WHICH PLANTS ARE SHADOW-LOVING, LIGHT-LOVING AND SHADOW-BEARING – THEIR BACKLIGHT

The period has come, when the number of sunny days decreased and daylight hours decreased markedly. But the development of our green pets directly depends on its length and light intensity.. By changing the time of the photoperiod (daylight hours), flowers can be maintained in a state of vegetative growth. How to properly organize supplementary lighting of indoor plants, experts will tell.

Useful Tips

1. To stimulate the flowering of chrysanthemums, kalanchoe, slum berger, punches, begonias Elatior, eternal, many orchids, it is necessary to reduce the length of daylight hours (no more 9-12 hours).
2. Supplementing the views of long daylight hours (eg, gibiskus), you can artificially prolong their flowering.
3. If the ornamental plant does not stretch and does not lose the color of the foliage, means, light is enough for him.
4. The distance from the lamp to the crown of the crown should be as small as possible, but not less 15 cm. When it is doubled, the amount of light decreases by 4 times.
5. Use a reflector, this increases the illumination of the collection.
6. Follow, so that the flowers do not overheat from the lamps.
7. Good, if artificial lighting is not a complete replacement, but only a supplement to sunlight.

Tatiana KUSHNIKOVA. plant protection specialist, r. Novosibirsk

SHADOW FLOWERS

Syngonium, epipremnum, scindapsus, philodendron, anthurium, ferns, aspidistra, aglaonema, dwarf ficus and others.

Can do without backlighting.

LOVE FLOWERS

Most of the succulents, almost all bulbous, gas, haworthia, aloe, milkweed, pachypodium, hippeastrum, strelitzia, rosemary, feijoa, laurel noble, citrus fruits, etc..

Requires mandatory backlighting in low light conditions.

SHADOW FLOWERS

Tree ficuses, avocado, eucalyptus, balsam, Saintpaulia, begonia, kalanchoe, callisia, dracena, Schlumberger, cyclamen, most aroids, etc..

Tolerate a temporary lack of light. Backlight is desirable, but not required. They will not die without her, but the crown may lose compactness.

LOAD FOR BALANCE

Artificial light must fall on the plants from above. In this case, they will not waste strength and energy to change the position of the leaves.. To keep growing and blooming, necessary 12-14 hours of continuous lighting. Light intensity, at which a balance is achieved between photosynthesis and respiration for different plants, not the same. for example, light-loving need 5000-10000 lx, shade-tolerant - 700-2000 lx. Create groups of plants with approximately equal illumination.

RECOMMENDED LIGHT FOR PLANTS

Plants	Recommended illumination, lx (luxury)
Aralievs (dizygote, fatshedera, fascia, ivy, police officers), aroid (aglaonema, allocation, dieffenbachia, мон­стера, philodendron, spathiphyllum), koleus, plectranthus, ferns, cissus, tetrastigma	2500-2700
Agave (agave, bokarney, cordyline, dracena), acanthus (afelandra, crossandra, fittonia, hypoesthesia, pahistahis), Gesneriaceae (hypocort, epic, streptocarpus, Saintpaulia), ficus, figs, dorstenia, akalifa, code, milk, yatrofa, эхмея, cryptanthus	2600-3000
Camellia, palm (hamedorea, hoveya, karyota), brovallia, brunfelsia, calceolaria, родохитон, cicas, snake, clerodendrum, lantana, saxifrage, tolmia	3000-3900
Amaryllis, clivia, hemanthus, hippeastrum, banana, heliconia, strelitzia, Garnet, хоя, ceropegia, stapelia, eonium, kalanchoe, pelargonium, gerbera, chrysanthemum, brachychiton, azalea, heather	4000-6000
Angular (adenium, allama, catharanthus, oleander, pachypodium), olive, jasmine, osmanthus, bugenvillea, rose flower, цитрусо­вые, мурая, passionflower, cacti (excluding epiphytic)	6000-7800

WITH EXCESS OF LIGHT

When plants are illuminated around the clock, the process of cell growth is inhibited by stretching.

A negative effect can manifest itself as the destruction of chlorophyll, yellowing leaves.

Some lamps increase the ambient temperature, exclude natural daily fluctuations, which also inhibits growth and development.

Unfavorable changes in external factors lead plants to a state of stress, for some species, such a factor is round-the-clock illumination.

© Author: Anatoly MIKHALTSOV. biologist, r. Omsk

AT NIGHT – ALL SLEEP

24-hour plant illumination is undesirable, in most cases even harmful.

for example, in adult specimens, the cyclic alternation of light and darkness is disrupted, what inhibits the process of transition from vegetative to reproductive state - flowering and fruiting.

Choose the optimal length of daylight hours based on the needs of a particular plant, roughly: for tropical species - about 12 hours, for subtropical - 9-14 hours(depending on the season and stage of development).

AVOID SHADING

Illumination intensity drops sharply as you move away from the light source. If there are many plants and they are of different heights, low ones will be shaded and their growth will slow down. What to do?

