Quote:
Originally Posted by clkeiper
Worth, they need the light spectrum that is not available with the uv window covering. That is my question... can you get anything to grow correctly without the "natural "daylight that is produced by sunshine. I cant reproduce it with a regular lightbulb... which is why the light fixtures for greenhouses cost a boatload of $$. Can you repurpose sliding/patio/large windows without having to supplement the light spectrum?
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Okay I am awake a little I stayed up watching old steam trains on You Tube last night.
Lets break this down.
What is your UV window covering.
You can get things to grow correctly without natural daylight produced by sunshine it is easy.
Now the next statement is a little more complected.
""
I cant reproduce it with a regular lightbulb... which is why the light fixtures for greenhouses cost a boatload of $$.""
What do you mean by a regular light bulb?
The green houses use these fixtuers they are called ballasts and here is why they have to use them.
Those are Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium lights.
What the Ballast does id control the electrical input to the light.
The light would work in a regular socket but it would get brighter and brighter until it destroys itself.
The reason some but not all green houses use them is because of the Watts they put out.
I use the term watt because yes watt is energy and it is a better way to measuer light energy than lumens in my opinion.
Lumens are measured by visible light that plant for the most part dont need.
These high powered lamps due to there wattage can be placed farther away from the plants.
This is why they are used there is nothing special about them other than this.
Next.
"
Can you repurpose sliding/patio/large windows without having to supplement the light spectrum?"
Absolutely there will be no problem at all.
Remember plants cant see green the light reflects right back off of them.
Here is something you can do with a CD.
Hold it up to the light coming through the glass.
If you move it around you will get a rainbow of colors reflected off of it.
This is the light you and the plants are seeing.
What you wont see is the many wave lights of UV and infrared light the human eye cant see.
A black light puts out a wave length of UV light it is known as UVA.
Did I get off track?
Worth
Here are some plants growing under LED grow lights.
This is what the world would look like to us if only light that plants needed were available.
