Sunlight consists of a broad spectrum of colors ranging from red to violet. Moreover the intensity of these colors also differs a lot. All plants do not require same color of light and intensity for their growth. Plants absorb only the desired amount of sunlight from the available spectrum. Thus, while choosing
1200W LED grow lights for indoor plants, you should understand the specific light requirements of plants you wish to grow. Given below are a few parameters against which you need to evaluate the light requirement of plants.
Color
As mentioned above sunlight is composed of broad color spectrum. Red and violet color are required the most for the process of photosynthesis. Red color stimulates vegetative growth and flowering, whereas violet color is responsible for plant growth. Thus, violet is the most crucial light color for stocky seedlings and growing foliage. However, if the plants receive too much of any of these lights, it can affect their normal growth. For instance, too much of red light can make plant tall and spindly. Hence, it is a must that you know what is the right light color for your particular vegetation. More on low light house plants.
Intensity
The correct wattage of
grow light bulb is equally important for promoting healthy growth of plants. Light intensity can be adjusted by choosing a correct wattage of bulb and placing the plant at right distance from the light source. For instance, begonias and African violets grow well when placed at about 12 from a 40W bulb, whereas non flowering plants like philodendrons can be placed at farther distance (about 36). Some flowering plants like orchids need a a very high intensity light for their growth. More on low
light indoor plants.
Duration
Sunlight is not available throughout the day, all around year. Thus, plants adjust their growth mechanism so that they can utilize the maximum amount of sunlight when available. For the rest of the time, plants can do without sunlight. Due to this predisposition, you cannot subject plants to continuous exposure to artificial light. You need to know the right duration of light to be provided to a particular plant species. Plants need about 8 to 18 hours of light, depending upon their individual requirements. More on low light plants.
