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Lighting

The lighting used for plant growth is very important as it has an effect on how fast, large, and healthy the plants will become.  Depending on the type of plant or growth style (aquaponic system, hydroponic system, microgreen system) you might want to consider different lighting types or configurations.  

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There are several types of lights with their own pros/cons.  There are also different colors of light which are needed at different parts of a plants growth cycle, which will differ from plant to plant.  There are several methods for measuring light which differ depending on who you talk to.  There are also several other variables that can make understanding lighting even more difficult.  For our purposes we will focus mainly on LED, CFL, and HID type lights along with the benefits that can be gained from different light colors.

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If you are using natural light, the sun, then most of the information above does not relate.  The sun will take care of the necessary light adjustments needed for your plants growth but you will be limited to growing based on your current climate.

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Note from Nomis Engineered:

As we build our business we will continue to experiment with different levels of water quality and bring you our findings so you have the latest information and can experience more efficient growth.

Light Colors

Light colors are normally measured in nanometers (nm) based on their wavelength and split into 3 primary colors.  Putting all 3 primary colors together will produce a white light which will cover the full spectrum of visible light and can be compared the the light the sun gives off.  

There are 3 primary colors:

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  • Blue (500 - 600 nm)

    • Usually used for vegetative stages​

  • Green (600 -700 nm)

    • Usually good â€‹ for improving health in some plants

  • Red (700 - 750 nm)

    • Usually used for flowering stages​

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As stated above, white light will cover all of the light colors.  Depending on the specific plant you can be safe using white light or you might need to focus on using a different color or combination of colors based on the plant and stage the plant is in.

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Types of Lights

There are mainly 3 types of lights used for indoor gardening which are:

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  • Light Emitting Diode (LED)

  • Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL)

  • High Intensity Discharge (HID)

    • High Pressure Sodium (HPS)​

    • Metal Halide (MH)

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If you are growing plants with flowering and vegetative growth you can use either LED or HID lights as they are full spectrum and can provide the plants with the light colors needed.  Both can be initially expensive but the LEDs will last longer and have a much lower operating cost.  The HID bulbs do not last long and a fan is required to keep the bulbs cool.

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If you are growing green leaf plants like spinach and lettuce you can use either option but CFL will be the least expensive.  The green leaf plants do not require a full spectrum light and CFL lights can be purchased per the green leaf plants light requirements.

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