Growing plants can be done in both indoor and outdoor conditions if the lighting is optimised correctly. While growing plants outside is ideal due to their natural light, fresh air and yielding potential, it does have its drawbacks that indoor plant growth capitalises on. This includes having more element control, as you can balance the lighting levels and water exposure yourself.
Finding ways to optimise your lighting to maximise plant growth is significant, as it’s considered to be the number one factor that impacts growth potential. Allowing more natural light in your home, installing LED lighting and placing your plants in the best place can all have a huge impact on how well your plants grow.
Make sure to stick around and learn more about the best ways to optimise your lighting to benefit your plants. You could have a plant-growing sanctuary at your fingertips!
Tips for Optimal Plant Lighting
Window Installation
Installing more windows can help with optimising natural light and this will hugely benefit plant growth. The larger the windows, the better, as this will allow the most light to hit the plants which allows the process of photosynthesis to take place. This makes plants grow faster and into their healthiest state, so they should be able to stay alive for longer.
Greenhouses and conservatories provide the best indoor location to grow plants, as these glass-covered structures allow for the most amount of natural sunlight while also maintaining the protection of the plants. An underrated benefit of relying on natural light for plant growth is that the natural cycle provides both daylight and darkness that plants have adapted to over millions of years.
Window Treatments
Having the power to manage and balance the amount of sunlight that reaches your plants is very important. Solar shades can be the perfect solution for this, as they are a window treatment that can cover windows to block any harmful UV rays, reduce unwanted glare and control light levels. Filtering the amount of natural light rather than letting it all in can be beneficial. There are also blinds in Watford that are specifically designed for natural light balancing.
Plantation shutters, roller shades and curtains can also have good benefits for light balancing, as you won’t want your plants to be overexposed to lights.
LED Lighting
If your plants are growing in a location that is unable to obtain sunlight, you can resort to installing LED lighting as an alternative. They have a tailorable light spectrum, so they can be adjusted to match specific light wavelengths that will allow plants to reach their optimal photosynthesis level. You can even use LED lights as a supplementary light source to go alongside natural light.
There are many additional benefits to using LED lighting, as they are long-lasting, energy-efficient, require low maintenance and waste less heat. If you’re growing windflowers, they can be best growing indoors with LED lighting.
Colour Changes
Some plants will grow better with a specific colour lighting, so you can install lighting in rooms with plants that can change colour. Blue lighting is essential for germination, root development and healthier stems. It is easy for chlorophyll to absorb blue light and convert it into energy. Red light is also very important for plant growth, as it increases the production of hormones that protect against chlorophyll damage. Plants can then generate more nutrients.
Violet or purple lighting can be used as a secondary option. This colour lighting has shorter wavelengths and higher energy, which can be a good source for developing leafy vegetation.
Plant Positioning
The amount of direct sunlight a plant receives depends on the season and the window it’s in with some seasons offering too much sunlight for plants, or not enough in some cases. For example, in the summer, a south-facing window might provide too much direct sunlight for most plants so you should place plants near an alternative window in this situation.
The primary reason why positioning counts is because it influences the number of plants your light covers, the intensity of light received and thermal dynamics in the grow room. You should conduct thorough research on the best position for plants during each season of the year.
Light Schedules
Light schedules need to be considered when optimising lighting for plant growth. Plants shouldn’t be constantly exposed to sunlight, as darkness offers them a chance to rest and recharge before going through a fresh light cycle again. Plants should have a balance of both light and darkness each day. You should think about light schedules during the year to balance this out equally.
Different types of plants require different light intensities and this intensity changes throughout the year. This makes it important to adjust the distance between the light source and the plants based on their requirements.
Adjust Light Duration
If you’re growing your plants indoors with no sunlight on offer, you need to adjust the duration of your lighting for optimal growth potential. You can set timers for your lighting so that it turns on and off during specific times each day. This will allow the plants to get into a rhythm with their photosynthesis and grow at a better rate.
Adjusting the duration of the brightness of your grow lights is essential for plant health. We recommend starting with a dim setting and gradually increasing the brightness as the plant grows. This gradual adjustment allows your plants to acclimate to the light intensity without causing stress or damage.
Use Mirrors
Redirection and reflection of sunlight can be provided with the use of more mirrors, which means you can reach areas that are lacking in light. Having a good balance of light within an area will increase the chances of plants getting enough sunlight to grow healthily. The positioning of these mirrors is very important, if they are used in the wrong way then will have limited effects.
You should keep the mirrors out of direct sunlight to prevent any hazards, as infrared light can have a negative impact on plants. Getting the angles correct is crucial to optimising plant growth potential.