface of the inner wall of the glass bulb.

At the very beginning we pour gravel, then sand, and on top we cover everything with earth. The stage of soil formation is completed. Next we need tweezers. With this tool, we will easily distribute all the other plants and objects in the soil of the newly made terrarium.

Naturally, our plants will need moisture, so before sealing the light bulb, add a small amount of water from the syringe. Then we need to clog the base so that air from outside does not penetrate there. This can be done using a cut branch of a suitable cross-sectional diameter and hot melt adhesive. You can easily come up with your own options.

The principle of operation of the terrarium

The meaning of sealing a glass flask is that the terrarium, thanks to a holistic, closed and autonomous ecosystem, is almost completely self-sufficient.

The only thing he needs is sunlight. Almost the same processes take place in it as on our planet. There will develop its own life, the water will evaporate, settling as condensate on the walls of the vessel, then drain back into the soil.

Some plants will grow upward, while others will begin to decompose over time, releasing carbon dioxide and allowing new ones to grow. You just have to watch the process and enjoy the new acquisition made by yourself.

Terrarium is a wonderful thing

After completing the last stage, you can calmly exhale - the main work is finished. Now you can think about placing a bulb of earth in your room. It will look very interesting on a desktop or wall shelf if there is at least partial access to sunlight.

But in general, the choice is yours - experiment and make decisions yourself.

If you want to learn more about the process of creating a terrarium from a light bulb, then the following video will help you:

Take it, tell your friends!