Medwyn Williams carries out trials with new LED lights in the glasshouse
I’ve been carrying out some trials with new LED lights
What an absolutely horrendous year this has been. Like many of us, I’ll be glad to see the back of it and I look forward to growing some quality vegetables this coming year. This year seems to have been a really good growing year and I’ve lost count of how many phone calls I’ve had from growers with the best vegetables ever and nowhere to show them.
I’m currently carrying out some trials with lights in my glasshouse, comparing different lighting systems and bringing in new LED lights. I’ve no doubt that lights in the future are going the LED way, giving far superior light, and cheaper to run, too. We currently have two LED units from Maxigro to compare against the conventional 400w SON T Aggro units, as well the T5 units and the Maxibright Daylight lamp.
One thing to remember with LEDs is that they transmit hardly any heat at all. They’re cool above the plants, which is a good thing as there’s no chance of the heat burning the tips of the foliage. LED lighting products produce light up to 90 per cent more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs or tubes.
The one drawback at the moment is the cost. They’re more expensive than the other lights, but there are quite a few advantages. They’re much more efficient and cheaper in energy terms and the lamp will last you for over 50,000 hours! You’ll also have a far better spectrum of light right through from red through to blue and giving you a light that’s much closer to sunlight than any other. I’m hoping these will bring on some of the younger seedlings far quicker and stronger.
I’ve also invested in a couple of heating mats together with a thermostat that should give me full control of plant growth. A bit of advice when using heating mats: make sure that the compost is kept evenly moist throughout. Many years ago I had a disaster when I hadn’t watered my onions enough on a heated mat. The pots looked as if they were moist on top, but when I emptied them out the bottom quarter was bone dry resulting in the roots burning off. Definitely not what you want!
A very healthy and happy New Year to you all.
■ Why not follow me on Twitter throughout the season as I grow vegetables for my show displays – @medwynsofangles.