Seedlings - every self-respecting gardener grows them, since what is sold on the market is often not worth trusting. The seedlings there may be stocky, alive and healthy, but completely different from the variety you need, and the seller with a sly grin will nod in the affirmative to any question about the variety. So why take risks, why overpay, why buy “you don’t know what”, it’s better to grow seedlings with your own hands and then blame only yourself or, conversely, be proud of yourself. But the difficulty is that seedlings are often grown in that period (February-April) when the day outside the window is very short, when even a southern window sill, on which boxes with seedlings can be placed, cannot save the situation. There is simply catastrophically little light and it has to be artificially added, which is why there are a variety of additional lighting lamps.
Let's talk today about how to grow full-fledged seedlings using artificial light, when and for how long to turn on the lamps, which ones are suitable for seedlings, and which ones will be of little use, and finally, let's touch on the most reliable and proven types of lamps in different price categories. Let's see if we really need to chase an expensive brand or if we can get by with something inexpensive and familiar, but no less effective. So, let's go to the world of light.
Content:
The need for additional lighting
First, let's figure out why do seedlings need additional lighting?
Light is perhaps the most important condition for growing seedlings. If there is not enough light, then the plant’s complex photosynthetic apparatus simply will not work normally, and this will certainly negatively affect both the root system and the above-ground parts. Plants may begin to stretch in search of light, bend, their immunity will be completely or partially exhausted, and there can be no talk of any quality of seedlings or any harvests in the future; at best, everything will be mediocre.
Let’s make a reservation right away: if your window has a night-time street lamp on the windowsill, then cover the window with foil as soon as possible, this way you will save the plants from disorientation and provide more light reaching the plants at the “correct” hours from the backlight lamp. In the daytime, the foil, of course, needs to be removed without turning off the backlight lamps if necessary.
What effect do different spectra have on seedlings?
Let us immediately note that one particular spectrum of light will not be enough for the full development of seedlings of any crop. The impact of additional illumination on seedlings should be carried out by those lamps that emit precisely the complex of spectra (maybe not in the entire range, but always with a predominance of its most important components). In each spectrum, almost every light flux has one effect or another on plants; there is no part of the spectrum that can be considered completely useless.
For example, let's take red spectrum, - it is thanks to him that even the freshest and well-prepared seeds germinate a little faster. Subsequently, the red spectrum seems to guide the plant, literally gives it signals for normal growth and development, and stimulates the vertical growth of seedlings.
Spectra blue and violet participate in the reduction of new cells, they activate plant photosynthesis processes and increase the rate of cell division. If there is enough blue spectrum, the cells do not elongate, maintaining the shape typical for a particular type of plant; accordingly, the seedlings as a whole do not have a tendency to elongate. Under the influence of this spectrum, the plant stem becomes thicker and denser, that is, it acquires typical dimensions.
Few people know, but thanks to the influence of the blue spectrum of light, such a phenomenon as the stretching of seedlings towards the light source, called phototropism, is significantly slowed down and the seedlings have to be turned on the other side towards the light source twice as often, and sometimes even three times less often.
As for such a spectrum as yellow and green, then, of course, there is an effect from them, but it is insignificant, this effect acts as a kind of balance, not allowing one or another spectrum to overly actively influence plants, because excess is also not a plus.
Illumination of seedlings. © George Weigel
What are the requirements for additional lighting?
Typically, the main requirements are the duration of the additional illumination produced, its intensity and appropriateness at a given specific moment in time.
If we talk about duration, then, perhaps looking ahead, we can note that tomatoes need the most light; they like to bask in the rays from 15 to 17 hours, but crops such as peppers, eggplants and others require daylight hours, equal to 11-13 hours.
Of course, if the day is cloudy, it is raining and it seems that twilight has already arrived at noon, it is better not to save money and turn on the backlight lamps, this will not make it worse, but it is not advisable to turn them on for the entire daylight hours. The maximum is 5-6 hours, preferably no more, that is, 2.5-3 hours in the evening and the same amount in the morning, respectively, after sunset and before sunrise.
As for the distance from the illumination lamp to the seedlings, it, as a rule, depends on the lamp itself - whether it heats the air. Naturally, the smaller the plants, the closer the lamp can be brought, but without causing burns. The simplest option is to find out the power of the lamp by adjusting the distance in this way - the more powerful the lamp, the greater the distance and vice versa.
