grow light bonsai
Can i use a regular florescent light to grow plants indoors?
I have a few bonsai plants that I love and want them to be healthy. One requires full sun. I still have snow on the ground so I cannot put them outside yet. So is it alright to use a regular florescent bulb for these plants?
I have a GE florescent light bulb. It says on the package, "Sunshine 4 year. Simulates midday sunlight. 5000K" 75 watt. Light output 1235."
Can my plants utilize the light from this bulb for photosynthesis? It was in the regular light bulb section at the store.
Not to get too tech-y, but plants require specific frequencies to grow. Plants use the full spectrum for photosynthesis, although red and blue light seem to be most critical. Red light stimulates vegetative growth and flowering, but if a plant gets too much red light, it will become tall and spindly. Blue light regulates plant growth, which makes it ideal for growing foliage plants and short, stocky seedlings. These are found in two colors/frequencies of light: Red (625 nanometers) and Blue (465 nanometers).
If you're going to use a CFL, it should say "full spectrum", or you can use an equal number of Cool White (for the blue light) and Warm White (for the red light) bulbs.
You can also use LED strip lights or light bars, which come in red and blue, and you would alternate them to provide even light across the growing spectrum. LEDs are low voltage and very low heat, so there's no danger of scorching the plants.
Good luck!