Lamps for greenhouses: what to choose?

Currently, a large number of people engaged in the cultivation of vegetables and fruits in their backyards. Not in all regions the climate is suitable for growing plants all year round, therefore many gardeners build special greenhouses and greenhouses and equip the heating of this structure.

In addition to heating and watering the greenhouse, it is necessary to ensure proper lighting of the room. It is very important to compensate for the lack of ultraviolet rays in plants. In cold and gloomy seasons, seedlings need additional illumination necessary for proper growth, flowering and fruiting. To purchase and install special lamps should be approached deliberately, carefully weighing and examining all the nuances and subtleties of proper lighting of greenhouses.

When installing special lamps in the greenhouse should comply with all necessary requirements.Lamps should be positioned so as not to block the sunlight penetrating the room, so as not to deprive the plant of natural light. You should also monitor the cleanliness of the greenhouse to ensure maximum penetration of sunlight into the room.

When choosing lighting devices, it is necessary to pay attention to the material from which they are made. The most practical, durable and safe metal products. Another important factor is the main characteristics of the lamps.

Therefore, choosing a lamp, you need to draw on some important nuances:

• First of all, when buying lamps you should find out who is the manufacturer of this product. Purchase the lamp should be from a trusted manufacturer. This is a guarantee of high quality of selected products.
• Of great importance is the power of the lamp.
• An important criterion when choosing a lamp is an indicator of the amount of emitted lamp energy.
• Light emission spectrum of the lamp.

This model of light products emits a red light range that is unsuitable for most crops. The advantages of such lamps include low cost products.

The use of these lamps for additional illumination of seedlings has a lot of negative points:

• The spectrum of light emitted by incandescent bulbs, has a detrimental effect on plants, causes deformation of the stem and leaves. Seedlings slow down and then completely stop their growth.
• With prolonged use, the lamp becomes very hot, sometimes because of this, burns form on the leaves and stalks of the plants.
• The use of this type of luminaires leads to significant financial costs, since energy consumption increases significantly.

The optimal and profitable version of the fixtures. Fluorescent lamps consume a fairly small amount of electricity and are suitable for use in greenhouses with additional illumination of seedlings.

When choosing these luminaires, it is necessary to take into account certain characteristics:

• Fluorescent lamps emit a cold white light and are a popular and budget version of luminaires suitable for backlighting of seedlings.
• Such models of light devices are very popular and in demand, the cost of these products is somewhat higher, since the radiation is very useful for individual plants.

• To achieve the maximum effect, it is more expedient to use different lamps emitting warm and cold white light in one lighting device at the same time. This option will significantly save finances and will be the most useful for plants.
• Specialized retail outlets offer a wide range of various lighting devices. Among this diversity, one can come across elaborate devices with properly selected radiation for maximum benefit for plants and allowing to significantly reduce energy costs. The lamps are aimed at stimulating the growth and development of plants, as well as increasing yields.

The advantage and advantage of this type of lamp is excellent light output. The spectrum emitted by sodium lamps is unpleasant for human eyes, but is most useful for seedlings,therefore, these lighting devices are widely used for additional illumination of plants in greenhouses.

Sodium lamps have many advantages:

• differ in reasonable cost and profitability;
• lamps are durable and have a long service life;
• have excellent light and heat emission, so you can significantly save on heating the greenhouse during the cold season;
• they emit a red-orange spectrum useful for the growth, strengthening and fruiting of plants;
• The efficiency of such a lamp is about 30%.

This type of lamp is most suitable for lighting greenhouses in the cold season. In the presence of positive properties of mercury lamps, there is one big minus - the products use a dangerous component for humans - mercury.

The advantages of mercury lamps are compact dimensions of the product. Radiation has a positive effect on the growth and development of plants.In some cases, when seedlings have outgrown and special lighting and heating are required to normalize growth and development, the best solution would be to use mercury lamps. Lamps are very hot and emit a huge amount of ultraviolet radiation.

If the lamp is damaged and mercury is spilled, it is necessary to dispose of all plants and objects on which this component has fallen. Therefore, it should be extremely careful to handle these light devices.

This type of lighting products is characterized by high cost and short service life. The emission spectrum of such lamps is most suitable for plant lighting. Distinctive features of the IPF can be called compact size and excellent light output. The disadvantages include the high cost, the dependence of the quality of the lighting on the voltage of the power grid, and the high probability of an explosion of the lamp when it is very hot.

