Lighting Information

Plants and Lights
Plants, just as humans, need light to live and function. Without light, plants are not able to perform the basic functions needed for growth and reproduction. Using the proper spectrum of light, plants are able to convert this energy into other forms of useful energy. Understanding how plants use this light energy will make it easier to design and build your own indoor garden capable of giving plants all of the resources they need.

Photosynthetic Active Radiation When it comes to light, there are different measurements used depending on the use or requirements. Some of the common types of light measurements used in the plant industry are irradiance, photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). Photosynthetic Active Radiation or PAR is the measurement of PPF in micromoles per meter square per second in the 400 to 700nm waveband.

Some people have suggested using a lumens or foot candle meter to measure the proper light source. Although this is great for knowing how bright humans will perceive light, it doesn't give a good reference for plants. Meters which can measure PAR are expensive and delicate instruments.

Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process in which plants use light, carbon dioxide and water to make glucose and oxygen gas. This process takes place in two cycles; Light Reactions and the Calvin Cycle. The whole process occurs in the chloroplast (the membrane within the cells).

The Light Reactions uses chlorophyll in order to absorb light energy. This process converts the light energy into chemical energy used in the Calvin cycle. It is in the Light Reactions that water is split which provides electron energy and oxygen as a by product.

The Calvin Cycle is where sugar is produced. It uses carbon dioxide and the energy produced from the Light Reactions.

HID Lighting
High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting is by far the most popular light system used in indoor gardening. This is due to its high output and relatively energy efficiency compared to its light output. The HID system consists of a HID ballast, a HID lamp and a reflector. These systems are used to light warehouses, greenhouses, sports arenas and indoor gardens throughout the world.

These systems come in various wattages to suit any application. Since these systems put out a great deal more light than most other existing systems in the market today, one has to be careful to not over do it. Plants can be easily burned if care is not taken. The best approach is to always opt to not over do it. These systems generate a lot of heat and are often the cause of an overheating garden. For gardens with a limited cooling capacity, it is recommended to use an air cooled reflector in order to reduce cooling requirements.

HID systems are available with an electronic ballast or magnetic ballast. The one you choose depends on budget and other system requirements. Give Grow Annex a call if you have any questions regarding HID systems and their uses.

LED Grow Lights
Indoor garden lighting has always been a morphing . With the latest advances in LED lighting, companies have found ways to incorporate this technology into the garden. Light Emitting Diodes are very energy efficient and are capable of producing light in a controlled spectrum. This makes them extremely useful for plant propagation. This is a new technology when it comes to gardening and it is always improving. As costs go down, expect to see LED grow lights replacing conventional HID lighting in your garden.

GrowAnnex.com has a large variety of LED grow lights. When choosing a LED grow light, make sure to select one which will either have the ability to work with more than one spectrum if you plan on using them for both the vegetative and flowering stage. Some high powered LED grow lights are also able to produce wavelength specific colors. The biggest advantage with these systems is their ability to consume a fraction of the energy compared to other conventional lighting. With the lower energy consumption also comes lower heat output. This saves the gardener money by reducing the cooling requirements needed for proper operation.

Magnetic vs Digital Ballasts
This decision shouldn't be as difficult as some make it. There are clear advantages in both a magnetic or electronic ballast for your garden. While some will argue that one is definitely better than another, the decision is clearly subjective. Both ballasts will ignite their respective lamps. Both will help you grow your favorite plants indoors. But they both do this differently. A little background. The magnetic ballast is the oldest form which has been used for many years trouble free. Many indoor gardeners have been using magnetic ballasts for over 50 years. You can expect this technology to be reliable and cost effective. Magnetic ballasts have a transformer which consists of a copper magnetized core which regulates the input voltage. With the use a of capacitor and ignitor, the magnetic ballast is able to provide HID lamps with the proper wattage in order to properly ignite and arc the bulb.

Magnetic ballasts are known to run hotter. This is heat is a result of the energy lost regulating the voltage in an analog form. This is where the digital ballast starts to shine. Lumatek, the leader in digital ballast manufacturing, makes a complete line of dimmable ballast for just about any application. The invention of the digital ballast came in response to a growing need for a more energy and heat efficient ballast.

The common digital ballasts works by regulating the voltage by rapidly switching the voltage thousands of times per second which generates a high frequency wave pattern. This allows the digital ballast to regulate the voltage with very little energy loss. This lower energy loss means less heat and more energy making its way to the lamp. Another ability that the digital ballast has over the magnetic ballast is its ability to regulate the output wattage. This allows the user to use different bulbs or either dim them when necessary. This helps acclimate plants and also control energy consumption.

Whether you choose the magnetic ballast or the digital ballast, both will get the job done. With digital ballast costs going down every day, it will soon make the magnetic ballast obsolete.

Quantum vs Lumatek
This has been a long debated question. Lumatek, a well established digital ballast company competing against a new comer Quantum Horticulture which came out with the first dimmable digital ballast in the U.S. market. Since then, Lumatek has come out with its own version of a dimmable digital ballast in response to the competition. Although both ballasts are great, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The most obvious difference between the two ballasts are size and cooling fan feature. The Lumatek ballast has a larger footprint with a sealed design while the slimmer Quantum ballast comes with an internal fan for cooling. Although a built in fan is great, it leaves another cause for failure. Lumatek's design allows for a cooler running ballast which doesn't need a fan to operate properly. In fact, the lumatek ballast barely gets warm to the touch when in operation.

Another difference has to do with the way each ballasts dims a bulb. The Quantum ballast, being the first dimmable digital ballast design, allows the user to dim a bulb from 100% down to 50% output. This is great for situations where heat or acclimation needs to be controlled. Lumatek added to this ability by allowing their ballast to dim using different wattages. For example, a 1000W ballast is able to increase output to 1100W, dim down to 750W or 600W using the same ballast. As a bonus, the user is also able to use multiple wattage bulbs on the same ballast. This means that a 1000W Lumatek ballast is able to operate a 1000W lamp, 750W lamp and a 600W lamp by the flip of a switch. This is great for operating the ballast in many different scenarios.

Although both companies make great ballasts, they both take different approaches to high intensity discharge lighting. Whichever ballast you choose, be certain that you will have the latest in digital ballast technology.