How to make lighting in a greenhouse

Lighting in the greenhouse is important if you want to grow plants in a short daylight period. If you properly organize the system and make heating, you can get crops almost all year round, regardless of external conditions. It is important to choose the type of lamps and calculate the necessary power.

Features of the use of lamps in greenhouses and greenhouses

It is possible to combine different types of light.

Before you choose equipment, it is necessary to understand what distinguishes lighting in the greenhouse from other options. It is important that the finished system meets several requirements:

1. It is best to wire the power cable underground. To do this, select a wire with suitable characteristics, which is laid in a trench at least a meter deep. To protect the cable from damage and extend its life, it is placed in a polyethylene pipe.
2. It is also worth making a diagram with all light sources and switches. It is necessary to lay the wire in such a way as to prevent its damage and to secure the space. Select a cable with suitable characteristics that is designed to operate in conditions of high humidity and temperature fluctuations. Ideally, install the wiring in a corrugated tube or HDPE pipe.
3. When fixing the lamps, you must remember that they should not interfere with the natural light. Therefore, massive constructions are not suitable.
4. Since the light will work for a long time, when choosing, pay attention to the power consumption.

By the way! If the lamps are not needed in the summer, it is better to make the system quick-release and remove it for the warm period.

The video tells about the mistakes in the installation of the greenhouse, the installation of heating and lighting.

Types of lamps

Lights are placed evenly.

You can use different lamps for greenhouses. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, which are worth sorting out to make a decision.

Incandescent bulbs.

Are inexpensive, but poorly suited for greenhouses, as they give predominantly red and orange spectrum. With them you can grow onions, parsley and other greens, as the green mass grows best. Incandescent bulbs have such pluses:

1. Affordability. You can buy variants of different wattages at any hardware store.
2. They are easy to change when they fail.
3. The light has a spectrum comfortable for human vision.

But there are more disadvantages to this solution:

1. High power consumption, it is the most costly option. In this case, most of the electricity is spent on heating the coil, not the light emission.
2. Service life is only 1000 hours.
3. Brightness is low, you need a lot of bulbs for good lighting.
4. The bulb gets very hot during operation, which can cause burns to plants or deformation of polycarbonate.

Infrared

Infrared lamps not only shine, but also warm.

Have appeared recently, but have become popular in the lighting of greenhouses, as they can solve several problems:

1. These are ideal lights for the greenhouse in winter, as they not only provide light, but also heat the soil and plants. In fact, it is an artificial sun, giving a spectrum as similar as possible to the natural one.
2. Infrared lamps Give good light, under which the plants feel good.
3. Install the equipment is not difficult, it is within the power of anyone.

Of the disadvantages, you can highlight the rather high cost of the equipment. Also, such lamps are not suitable in the warm season, as they constantly warm the surface, which can lead to overheating of seedlings or plants.

LED .

Phytolamps based on LEDs can be adjusted.

This type is used most often, the popularity every year more and more, as LEDs have many advantages:

1. Low power consumption with good power. This is one of the most economical solutions, more profitable than incandescent lamps by a factor of 10.
2. Safety of the equipment. Diodes are not heated during operation, do not emit harmful substances, they can be left on even overnight.
3. The operating life is about 50,000 hours. This is at least 10 years in a moderate mode of operation.

You can buy ready-made models or make them yourself. For example, make a lamp for seedlings in the greenhouse, using an LED strip.

Of the disadvantages, you can highlight the need to install power supply units and the high price of high-quality equipment.

Video about the advantage of LED lights.

Fluorescent

Fluorescent lamps practically do not heat up.

This option is often used for greenhouses and greenhouses, as it has many positive characteristics:

1. The lamps practically do not heat up when in operation, which ensures safety.
2. You can choose lamps with a suitable spectrum for plants, the models with cold white light are best.
3. Energy consumption is low and second only to LEDs.

As for the disadvantages, first of all poor performance of fluorescent lamps at temperatures below 5 degrees. Also, this option is not characterized by light output and to provide bright light, you need to put a lot of bulbs or fixtures.

Sodium

This solution is also used in greenhouses, especially if the structures are large. The features are as follows:

1. The spectrum emitted is not bad for plants, although red and orange colors predominate there.
2. The lamps are inexpensive and last a very long time. This reduces the cost of lighting.
3. The lights emit heat and are used as an additional source of heating in the winter.

There are at sodium bulbs also have disadvantages, the main one being the strong heating of the bulb during operation. They are more suitable for large rooms, where the distance to the leaves of plants is sufficient.

Mercury Lamps

Mercury lamps are not difficult to distinguish by the yellow light.

This variety is often used in winter lighting, as it gives bright light and radiates heat, which is used as heating. The features are as follows:

1. The brightness of the bulbs is very good for their small size. They emit a lot of ultraviolet light, which is good for plants.
2. Energy consumption is small, the cost of lighting will be small.
3. It is not more difficult to install the lamps than standard ones.

Important! Because of the mercury content in the bulb can only be disposed of lamps can only be disposed of in accordance with a number of requirements.

It is also worth remembering that lamps are very hot, so they are a health hazard and can cause a fire.

Metal halide

This type of bulb is distinguished by its high cost and short lifespan. That said, they are popular for use in greenhouses for these reasons:

1. The spectrum of radiation suits the plants best. This type has an optimal light output.
2. Size is compact, such lamps take up little space.

Of the disadvantages. high voltage requirements should be noted. If it is unstable or fluctuate, the bulb can explode.

Read also

Features of the lamp for growing seedlings at home

 

How to calculate the required brightness of lighting

In order not to make a mistake in the calculations, you should remember:

1. Choose lamps with light whose spectrum is as close to natural sunlight as possible. When backlighting, select equipment with peaks in the red and blue spectrum.
2. Take into account the lighting standards for a particular crop. Data can be found in special reference books or on websites on crop production (they are specified in lux).
3. Calculate the time depending on the length of the daylight hours and cloud cover.
4. Take into account the height of the lamps, the higher it is, the more powerful equipment is needed.

At the end of another video.

Equipping lighting in a greenhouse is not difficult if you choose the right type of lamps and calculate the correct power. The main thing is to consider energy consumption, as light costs depend on it.