If you have electric built into your rent each month, then you have more options than if you pay an electric bill separately. Combining a fluorescent light system with an LED system can allow for a truly full spectrum experience for your strawberries.

One thing that you need to watch out for is placing them too close together as over-crowding however, can become an issue. When strawberries are placed too close together, they can be more likely to form diseases and mold on them. Strawberries like to have plenty of space to grow and flourish. Proper spacing is critically important for healthy strawberry growth. Photosynthetically Active Radiation or PAR measures the value of the light energy being utilized that is of use to the strawberries to promote healthy sized fruits. Using LED light panels can give you versatility in the dimension and length of the lighting used. Using full-spectrum lighting helps to make sure all parts of the plant grow evenly and properly. Getting a light panel with around six to nine bands seems to work best for berry growing. Proper positioning and plenty of cooling units is necessary when utilizing these as they can cause an extreme increase in temperature. There are hanging grow light panels, ones that plug into already installed panels and stand up LED panels. These types of lighting systems can last up to a hundred thousand hours, making them the longest lasting lighting systems available on the market today. Different species like different amounts of light, but if you do a general timing of 16-17 hours a day of light, that will work for most species of strawberries. If you have a specific type of strawberry in mind, then doing research into that particular breed can be helpful when deciding if you should get an automated light timer. Different Types of Lighting for StrawberriesUnderstanding how much space you have to utilize and planning it out well is key to growing plump and tasty berries. Understanding what kind of light source to use is part of the indoor growing process. It is vital to understand all of your options and this article will explain them in detail as well as efficiency, and what will work best for the space that you have. Jump to: Here are two varieties of chlorophyll in strawberries. There is Chlorophyll A and B. Type A has an absorption rate that peaks at 420nm as well as 662nm in terms of wavelengths. Type B Chlorophyll produces at 453nm and 642 nm. Type A is more abundant than type B. However, Type A Chlorophyll has a longer absorption range than type B. There are also more chemicals in plants that also take in light. Using a lighting system with many colors like an LED grow lamp or light fixture can cover the entire range needed to grow strawberries indoors. PAR or Photosynthetically Active Radiation Technology is ever changing, and better LED lighting systems are constantly popping up in stores and online. Fluorescent Grow Light Systems and Strawberry Growing They are an older and time tested type of lighting system that is known to be effective. It is important to make sure that you use the right type of T5 or T8 light, however. A T5 light is an upgrade from a traditional fluorescent lighting system. They produce a much higher amount of light for your strawberries to grow. One can use them completely alone if you have enough units of light, but they work best as a supplementary light source in addition to an LED lighting system. They do work well for planting seeds from scratch and allow the plants to adjust to the lighting slowly starting from a seed. Growing strawberries indoors can be a great option if you live in an area that does not have a lot of outdoor space.

Fluorescent grow lights can also be used with a T5 or T8 tube. A T5 fluorescent lighting system measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter and lasts for approximately 25000 hours. They are much less expensive than LED lights, and do have some benefits to them. They do not emit an extreme amount of heat either, but their range of lighting is quite short and only works up to 12 inches away. They do not use a lot of electricity and do produce a high amount of light when placed close enough to the strawberry plant. Plenty of fans are needed for this type of lighting system. There are new types of fluorescent lights that utilize a much higher level of lumens to produce better conditions for your plants. This allows the T5 and T8 lightening systems to mimic natural lighting much better than the older style fluorescent systems of the past. High pressure Sodium or HPS grow Lights For Strawberries If you do not want to be constantly turning lights on and off all the time, using a light timer can be wise. LED lights usually come with timers that are built into the system and are easy to use. All plants need rest times from lighting. In nature, plants do not get 24 hours of light a day, so inside, they don´t need that either. A minimum amount of light as stated above of six hours a day. You can give your berries around seventeen to eighteen hours of light a day with six to seven hours of darkness.Many individuals forgo growing any kinds of fruit because they live in an apartment or other dwelling without a yard. With technology these days, anyone can become an expert strawberry grower with a little bit of knowledge. High-Pressure Sodium or HPS lights, Fluorescent Tube Lights, High-Intensity Discharging or HID lights are also types of lighting systems that you can explore.