Led Grow Lights Future Of Hydroponic Gardening
Until recently, indoor growers only had traditional mechanisms of indoor hydroponic growing with high heat bulbs such as high pressure sodium, metal halide, and more recently, compact fluorescent. The light bulb would provide massive amounts of light, measured in lumens, to replicate the sunlight necessary for photosynthesis which drives vegetative growth and flowering.
These lighting sources provide white light, which is the combination of all the colors in the visible spectrum put together. The problem with these traditional lighting sources is that they are inherently inefficient and waste a great deal of energy in the form of excess heat and light in the visible spectrum which is not beneficial to indoor growing. For example, the green spectra is not necessary for photosynthesis as green light is reflected and does nothing to the plants (green light bulbs are good to use when you need to enter your grow room during the sleep cycle of your plants because they will not be detected by the plants).
Although different plants have different lighting requirements (orchids have different light needs than cannabis plants), most plants flourish with only a limited range of light – reds, orange, and blues. This is because various processes and chemicals involved in photosynthesis respond most readily to these bands of light. Unfortunately, only about 15 percent of light emitted by HID/CFL bulbs is available in the bands of light needed for photosynthesis.
This is where LED technology makes the photosynthesis of indoor grown plants a more efficient process. Hydroponic LED lights concentrate their diode ratio around the reds, oranges and blues, along with the weighted value of other spectra needed to get the optimal blend for a particular plant. By concentrating on the wavelengths actually needed for photosynthesis, LED growlights can save a tremendous amount of energy as compared to high pressure sodium bulbs. This is why a 300 to 400 watt LED growlight can replace an entire 1000 watt high pressure sodium or metal halide system.
Furthermore, the LED grow light does not need a ballast assembly because the power supplies are built into the panel. If you start adding up all the capital and operational savings, it is easy to see why LED grow lights are becoming the future of hydroponic gardening.
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The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Having Wooden Doors
The exterior door might be the very first thing that someone who visits the home is bound to notice. Therefore, most people are likely to put in considerable thought into it before selecting which type or design of exterior door they want to match to their homes.
Wooden exterior doors are very common amongst house owners. There are a number of reasons for this, for instance wooden doors are cheap and easily available. Strong wooden doors could be obtained in various designs and materials that range from oak, mahogany, pine and timber covered with veneer. In case of wear and tear with time, wooden doors could be easily replaced, redone or modified by altering the locks, adding a fresh coat of paint or just applying a fresh layer of varnish. They can be cut and adjusted to the desired size more easily than other materials such as steel and/or PVC.
The largest benefit regarding solid wooden doors is that they can be made to appear in such a way that they easily miss the attention of miscreants such as thieves and vandals who prey upon unsuspecting residents if the exteriors of a home catch their eye.
The first and foremost concern of a home owner is to ensure sufficient safety for his or her household when deciding on the exterior doors of the house. Wooden doors can have locks and latches attached to them easily.
Nevertheless, determined robbers are capable of break the latch and drill holes to break the lock if they wish to go in the home. Another disadvantage of having wooden exterior doors is that they need constant care and attention in order to maintain them.
Wooden doors have a tendency of acting upon the effect of weather. In summer time the high moisture content of the air is absorbed by them therefore causing the doors to expand, creating cracks on the side of the doors and getting stuck while opening or closing them. This damages the property more if care isn’t taken. In winter the reverse occurs and the door contracts so leaving gaps between the walls and floor, allowing the cold from outside to go through the door and enter the home.
Wooden doors are also susceptible to attacks from termites. Unless they are made from good quality timber and are treated with anti termite solutions regularly one quickly finds that the entire door can crumble from the attack. This is very dangerous so far as security is concerned. Besides termites can cause severe dust allergy. Due to this fact, wooden doors can easily be eaten into and destroyed unless they are taken care of.