You can conduct a simple experiment at home, which is best done by a girl whose palm skin is the most sensitive. Just bring it to the lamp and remove it until you feel comfortable and you don’t feel any unpleasant sensations on your skin, and the same will happen to plants. But again, we repeat, the distance largely depends on the lamp you choose.
As we already mentioned above (by covering the window from a street lamp with foil), you can do the same with lamps, directing or concentrating the light fluxes in the right place. And you will be comfortable - the light from the lamp will not interfere with your eyes, and it is better for the seedlings - more light will fall on it. To do this, you can use a variety of reflectors (for example, mirrors), but the simplest, most affordable and most effective is regular foil, which is sold in rolls.
If you have a device that can measure the level of illumination of seedlings, then this is great - ideally, the illumination should be equal to 6000 lux and fluctuate slightly.
And do not forget that ordinary window glass does not transmit such an important spectrum for plants as ultraviolet radiation, so if it is possible, without harming the seedlings, to open the window to pamper it with the sun’s rays, then this is quite possible.
Which lamp to choose for illuminating seedlings?
Let's now find out which lamps are most useful for seedlings, and which ones will either not bring the desired result or may even cause harm. When choosing a lamp, be sure to find out (in addition to the price, of course, and its performance) the power of the light stream emitted by the lamp, the spectra that it emits and the “utility” coefficient of the lamp.
It’s great if the lamp that you, so to speak, “have your eye on” already has a built-in reflector, which is located right inside the lamp (although it is also possible outside, the main thing is that it is there), then it’s possible to design something additional you won't have to at all.
So, let's start with a description of probably the most common fluorescent lamps. They are called differently, for example, “fluorescent lamps” or abbreviated LBT, or even shorter LB. What are the obvious advantages of these types of lamps - this is, naturally, more than their low price; In addition, such lamps do not heat the air and are extremely easy to install, remove, and change, which can be done by a person of almost any age.
There are also disadvantages - the very low power of such lamps, due to which you need to install three or even four of them on a relatively small box with seedlings, and on top of everything else, very high energy costs from such a lamp: “the meter will overcharge” you a decent amount. But that’s not all: there is very little red light in the spectrum studied by such lamps, which is why you have to install them at a distance of about 20-25 cm from the seedlings and literally wrap everything in foil so that not a single photon of the red spectrum is wasted.
There are other types of fluorescent lamps, be careful here - it is permissible to use LBT and LB, but it is unacceptable to use LD and LDC, the light from such lamps (namely LD and LDC) will oppress the seedlings.
The next type of lamp is phytolamps, or more probably the phytoluminescent lamps known to us (as they often write on the packaging). The advantages here include such obvious advantages as cost-effectiveness and fairly high efficiency. In addition, phytolamps are small in size, they work for a very long period of time, and with proper careful handling they will last not one, but several seasons, in addition, such lamps are completely safe.
Among the phytolamps there are mirror lamps, for example, the widely advertised Enrich, which gives a spectrum of light that does not strain the optic nerve of the human eye at all. Also, a lamp that does not lead to overheating of seedlings even with prolonged use is Fitosvet-D. Unfortunately, such lamps also have disadvantages: their emission spectra consist almost entirely of lilac-pink light; it requires a reflector aimed specifically at plants, because such light has a depressing effect on most people.
The next series of lamps is sodium lamps, for example, Reflex; There are many varieties of these lamps, depending on the complexity of the design (often the price of them simply depends on the presence of a built-in reflector). So, a more expensive modification with a reflector is Dna3, which has an extremely convenient mirror reflector that allows you to direct the light beam in the desired direction, but the second option is cheaper - this is DnaT, it does not have such a mirror reflector, and you will have to design it yourself.
What are the advantages of such lamps? Relatively low cost, high efficiency, also because such lamps consume very little energy. Perhaps the main advantage is the ability to form a luminous flux of the light spectra necessary for plants, and, of course, with careful handling, such lamps will last for many seasons. The general radiation that this lamp produces is perceived by our eyes as orange-yellow, warm, it does not irritate the optic nerve of the eye at all and “does not act on the nerves.”
