Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) require at least eight hours of direct sunlight daily, but that’s not always possible once you’re growing the plants indoors. The plants respond well to artificial lighting, so long as you meet their colour requirements and time requirements. With a timer might help ensure your tomatoes get the light they need, when they require it.
With CFLs
Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, frequently replace older-style lights in many household applications. They give off less heat than incandescent options while using less electricity. CFLs typically have longer lifespans also, and they are available in a variety of light-spectrum colors that will assist you give your plants precisely the light they require. Conventional CFLs assist your indoor tomatoes grow, but using grow lights, or CFLs specifically designed to utilize plants, can give you an benefit. Several have built-in deflectors, by way of example, to target the lighting downward toward your tomato plants.
Matching Daylight
Because tomatoes require so much sunlight to develop and fruit, the very best CFL develop light choice is one which mimics the light spectrum of daylight as tightly as possible. This spectrum, or shade temperature, is measured using the Kelvin temperature scale. Sunlight has a high color temperature, about 6,000k, so opt for a CFL that has a comparable color temperature, such as between 5,000k and 6,500k.
Picking Your Distance
Heat is a negligible issue with CFLs, and that means you are able to place them closer to a tomatoes than in case you’re utilizing incandescent bulbs — the leaves may even touch the lights without any significant damage. However, the lighting should achieve every leaf for the plant to correctly take advantage of this lighting, so keep the lighting at least 6 inches above the plants. If you are growing seedlings indoors, 4 inches should be sufficient.
Keeping the Light On
Outside tomatoes enjoy long hours of sunlight, but your indoor plants don’t get as much direct lighting. That does not mean you must leave your CFLs on all day to guarantee the plants get enough light — they operate much better when they have a little bit of time to rest, just like they would outside. Shoot for 16 hours of direct lighting daily, including bright sunlight, for seedlings and adult plants. So if your strawberries get 2 hours of direct sunlight daily, nutritional supplement that with 14 hours of CFL lighting. With a timer can help you ensure that tomatoes get the light they need.