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The advancement of technology has blessed us with grow lights that help the plants to grow better. Grow lights have been widely used by plants lovers all across the world.
If you are a bonsai plant owner then you must be wondering if the grow lights are good for your bonsai plant or not.
Are grow lights safe for bonsai plants
How does the grow light work and affect the growth of your bonsai plants? Which is the best grow light that you should use for your bonsai plants?
This article is a complete guide that will answer all your questions related to the grow lights and bonsai. Do you want to know what’s best for your bonsai plant? Let’s go and explore it.
What is a grow light
If you’re a complete beginner, you must be thinking that what exactly are growlights?
Grow lights are electrical lights that help the plants to grow. The light spectrum of grow lights is either similar to the spectrum of sunlight or it is a special spectrum that is designed to fulfill the needs of your plant.
They’re mostly used for indoor plants, aquatic plants, horticulture, food production, indoor gardening, and plant propagation, etc.
Generally, the grow lights are commonly used at the industrial scale but these days, they have been widely used at the household level as well.
Are grow lights safe for bonsai plants
Yes, grow lights are safe for bonsai only if you use them properly.
Experts recommend that you should use full-spectrum fluorescent grow lights that emit a natural UV range of spectrum like natural sunlight. It is safe and healthy for your bonsai plant.
Avoid using the incandescent grow lights for your bonsai plant because they are not safe. The reason is that the incandescent grow lights emit very intense heat. If you will place the bonsai plant near incandescent grow light then the extreme heat will damage the leaves, stem, and trunk of your bonsai plant.
It is common sense to understand that if you will place any human, animal, or plant near unbearable heat then they will either die or get severely injured for sure.
Therefore, make sure to follow our instructions to keep your bonsai plant safe while using grow lights.
When do you need the grow lights for bonsai plants
Generally, grow lights are commonly needed and used for indoor bonsai plants.
The reason is as we all know that there is a shortage of light in the indoor environment. Thus, a grow light provides enough light to the indoor bonsai plant so that it can grow and function properly without any difficulty.
Grow lights are also needed for growing the outdoor species of bonsai plants in an indoor environment.
As you know that the outdoor bonsai plants require constant exposure to sunlight for a prolonged time. If you will grow them in an indoor environment where there’s no light then they will start dying due to lack of enough light.
Thus, we provide them with grow lights so they can get enough light for their survival, growth, and proper functioning.
How to adjust grow light for bonsai plants with changing seasons
The amount of light that bonsai plants get every day changes with the season.
For example, in summer, the days are longer so the bonsai plants get more light. Whereas, in winter, the days are shorter so bonsai plants get a little bit less light.
For outdoor growing bonsai plants, it may be important to adjust the grow lights similarly to maintain their natural rhythm. It will have a better effect on the health of the bonsai plants.
So, how can you adjust the grow light according to the change in weather? It might seem very difficult to you but in reality, it is quite an easy task to do.
Here are two easy methods:
1. Manually adjust the light
The first method is to do it manually.
Simply run the light for longer in summer and for shorter in winter.
(If you are living in the southern hemisphere, then you will do the exact opposite of it).
This way most of the bonsai plants will stay completely healthy if you consistently follow this approach.
2. Use smart grow lights
Technology has advanced in the past few years.
Now there are smart grow lights available out there that have special sensors and software installed in them.
The smart grow light usesits technology to monitor various things like time of the day, month, year, weather, and heat present in the soil.
That’s how the smart grow light detects how much light your bonsai needs at the moment. So, it automatically adjusts the light to fulfill the need of your plant.
Therefore, you can use any of these techniques to make sure your bonsai plant gets enough amount of light no matter what season it is.
Can you also use LED lights as grow lights for bonsai plants
Yes, you can use also use LED lights as grow lights.LED lights are much better than many other traditional lights.
The reason is that other lights use a lot of energy to run so they produce intense heat. If you will constantly expose your bonsai plant to intense heat then it will get severely damaged and even die.
LED lights run on less energy and do not produce much heat. This is the reason why LED lights are cooler and safe for your bonsai plant.
Best grow lights for bonsai
Do you need a grow light for your bonsai plants but don’t know which one is the best?
Don’t worry we will tell you everything about it and help you choose the best.
1. Fluorescent lights
The best grow light for bonsai is fluorescent light. The reason is that it is cooler as compared to incandescent light and doesn’t damage the plant with intense heat.
- 6000k fluorescent light stimulates the production of healthy leaves, stems, and foliage.
- 2700k fluorescent light stimulates flowering and budding.
You can use a combination of both for getting all the benefits. Make sure to place the fluorescent lights about 3-4 inches away from the bonsai plant.
2. HID lights
HID lights like high-pressure sodium lights (HPS) and metal halide lights (MH) are also beneficial for bonsai plants.
- Metal halide lights promote healthy leave and stem growth.
- High-pressure sodium light promotes flowering.
However, HID lights produce intense heat that can damage your plant.
If you live in an extremely cold area then HID grow lights can be good for your bonsai plant as they’ll provide it some warmth and protect it from cold.
Otherwise, if you are living in hot or moderate areas then you’ll need to have a proper ventilation system to protect your bonsai plants from excess heat.
Since HID lights are high intensity and produce intense heat, you should place them 10 inches away from the bonsai plant to avoid overheating.
3. LED lights
Recently, LED lights have become very popular in the gardening sector and are widely used as grow lights everywhere.
LED lights are very beneficial for bonsai because they are very cool. They run on less power and emit very little heat. This keeps the bonsai plant safe and healthy. You can get any high-quality LED light and use it as a grow light for your bonsai plants.
