Natural evolution is nothing but ingenious; just look at the plant world. Plants need to eat but they cannot move around searching for food; so, they have evolved in a way that allows them to eat what is there – some like acidic food; others alkaline and so on. Plants need to drink but have evolved ways to store water in arid climes or to hide away and wait for the next rainy season. When it comes to temperature control; plants have adapted to survive anywhere from near polar (or high mountain top) conditions to the full blast of equatorial heat.
But, Plants Were Not Quite So Adaptable To Light
Having taken care of the plant world’s food, drink and climatic needs; nature needed one more factor for her plants to thrive – they needed to see the light. In the same way that you could own the world’s best motor car; but, until you fuel it up and release the energy from the fuel; it aint going anywhere. The plant sucks up nutrition and water through its roots; but, what for? To grow, this nourishment needs to be converted into stems, branches, leaves, flowers and seeds – and this takes energy; so, where is the fuel?
Sunlight is the fuel and a plant has to take in sunlight and, through a process known as photosynthesis, convert that light into growth. While plants can hibernate during seasons of reduced daylight; they cannot stay forever in the dark. Mushrooms are, I suppose, plants (even though they are really a type of fungus); but, even they need some light, Plants of the green leafed type must have their regular shots of sunlight; otherwise, they simply cannot grow.
OK; But, What If I Want To Grow Plants Indoors?
I can read my book outside in the sunshine, or I can read indoors (even at night) simply by turning a light on; so why can’t I plant a crop in my basement, water it regularly and keep the lights switched on? Well, you sort of can; but do you want stunted, shriveled up plants or fully grown, healthy ones?
It Has To Be The Correct Type Of Light
When evolution decreed that plants must have light; it gave them less opportunity to be selective; specifically, plants need certain wave lengths of light for photosynthesis to occur and these are not readily available from the standard domestic light bulb. LED lights can be adjusted in manufacture to provide exactly the right sort of light for any given plant species. The Apollo Grow Light is one such example of light from an LED that is ideally tuned to plant growth. Use a bank of them and your plants will thrive.