This type of lighting is great for lighting greenhouses and seedlings at home.

The advantages of LED lamps far outweigh the advantages of other types of lamps:

• LED lamps are durable.When choosing products from leading manufacturers guaranteed service life of about twenty years.
• Economical. LED lamps consume a fairly small amount of electricity.
• Lamps are absolutely safe for plants. The surface of the LED lamps does not heat up, which eliminates the likelihood of burn foci on the leaves and stems of plants.

• The radiation of these luminaires have a maximum positive effect on the growth, development and further fruiting of plants.
• Possess the increased resistance to differences of temperatures and high humidity.

This kind of light products has found wide application not only for lighting, but also for heating greenhouses. Infrared models of light devices have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of seedlings, helping to create conditions similar to the natural environment. For maximum convenience and control of indoor climate models are equipped with special controls.Infrared heating first heats the plant and the ground, then begins heating the air in the greenhouse.

For these products, you can use phytolamps, fluorescent light bulbs, LED, pulse lighting and induction options. It is worth noting that the DRV is much worse than DRL in terms of its light output. Today, automation is quite popular, heating the soil like the sun.

When building and installing lighting fixtures in a greenhouse with your own hands, you need to correctly calculate the required number of lamps for lighting the room, Some parameters should be considered:

• at what height above the plants should be placed lamps for optimal lighting;
• power and type of used fixtures;
• It is important to take into account the type of plant, since each culture requires a different intensity of illumination;
• an important role in the calculation is the area that must be illuminated;
• the time of year when additional lighting of plants in the greenhouse will be made.

There are certain agronomic norms of lighting for growing plants.Therefore, the calculation of the intensity and duration of illumination is based on these standards. For example, in the winter season, plants need much more additional lighting due to the lack of natural. In spring and autumn, the intensity and duration of the backlight can be reduced.

In order to save and reduce the cost of electricity consumed, it is necessary to equip the greenhouse area around the perimeter with special reflectors. To ensure the minimum rate of lighting in the greenhouse, you can use special lamps with a power not exceeding 100 watts per square meter. The required number of fixtures individually for each greenhouse.

Every culture needs a certain type of illumination. The intensity and duration of illumination is also purely individual. For cucumbers, for example, it is necessary to create special greenhouse conditions. For this winter LEDs are suitable. Therefore, when planning the additional lighting of the room, it is necessary to take into account all the smallest nuances and needs of plants.

It should be noted that even in the presence of modern, state-of-the-art technologies, there are no lamps that can emit light that is absolutely identical to natural ultraviolet.

Lamps emitting blue and purple rays have a positive effect on the acceleration of growth and strengthening of seedlings. Luminaries emitting red and orange rays should be used to illuminate the plants in the flowering process, this will have a positive effect on the seedlings and help increase yields. Lamps with ultraviolet radiation contribute to the overall strengthening of the plant and increase resistance to cold.

Undoubtedly, natural sunlight is more familiar and useful for different cultures and no, not even the highest quality artificial lighting can replace it. But not always, especially in the cold season, the plants lack ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is very important to use various lighting devices for additional illumination of plants.

To create the most comfortable conditions for seedlings, you should remember some rules:

• additional illumination of seedlings is used only to extend the light day indoors;
• the duration of illumination varies from ten to sixteen hours per day;
• It is strictly forbidden to illuminate plants for twenty-four hours - this leads to the depletion and cessation of the growth and development of plants.

You can conduct electricity and install lights in the greenhouse by yourself. The main thing - to comply with all necessary requirements and safety rules. Special cable to the greenhouse can be done in two ways: by stretching between supports and underground in a trench.

The first method involves the use of special supports. They are used as pillars. In order to prevent the electrical cable from sagging between the supports, it should be fastened with the help of stretched thick wire.

To avoid mechanical damage, when laying electrical wiring inside the greenhouse, it is better to use a special corrugation designed specifically for these purposes.

To avoid short circuits, carefully make all cable connections. It is more expedient to use special connecting blocks for this. After that you need all the connections of the wires with high quality and with special care to insulate.

When purchasing lighting devices for additional illumination of seedlings in greenhouses, you need to pay attention to the material from which they are made. This is very important, as the lighting devices must be well protected from moisture.

Installation of electrical wiring in the greenhouse must be performed in compliance with all measures and fire safety regulations.

You can learn more about the organization of lighting in the greenhouse from the video.