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Demystifying Lumens, Lux and PAR LED lights require new thinking about the way we measure light for use by plants. The typical rating most growers are familiar with is the “lumen.” The definition of the lumen is the total light produced within the range of the human visual response. It tells us nothing about the distribution of that light energy over the spectrum, and most importantly, it doesn’t tell us how much is useful for plants. The problem with lumens is especially pronounced when measuring light at the far ends of the human visual response curve. Consider three lamps—red, green...

Grow it yourself: chilli pepper Did you know that Europeans only came into contact with the chilli pepper after Columbus discovered America? Since then, over 3,000 registered species have been developed. Of these, five are widely cultivated: Capsicum annum,Capsicum chinense, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum frutescens and Capsicumpubescens. All have their own special characteristics.  Capsicum annum: Annuum means annual, but strictly speaking this is incorrect since under the right conditions, these chilli plants can be kept for years. This variety of chilli is the easiest to grow. Most common chillies belong to this variety: Bell Pepper (paprika),jalapeño, cayenne pepper, Serrano and all 'waxed' peppers. The...

The Science behind Hydroponic Nutrients and systems Before we can take a look at how hydroponics works, we must first understand how plants themselves work. Generally speaking, plants need very little to grow. They can subsist on a simple blend of water, sunlight, carbon dioxide and mineral nutrients from the soil. Plants are able to transform light energy into chemical energy to form sugars that allow them to grow and sustain themselves. Thus, plants convert carbon dioxide, water and light into sugars and oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. The photosynthesis process requires that the plant has access to certain minerals, especially nitrogen,...