LED lamps, they are the most expensive in terms of price, but believe me, if the lamp is without defects, it will pay for itself very quickly. The service life of such a lamp, with proper careful handling, is estimated at tens, and sometimes more, years, even if the lamp is used for a whole day, that is, 24 hours. Such lamps are the most economical and consume several times (three and a half, to be precise) less energy than fluorescent lamps.
LED lamps are quite suitable for growing seedlings due to their very bright and absolutely even flow of light; their spectrum contains a sufficient amount of red and blue colors, and all the others vital for seedlings.
Among other things, such lamps are very small, they do not take up much space, they are installed extremely quickly, and even on an extremely small surface you can place many LED lamps, enhancing the effect of their use.
Can incandescent lamps be used to illuminate seedlings?
After describing the most common and most suitable lamps for growing seedlings, I would like to digress a little and talk about the mistakes that gardeners make, ignoring all the advice of more experienced vegetable growers, and try to grow full-fledged seedlings using ordinary incandescent lamps.
Dear gardeners, it is impossible to achieve high-quality, fully developed seedlings with a solid reserve of immunity using standard incandescent lamps. In addition, you will spend a fairly large amount of money to pay for electricity, since such light bulbs consume a lot of it, and think about it: according to the latest data from scientists, only 4.68% of the total energy they emit is luminous flux, and more than 95% is trivial warm.
We can say that such a light bulb is a miniature heater, and it is very easy to burn seedlings with it. But that’s not all: those 4.68% of light do not at all correspond to the color spectrum necessary for seedlings; and the fact that the seedlings will be well “lit” and no more is too little.
How to make a stand for a backlight lamp?
So, we realized that there is no point in using ordinary lamps, it is better to purchase lamps that have the necessary positive effect on the plants, but we still do not know how to place them. The most convenient option is to build a small wooden frame over a box or boxes with seedlings and install the necessary equipment for placing additional lighting lamps into it.
The racks of this frame should be made of wood, so that if possible they can be shortened, say, if it turns out that the lamp is located too high - simply by sawing off equal parts.
Optimal distance
By the way, since we are talking about distance, it should directly depend on the growth period of the seedlings. For example, immediately after sowing, you can make the distance to the lamp (if it is not an incandescent lamp, which we decided not to use at all) equal to 12-14 centimeters, and as you grow, increase the height of the lamp to the 20-25 centimeters we indicated above.
Duration of additional lighting
We mentioned above that the tomato loves light the most - 15-17 hours, a little less - peppers, eggplants and other crops - 11-13 hours. But here you definitely need to take into account the weather outside the window. Let us remind you once again that if it is cloudy, then the additional lighting can be turned on during the day, and if the room becomes lighter after that, then you were right and it is not in vain that you are using it. If, when you turn on the additional lighting, absolutely nothing changes, then there is still enough light and the backlight can be turned off.
As always, we are waiting for your advice, maybe someone has used other samples of supplementary lighting lamps and received excellent seedlings. We are confident that the tips you described in the comments will be very valuable to our readers and will complement the picture of this review.
It is known that healthy and strong seedlings are the key to a successful harvest. The climatic conditions of central Russia do not allow growing all vegetables by sowing seeds directly into the ground. Of course, you can purchase ready-made seedlings, but many summer residents prefer to grow them with their own hands at home.
Vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants are planted in seedlings during the winter months, when daylight hours are short. The situation is aggravated if the windows of the apartment face north or the apartment is located on the first floor. But seedlings definitely need light for normal development; if there is insufficient lighting, the seedlings will be lethargic, weak and elongated. Therefore, summer residents cannot do without additional lighting.
Illumination is provided by lamps whose spectrum includes blue and red. Red light has a positive effect on seed germination and triggers the process of photosynthesis and growth in seedlings. The blue region of the spectrum is responsible for cell division and the appearance of new strong shoots.
Any vegetable seedlings require artificial lighting, and lighting methods can be different. Sodium lamps provide good warm light, but due to their high cost they can hardly be used for homemade plant lighting. Phytolamps are also quite expensive, and they also require the installation of a special mirror reflector, because their light in the pink and violet spectrum is beneficial for plants, but harmful to the human body. Metal halide sodium lamps are cheap, but have a drawback - there is little blue light in their spectrum, which negatively affects the development of plants. Therefore, the most acceptable options are fluorescent and LED lamps.