1. Trim the taller tops. This will promote the growth of side shoots.. If you want to keep it, bend with an arch and secure with rope. As soon as the buds hatch in the axils of the lateral branches, remove the rope, lest the stem breaks, reaching for the light.

2. Place low plants on stands.

© Author: Lilia MALTSEVA, agrochemist, r. Novy Oskol

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LIGHTING AND LIGHTING OF PLANTS IN HOME CONDITIONS – FLOWER TIPS

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Nuances of lighting plants at home

Creating a mini-vegetable garden on the window in winter, not to do without additional lighting. It is also important to observe the temperature regime.. Only onions and watercress grow well without a lamp.. But with supplementary lighting, vitamins accumulate in greens more.

1. Light is one of the main conditions for the life and development of plants, after all without it photosynthesis is impossible, when organic matter is formed from water and carbon dioxide. As soon as loops appear on the surface of the soil, urgently rearrange boxes with crops or cups under the lamp (it must be installed at a height 10 cm from plants). Raise the lamp gradually as needed..
2. The first 3-5 days seedlings need to be illuminated around the clock. Seedlings at an early stage of development do not yet have roots., which means, she cannot take food from the earth, but still has to get it from outside. It is at the expense of light that young sprouts will feed at the beginning of their journey., will form chunky. Roots are formed in a few days, and then the night light is not required. On average, the seedlings are illuminated to 14-16 hours.
3. After the emergence of seedlings, you need to reduce the night temperature.. Plants breathe at any time of the day, and a large supply of food is consumed in the process. Let's assume, that your seedlings do not have enough light, which means, that with poor photosynthesis, nutrients are not formed enough. At night, when breathing, they are quickly consumed., and nothing is left for growth (here's a frail seedling).

When the night temperature drops, we create conditions, in which the plant breathes less intensively, which means, and spends less food.

© Author: Marina RYKAPINA, TV presenter, r. Samara

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WHICH LIGHTS ARE SUITABLE FOR INDOOR FLOWERS

pleases, that there are more opportunities to provide indoor plants with artificial lighting. But the more difficult it is sometimes to choose the best option for lamps. We have prepared for you a "guide" to the most common.

Conventional incandescent light bulbs with tungsten filament	Low light output, because more 90% all the energy consumed goes to heat, drying plant leaves. uneconomical. When hit by drops of water burst. May come in handy, eg, in a showcase with tropical plants for heating and lighting, but need a thermostat
Fluorescent	low power, therefore, they are mounted in several pieces and be sure to install reflectors. Tolerates dirt and water droplets when spraying plants. Affordable. Little heat dissipation. energy saving. Use cold spectrum lamps, as from a warm plant they stretch
Phytolamps LED (LED)	Better for photosynthesis (selected light waves), than previous, however, their lilac-pink glow is unnatural to human eyes.. Therefore, in residential premises, these special lamps are equipped with an external mirror reflector.
Arc mercury luminescent physiological (DRLF)	They shine brightly and powerfully. Use in residential areas is prohibited due to eye exposure.. Suspended in greenhouses in the industrial cultivation of seedlings, in winter gardens, greenhouses
Arc sodium mirror (DNAZ)	Favorable spectrum for photosynthesis, stable luminous flux. Equipped with a built-in mirror reflector, allowing all the light to be directed to the plants. Orange-yellow glow does not irritate the eyes, what is important when using lamps in living rooms. The disadvantages include the high price and bulky control device.

 

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SELECTING LIGHTING

In autumn there comes a time of short daylight hours. Plants don't have enough light, what can cause them to stretch?, become weakened, metabolism is disturbed, increased risk of disease. therefore, to help green pets survive the autumn-winter period, I adhere to some recommendations.

I put plants closer to the windows (better for window sills), if they were away in spring and summer: on the shelves, tables, semi.

Many flowers (ficuses, succulents, tradescantia, pelargonium, etc.) can be moved from north to south, where the sun is not so warm, like in the summer. But then you need to carefully select the types.

Plants, located on the floor near the windows, I place it on different stands, to be higher and closer to the light.

OPTIMAL OPTION

It is better to illuminate plants with lamps.

If the collection is large, and many flowers have to be placed on shelves, away from windows (as, eg, I have), then special phytolamps are needed here. I use it with white and pink light, from 12 to 24 W. The power should be greater, the farther the plants are from a natural light source. I turn on the backlight: away from windows - from morning to evening (by 12-14 hours), on the windowsills - only in the evening, from 18 to 22 hours.

For a small collection, instead of expensive phytolamps, ordinary lamps are suitable (desktop, linear), to help support pets. for example, when I lived in an apartment, I had arrowroot growing near my aquarium. The lighting was only from a fish LED, plus moisture from water. As a result, the bush not only grew magnificently, but also bloomed often.

© Author: Татьяна СВЕТЛАНОВА, r. Rostov-on-Don

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WE OPEN THE LAMP SEASON

With the arrival of autumn, daylight hours have shortened.

