Gardening Under Lights – Plants Need Both Light and Darkness
The effect of daylight hours on blooming plants has long been recognized by scientists who have done research on plant growth habits. It’s known that some plants are triggered to bloom by short days (chrysanthemums, for example); others including most all of the garden annuals, by longer days. A third group, and most house plants are in this one, seem to be unaffected by day length. But it is a well-known fact that all plants need a period of darkness in each 24-hour period. For this reason, it is important to establish a regular schedule for turning the lights on and off in your garden under lights.
To help you do this accurately, an automatic timer, which you can set to turn lights on and off at the times you choose, is an item that is well worth the money. Most flowering plants need about 16 hours of artificial light, while foliage plants do well on 10 or 12 hours. If you grow a mixture of plants, set the timer for the number of hours needed by the flowering varieties, since a few extra hours will do no harm to the foliage plants.
Other Plant Needs
In addition to light and darkness, plants need more humidity than is available in an average home in winter months. For sizable light gardens, it is worthwhile to install a small fan to keep the air circulating (though not blowing directly onto plants) and one of the cool vapor-type humidifiers, which are capable of putting out from 2 to 10 gallons of water in a 24-hour period.
Indoor Solar Lights and Other Solar Energy Solutions
The world’s traditional sources of energy – wood, coal, and oil – are being used at a rate that is greater than they are being created (and oil and coal are not being created at all), so it makes complete sense that we turn to a completely free source of energy: the sun and solar energy. Not only is solar energy easily available, it helps us to control pollution of the environment.
Many people are wary of implementing solar energy solutions in their homes because they think they are expensive, difficult to install, and awkward to manage. In fact if you look carefully into the facts you will find that it is actually very easy to deploy and use solar power systems. Not only will they help you to reduce your energy bills and your dependence on the energy companies, you will be better protected against power shortages and blackouts, and you will also be doing your bit for the environment — and saving the world for future generations of mankind.
But what are the options for using solar power in your home? Here are the first ones that spring to mind:
Halogen Desk Lamps – Light and Shade
It has to be said that, when it comes to choosing a desk lamp, halogen lighting is truly fit for purpose. Having made such a bold statement, it also has to be said that, whilst halogen lamps do indeed have many advantages, this form of illumination is surrounded by many myths, which this article aims to dispel.
First things first, halogen bulbs are what is know as incandescent bulbs, as are ordinary light bulbs. In basic terms, a thin wire filament is caused to glow by passing an electric current through it; oxygen is kept out by the glass bulb, which is why the filament doesn’t just burn up.
In halogen lamps, the filament is housed within a glass envelope and surrounded by a mixture of inert gas and halogen. The result is that the filament burns brighter, hotter and for longer. The downside of this is an increased running temperature, which means that halogen lamps should no longer be the first choice for inset ceiling and wall lights. This is because they back into a small enclosed space, which makes them a potential fire hazard.