Illumination of seedlings with LEDs - advantages
LED lamps are preferable to fluorescent lamps because they are durable and allow you to select the desired spectrum for illuminating seedlings; they are sold in any hardware store, consume little electricity, and are easy to install and operate. In principle, you can screw an LED lamp into the socket and wait for the results, but seasoned summer residents advise using an assembly of LEDs or an LED strip for illumination.
Lighting for seedlings using LEDs
In order to assemble a source of additional lighting for seedlings at home, you need: UVR 1 LEDs (red and blue), hot melt adhesive, a base for mounting the LEDs (board, school ruler, aluminum profile, etc.), a switching power supply - the so-called driver with power corrector 220 V, 9-15x1 W, 310 mA, cord and plug.
The diodes are assembled and attached to the driver. It must be connected to a switch and plug. To provide optimal lighting for growing seedlings, it is necessary to alternate the LEDs in this order: 2 red - 1 blue and so on. If the seedlings will be grown in a closed box and not near a window, then you also need to purchase milky and pure white LEDs, which will create the effect of morning and afternoon lighting. But then you need to take a double switch and connect the wires so that you can control the light.
LED strips for illuminating seedlings
The simplest and least labor-intensive way to make backlighting from diodes is to use LED strip. You will need: 4 corners 20x20; two LED strips - red and blue, driver, cord and plug. The assembly diagram only requires sticking tape with lamps on the corners and connecting the driver, observing the polarity.
Spring is coming, which means it's time to plant seedlings. As you know, in order for seedlings to grow and bear fruit, they need care and light. How to make lighting for seedlings, what lamps are needed, and the benefits of lighting. All these questions will be answered in this article.
Why do you need lighting for seedlings?
Light for plants is an integral part of their life. With proper lighting, any plant will be strong, healthy and fruitful. Pros of backlighting:
- In this way, daylight hours can be extended, which is very important for early seedlings.
- additional lighting guarantees proper growth for the plant, preventing the seedlings from stretching towards the light.
- Proper lighting gradually develops seedlings to adult culture.
When it comes to lighting, the main thing is to bring it as close as possible to sunlight. Sunlight is beneficial for plants due to:
- red rays, which are responsible for the development and growth of plants
- blue rays, which ensures proper cell development
- yellow and green light is reflected from plant leaves, but it is needed
When installing the backlight, these recommendations must be taken into account.
If there is poor lighting, then plant photosynthesis will be sluggish. The plant slowly gains biomass, the seedlings get sick. Each plant has its own preferences for the light spectrum.
What kind of light do seedlings need?
- before picking seedlings. You need to use blue and red light, in the proportion of two red and one blue. Blue light will perfectly stimulate the growth of roots, but it will slow down the development of the stem - it will grow wider, not higher. The stem will be thick, and there will be a large distance between the leaves.
- after the pick. You need to reduce the lighting for two or three days. The plant is stressed and needs rest. Over the course of a month, you need to highlight the seedlings one to one, blue, red.
Lamps for illuminating seedlings at home
There are several options for illuminating seedlings:
- lighting without lamps on the windowsill
- illumination with various lamps
When using one or another lighting method, there are pros and cons.
Backlight without lamps
For lighting on the windowsill, you can use a structure made of corton boxes covered with foil. Take a box, cut off the top and side wall, leaving small sides. The boxes need to be covered with foil and placed behind the plants. Sunlight hits the foil and comprehensively illuminates the seedlings. This method is very economical and accessible, but has some disadvantages:
- cloudy weather when the sun is hidden behind the clouds
- location of windows on the north side of the house
Given these data, the foil cannot cope with the lighting, and lamps are needed here.
An important process for this choice is to choose the right lamps. They are:
High pressure sodium lamps.
The lamp will provide a stable supply of warm light to the seedlings, which will have a beneficial effect on their growth.
It is worth considering the disadvantage that these lamps require a power regulator, and are expensive; it would be reasonable to use them for those gardeners who grow crops for sale; for amateurs this is not a justified expensive option.