As a result, our plants began to suffer from lack of lighting.. Watching them carefully, can be seen, that growth has slowed, the tilt toward the window has increased, Some people have longer internodes, someone grew a leaf smaller than the previous one, and also thinner and paler. That's what it is signs of lack of light. Tatiana DELVARI will tell you how to help green pets survive this difficult period, Candidate of Economic Sciences, a chemist, collector, experienced florist from St. Petersburg.

HOW MUCH LIGHT DO YOU NEED?

Plants look like this in low light conditions, as if they lack “building material”. And he, if you remember the school biology course, produced through the process of photosynthesis, which requires carbon dioxide, water and light. And if the same amount of the first two components remains, then the latter became much less in the fall. This is the result - saving on leaves, stem and search for light sources. How much does plants need for productive photosynthesis??

The problem is, that they and we perceive light differently: for us the room is light, for flowers - dark. People have enough 200-300 luxury in residential areas, and plants at such indicators will experience a severe lack of light. For them the minimum is 10 times more (2000-3000 luxury). In addition, most indoor crops come from the tropics, where daylight lasts 12 hours. That is, there may also be a shortage in terms of lighting time.

HOW TO MEASURE “LUXES”

To understand, how much light does your particular plant receive?, need to measure, how many “luxuries” will reach it?. To do this, install the Lux Light application on your smartphone, “Luxmeter” or “Light Meter” and use it to measure the illumination near the plant (in the photo). If you live in the middle zone, you'll be surprised, what small values ​​will be in the corner of the room or a meter from the window. And on a cloudy winter day, the readings on the windowsill will also be below the minimum 2000-3000 Lk. Means, your plants lack light. Fortunately, there is a solution - you can use lamps or phytolamps.

CHOICE OF LAMP

Many people still associate the phytolamp with bright pink, "potassium permanganate" color. I'll tell you right away, that this is outdated technology. Modern devices, just the opposite, shine white and are called “full spectrum lamps”. Furthermore, for plants, “potassium permanganate” has no advantages over “white”.

But they have a clear disadvantage for humans in the form of irritating light. Nowadays many phytolamps from different manufacturers are sold. Choose any, which ones do you like in appearance?, fastening method, prices. the main thing, look carefully, so that it says “full spectrum” or “white light”.

And if the phytolamp shines white, how is it different from regular lamps?? In fact, There is still a difference in the spectra. Universal, which is suitable for increasing vegetative mass and flowering, light is currently considered to be a cold temperature (slightly bluish) with the addition of red LEDs. It is pleasing to the eye and suits all plants in all growth stages. In addition, phytodevices differ in power, as well as the shape and mounting capabilities.

However, phytolamps have a significant disadvantage - cost.. Even with the same power they are more expensive than regular ones, in favor of which many gardeners with large collections make their choice. As an alternative, LED lamps with a cool glow are suitable 40-60 W.

AT WHAT HEIGHT ARE THE LAMPS OVER THE FLOWERS??

At what distance should the lamp be from the plant?? If approximately: how much is its power (Watt) - so many centimeters above the crown. That is, a lamp 18 W is placed approximately at a height 18 cm. More precise values ​​can be found, taking into account the light-loving nature of plants (cm. table) and measure the illumination with a smartphone lux meter.

Plant type in relation to light	Examples of plants	Cold light lamp, luxury
Shade tolerant	Some begonias, green aglaonemas, aspidistra, дра­цены, ivy, peperomias	1500-3000
Low light	Violets, tropical begonias, colored aglaonemas, папо­ротники, ficuses, north, shefflers	3000-6000
Medium illumination	Aroid, such as anthuriums, alocasia, scindaptus and epipremnums, Calathei, phalaenopsis, codiaums, variegated ficus, variegated hoya, fuchsias	6000-11200
Photophilous	Succulents, variegated philodendrons, monstery, cattle	11200-26100
Very photophilous	Tropicaltrees, such as cocoa, citrus, avocado	26100-44800

 

ADDITIONAL LIGHT TIME

To solve, how long does it take to illuminate the plant?, look at the length of daylight hours, sunrise and sunset times. And after sunset, turn on the lamps for as many hours, so that in total with the length of daylight hours there is 12 h. You can simply provide additional lighting for this time, without calculating anything, if it is constantly cloudy in your region (like here in St. Petersburg in autumn and winter), very little sun.

Most of my plants are on shelves in 2-3 m from the window and are completely exposed to artificial lighting. Year-round and daily 12 lamps shine on them for hours. The effect is visible, eg, by the lush growth of tropical alocasia (in the photo).

CONVENIENCE TIP

So that every day you don’t have to think about the need to control the operation of lamps, I use a timer on the socket. It needs to be configured once, and every day it will automatically turn the lamps on and off. Very comfortably!

How much do I spend on lighting?? We calculate according to the formula: cost of electricity per month = number of lamps x power (W) x additional lighting hours x number of days in a month x cost 1 kWh/1000. With my lighting mode, the sub-zone tariff of St. Petersburg: 1 phytolamp power 30 Watts per month costs 70 rub. A lot or a little, everyone decides for themselves. For me the opportunity to give the plants light, under which they definitely grow well, outweighs the costs.

Photo by the author

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LIGHTING OF ROOM PLANTS IN WINTER – VIDEO