Whether you are a commercial grower
looking to expand or a flower
and plant enthusiast who
would like to bring your summer
garden indoors – The Root
in Brookfield, Illinois can help!
Grow Light Seasons
In
nature, plants of all kinds have their own seasons. The
cycle of seasons is the clock plants use to sprout, bloom,
produce fruits, and move into dormancy, or the end of
their life cycle. All of this is triggered by changes
throughout the year in several areas. The indoor and
hydroponic gardener can simulate many of these changes to
produce artificial seasons and fool plants into coming to
maturity outside the normal seasons.
~
Length of Day:
Much of the cycle of plant life is determined by the
length of the day, with vigorous growth occurring during
the lengthening days of the spring, and continuing into
the long periods of daylight in the summer. Then, as the
days shorten and fall days begin, plants shift into
flowering and fruiting mode. Finally, wintertime brings
dormancy or death to most plants. Its a built-in clock in
every plant. Different plants run on different schedules,
but its all tied to the length of daylight hours. Indoor
and hydroponic gardeners can use timers to supply any
amount of light on any schedule that is needed to produce
the desired results. This allows the creation of
artificial seasons that can help produce plant maturity
whenever desired.
~
Length of Day:
Much of the cycle of plant life is determined by the
length of the day, with vigorous growth occurring during
the lengthening days of the spring, and continuing into
the long periods of daylight in the summer. Then, as the
days shorten and fall days begin, plants shift into
flowering and fruiting mode. Finally, wintertime brings
dormancy or death to most plants. Its a built-in clock in
every plant. Different plants run on different schedules,
but its all tied to the length of daylight hours. Indoor
and hydroponic gardeners can use timers to supply any
amount of light on any schedule that is needed to produce
the desired results. This allows the creation of
artificial seasons that can help produce plant maturity
whenever desired.
~ Temperature:
Temperature changes throughout the year also influence the
cycle of life for plants. As the soil warms in the
springtime, seeds sprout and begin to grow. Increasing
warmth encourages lush growth of foliage and stems. As
temperatures diminish in the fall, plants shift their
energy to produce fruits and seeds. For many deciduous
plants and bulbs, cold winter days are also needed to
trigger the cycle each year. By controlling temperatures
in an indoor growing environment, hydroponic and indoor
gardeners can simulate the temperatures of any season
indoors. Since grow lights usually produce more heat than
is needed, altering the amount of ventilation used to
remove excess heat can adjust plant response.
~
Water:
Spring and summer rains are crucial for supplying the
water plants need for vigorous growth. Typically in most
areas, rains diminish toward the end of summer, prompting
plants to use their stored energy to produce fruit and
seeds in anticipation of the end of the growing season. As
with lighting, hydroponic gardeners can use timers and
other tools to control the delivery of water and nutrients
to their plants. Some plants require being stressed by a
shortage of water before shifting into maturity and
fruiting.
~
Light Quality:
The spectrum of light available to plants changes
throughout the year, too. When the sun is high in the sky,
more of the blue part of the spectrum helps plants produce
lush foliage to maximize photosynthesis and growth. As
summer ends and the sun is lower in the sky, the light
shifts to the red end of the spectrum, triggering maturity
and seed and fruit production. One of the easiest things
for the hydroponic and indoor gardener to change is the
spectrum of lighting being used. Switching HID lighting
from Metal Halide to High Pressure Sodium bulbs can easily
simulate the change of light spectrum as the seasons
change.
|