Phytolamps
Phytolamp A good solution for illumination is the spectrum of this lamp is violet-pink, which is ideal for plants, but the disadvantage of this method is that the light from the lamp is harmful to humans, a special light reflector is required.
The appearance of the lamps is similar to LED ones, but the spectrum indicator is different. The heat transfer is very small, which is good for plants. You can combine LEDs and phytolamps, this method is very economical.
Sodium metal halide elements
An affordable way to illuminate seedlings is also effective. But in the spectrum of this lamp there is little blue light, minus the plants develop and germinate poorly, it is more suitable for adult plants.
Mercury vapor lamps close to sunlight. Their light is white, more suitable for humans than for plants. They don't get very hot.
Fluorescent lamps
Fluorescent lamps shine brightly, but their color lacks the red spectrum. The light is very cold. Low radiation, can be illuminated over plants. The spectrum of these lamps can replace sunlight. The lamps themselves are inexpensive and have a long service life. Consumes little electricity. Can be used around the clock.
Incandescent lamps
This lighting method is useless. The lamps heat up very much, and it turns out that the seedlings are fried, and the light spectrum is poor for illumination.
LED lights
The best way to light. It has a number of significant advantages for the gardener. Using an LED strip, you can create an ideal lamp with a spectrum of blue and red light. Affordable price. LEDs consume little electricity and shine up to six thousand lux. Very easy to install - even women can handle it.
LEDs– a material of modern generation, it is used in everyday life and production due to its accessibility. This lighting method is perfect for seedlings, since LED lighting covers a large area and does not heat the air. To create an LED lamp you need:
- LED lamps in red and blue.
- hot melt glue or thermal paste, paste is cheaper than glue.
- profile, wooden slats, any long object that is suitable for the base.
- power supply for the required voltage.
- plug and cord.
For seedlings, it is necessary to alternate LED elements in the following order, two red, one blue. The elements must be connected to each other using a soldering iron, connected to the power supply, and a switch, plug.
The tape must be attached using bolts, double-sided tape, or in any convenient way to the prepared surface. Then connect everything into one structure. The lamp for illuminating the seedlings is ready.
Bolts or screws are needed for fastening. The whole design depends on the size of the boxes; in order to make shelves in the rack, you need to measure the width of the box. Next, a rack with hollow shelves of no more than three rows is assembled. Boxes with seedlings are installed in a rack. A lamp is attached to the bottom of each box.
LED backlight design (2nd method)
LEDs are convenient because their location can be any, but it is best to mount them in two rows so that the lighting is uniform. It is necessary to take into account that the cone of light of an LED is equal to an angle of seventy to one hundred and twenty degrees. They need to be positioned as follows so that they overlap each other.
This lighting is used by experienced gardeners. This backlight is a good choice, it consumes little electricity, and you can make the light spectrum as desired. By combining different types of spectrum through an LED, you can grow different varieties. This light will also allow you to grow strong seedlings.
To design a lamp you need:
- thirty red diodes,
- twenty blue diodes,
- white diodes ten pieces.
- drivers.
The housing can be taken from an industrial lamp by removing the contents from it. You need to combine in such a way that you can combine light, for example, red and blue, or white and red, and so on.
LEDs are glued to hot glue or thermal paste. Then you need to attach fans, maybe from old power supplies.
- the light should be located low, as close as possible until the seedlings have sprouted, after sunrise it should be raised as much as possible, you can raise it by forty to sixty centimeters.
- to more accurately determine the distance, you need to bring your hand to the top of the lamp; if your hand is comfortable, the plant will also feel good.
- It is best to install adjustable shelves. This is convenient for plant growth.
- if seedlings are in the living room, you need to use light reflectors. It will concentrate the light on the plant and will not irritate the eyes.
- There is no need to illuminate seedlings around the clock, plants also have day and night, the length of the day should be fifteen hours. At night, the lamps must be turned off.
- There is no need to highlight seedlings that are located on southern windows as long as the sun hits them.
- It is best to adhere to the illumination schedule; if this is not followed, the light may be poorly reflected on the seedlings.
- the most optimal illumination is from six to eight thousand lux. For exotic plants, illumination from ten to twelve thousand lux is suitable. In winter, seedlings need to be illuminated at about two thousand lux. On cloudy days at five hundred lux.