[Top]Keep Your Food Safe From Deadly Pesticides and Herbicides By Growing Hydroponic Vegetables At Home
Hydroponics is a great, fun and clean way to grow plants indoors by supplying water, nutrients, and oxygen to their roots. Hydroponic growing is perfect for fruit bearing crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and herbs. By synthetically controlling every aspect of the garden, almost any kind of plant imaginable can be grown using hydroponics! The majority of hydroponic gardeners plant crops similar to what they would grow in a soil garden. If it can be grown in a pot with soil it can also be grown by using hydroponics with a soilless medium. In your indoor Hydroponic garden you must be the sole creator of all aspects of the plants environment
A plant doesnt require soil to grow. There is no soil in a hydroponics garden, so the plants need to be anchored some how. There are many items which can be used to support plants, these are called soilless mediums. Clay pebbles and Rockwool are the most popular medium. These soilless mediums work best because they are pH neutral and provide plenty of support for plants. They retain moisture, and allow for good air circulation.
pH is one of the most disregarded aspects of gardening, pH is very important in hydroponics gardening. pH is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 7 being “neutral”. Anything lower than 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline (bases). All plants require a certain pH level in order to produce optimum results. The pH level will vary from plant to plant, but in general the majority prefer a slightly acidic level (between 6.0 – 6.5), though most plants can still tolerate an environment with a pH of between 5.0 and 7.5. The preferred method of checking and adjusting pH levels is to use a pH meter. pH adjustments can be made by simply adding a small amount of pH up or pH down solution to your reservoir.
Starting your garden out by planting seeds can be one of the most enjoyable parts of gardening. Seedlings dont require as an intense amount of light as does a more mature plant. You will want to use a florescent light about 2 above the top of your seedlings. Too much intense light and heat will burn them up and kill them. You will need a propagation tray and humidity dome. Use these to keep your medium and seeds in the perfect environment.
The preferred method for growing vegetables, flowers and herbs year round is with HID lighting, it stands for High Intensity Discharge Lighting, which is a special type of lighting that is much more intense than any other grow lights. Decide what size of light to use. First you need to figure out the square footage of your indoor garden. To do this you will need to measure the space. This is how to find the square footage of your grow space. (Width x Length= Square Feet) Example: if you want your indoor garden to be in your closet which is 3×4, you will find this room to be 12sq.ft. (You will also want the height of your room to be at least 4 above the canopy of your plants.) For most grow operations an 8-10 foot ceiling will work fine. This will allow you to keep your lamp at least a minimum of 18 above the top of your plants. (HID lights get hot and can burn the tops of your plants.) Next you will need to know how many watts/square foot of light your plants will require. For Example, tomatoes need to attain around 40-50 watts per square foot for optimal growth. You then would take 50 watts x 12sq. ft. = 600 watts. This means that you will need a 600watt light to maintain your plants optimal growth in this particular garden. (Plants wattage needs x Square Feet = HID light requirement.)
[Top]Vertical Gardening
Do you long for masses of plants, but have only a small balcony or patio to work with? Fear not, garden lover, the answer is at hand with vertical gardening.
The idea of transforming a blank wall into a blaze of living colour has long been popular in Europe, where cramped conditions put outdoor space at a premium. So, if you want to get the most out of your outdoor living space, why not consider a vertical garden?
The types of vertical gardens you can create will be governed by the space available, the types of plants you wish to grow, and your imagination.
If you have a skinny garden bed along the base of a blank wall, careful planting can cover the wall from bottom to top with foliage. A trellis against a wall works especially well with containers placed at the base filled with climbers such as vines or roses.
Without a garden at the base of your wall, you are limited to stackable modules, containers or hanging baskets. You can use stackable modules that can be placed against a wall, attach a trellis to a wall, or use hanging baskets made from a breathable fabric
Plants which don’t require much soil, such as succulents, work best in small stackable trays. Trays also tend to have better irrigation than hanging pocket baskets.
The simplest and easiest vertical garden could be just a wire trellis hung on hooks attached to a wall, with plant containers placed on the ground below it. Fill the containers with climbing plants and in no time you’ll have your vertical garden.
If you are handier with tools, you can make your own stackable modules from a durable timber. Make sure you make allowance for drainage and apply a good preservative to the timber before filling with potting soil.
Vertical gardens work just as well for herb and vegetable growing and flower displays. Place your trailing herbs, such as oregano or thyme, towards the top of the wall and use the lower spaces for upright varieties, such as lettuce or tomato.
You don’t need to be an expert handyman or woman to create your own vertical garden. Even if you are more at home with a spade than a hammer or saw, there are modules that you can buy as opposed to making your own. And if everything else fails, you can always have an expert come in and create your vertical garden for you.
Now take another look at that blank wall outside and see how easy it is to change it into a glorious living vertical garden. Let your imagination run wild!
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