Shelves for seedlings with lighting: video
Today there are few people who grow seedlings “the old fashioned way.”
Technologies do not stand still; gardeners can choose any type of lighting for seedlings, which will bring them good results in the future, because a lot depends on light. At first, the sprouts gain strength, and only then strong and healthy plants grow.
Light is one of the most important components of active growth and healthy development of cultural systems. When providing illumination for seedlings, it is advisable to have an idea of what light spectrum is needed and as close as possible to sunlight.
The simplest backlight
Today, gardeners prefer to make phytolights themselves: firstly, this is a significant saving for the family budget, and secondly, by studying the characteristics of various artificial light sources, you can choose the most useful combination. The simplest way to provide light for seedlings is to place them on the windowsill. To ensure that plants receive maximum light, use the simplest device. In a regular cardboard box, the top and bottom sides are cut off, leaving only the sides. The sides of the box are covered with foil.
Containers with seedlings are placed inside the box, preferably its sides are higher than the containers with vegetation. This entire structure is located on the windowsill.Sunlight hitting the foil is refracted and reflected on the seedlings. This method is economical and simple, but in cloudy weather it is absolutely useless. Foil itself will not provide illumination for plants.
Growing under artificial light
The main condition for artificial lighting is maximum similarity to the emission spectrum of sunlight.
Red and blue colors are necessary for the growth and development of cells and tissues in the natural spectrum. Before making a phytolamp with your own hands, you should take this fact into account.
What should the rack be like?
The rack on which the seedlings will be located and the structures with lamps must meet the following criteria:
- strength and stability;
- invulnerability to moisture;
- ease of access to all shelves;
- correspondence of distances between light and plantings;
- durability.
Lamp selection
To make a phytolamp for plants with your own hands, you need to purchase a lamp that has suitable characteristics. To increase sales, unscrupulous manufacturers call ordinary incandescent lamps phytolamps.
When choosing a light source, carefully inspect the packaging; it always indicates the color temperature value:
- warm ones with a red spectrum have an indicator of 2000 K;
- cold with blue - closer to the value of 8000 K.
For example, a lamp with a value of 2700 K helps strengthen shoots and form peduncles; a value of 6500 has a greater effect on the root system, its development and strengthening. The most popular backlight lamps:
- luminescent;
- sodium;
- metal halide;
- LED
Did you know? The impetus for the appearance of LEDs was the discovery of luminescence by Soviet physicist Oleg Losev in 1923. Scientific journals in Germany, where the scientist’s articles were often published, called this discovery Losev Licht. Later in the early 70s, thanks to Losev's discovery, red, yellow and green LEDs appeared. The blue LED was created by Suji Nakamura in 1990.
The advantages of lighting are undeniable; most plants initially need light at least 12 hours a day, and daylight hours do not always provide this opportunity. 
Without light, the seedlings will stretch out, all the plant’s efforts will be spent on growth, and not on the development of future fruits. Therefore, for normal, stage-by-stage development, as in the natural environment, seedlings are illuminated at home.
Making a rack
Building a rack with your own hands is convenient in all respects: the right size, material, appearance. The construction itself does not take much time. 
So, we buy bars, thick plywood for shelves, and fasteners at a hardware store. You can fasten the parts together with self-tapping screws. The length and width of the shelves are determined based on the length and number of your seedling boxes. For convenience, make a drawing with the necessary measurements.
To work you will need tools:
- hand or circular saw;
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- simple pencil.
Since you will not need the rack all year round, giving it the most aesthetic appearance, at other times it can be used as an interior item, for example, for books or decorative trinkets. 
In order to be able to move it from place to place, you can give it mobility using special wheels for furniture.
Today, among gardeners, LED lamps are considered the most popular lighting for seedlings; they are easy to make with your own hands, and you can also combine different spectrums of light.
Advantages of LEDs:- as close to sunlight as possible;
- operate without interruptions or defects;
- economical - consume little energy;
- even at a fairly close distance they do not cause burns to foliage.
To make an LED lamp for seedlings with your own hands you will need: - blue and red diodes;
- thermal paste;
- aluminum or any other profile for fastening;
- power supply, cord and plug;
- soldering iron and solder;
- bolts.