We make lighting for seedlings with our own hands. It’s very simple: we make lighting for seedlings with our own hands How to make light for seedlings with our own hands

Spring is coming, which means it's time to plant seedlings. As you know, in order for seedlings to grow and bear fruit, they need care and light. How to make lighting for seedlings, what lamps are needed, and the benefits of lighting. All these questions will be answered in this article.

Why do you need lighting for seedlings?

Light for plants is an integral part of their life. With proper lighting, any plant will be strong, healthy and fruitful. Pros of backlighting:

In this way, daylight hours can be extended, which is very important for early seedlings.
additional lighting guarantees proper growth for the plant, preventing the seedlings from stretching towards the light.
Proper lighting gradually develops seedlings to adult culture.

When it comes to lighting, the main thing is to bring it as close as possible to sunlight. Sunlight is beneficial for plants due to:

red rays, which are responsible for the development and growth of plants
blue rays, which ensures proper cell development
yellow and green light is reflected from plant leaves, but it is needed

When installing the backlight, these recommendations must be taken into account.

If there is poor lighting, then plant photosynthesis will be sluggish. The plant slowly gains biomass, the seedlings get sick. Each plant has its own preferences for the light spectrum.

What kind of light do seedlings need?

before picking seedlings. You need to use blue and red light, in the proportion of two red and one blue. Blue light will perfectly stimulate the growth of roots, but it will slow down the development of the stem - it will grow wider, not higher. The stem will be thick, and there will be a large distance between the leaves.
after the pick. You need to reduce the lighting for two or three days. The plant is stressed and needs rest. Over the course of a month, you need to highlight the seedlings one to one, blue, red.

Lamps for illuminating seedlings at home

There are several options for illuminating seedlings:

lighting without lamps on the windowsill
illumination with various lamps

When using one or another lighting method, there are pros and cons.

Backlight without lamps

For lighting on the windowsill, you can use a structure made of corton boxes covered with foil. Take a box, cut off the top and side wall, leaving small sides. The boxes need to be covered with foil and placed behind the plants. Sunlight hits the foil and comprehensively illuminates the seedlings. This method is very economical and accessible, but has some disadvantages:

cloudy weather when the sun is hidden behind the clouds
location of windows on the north side of the house

Given these data, the foil cannot cope with the lighting, and lamps are needed here.

An important process for this choice is to choose the right lamps. They are:

High pressure sodium lamps.

The lamp will provide a stable supply of warm light to the seedlings, which will have a beneficial effect on their growth.

It is worth considering the disadvantage that these lamps require a power regulator, and are expensive; it would be reasonable to use them for those gardeners who grow crops for sale; for amateurs this is not a justified expensive option.

Phytolamps

Phytolamp

A good solution for illumination is the spectrum of this lamp is violet-pink, which is ideal for plants, but the disadvantage of this method is that the light from the lamp is harmful to humans, a special light reflector is required.

The appearance of the lamps is similar to LED ones, but the spectrum indicator is different. The heat transfer is very small, which is good for plants. You can combine LEDs and phytolamps, this method is very economical.

Sodium metal halide elements

An affordable way to illuminate seedlings is also effective. But in the spectrum of this lamp there is little blue light, minus the plants develop and germinate poorly, it is more suitable for adult plants.

Mercury vapor lamps close to sunlight. Their light is white, more suitable for humans than for plants. They don't get very hot.

Fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamps shine brightly, but their color lacks the red spectrum. The light is very cold. Low radiation, can be illuminated over plants. The spectrum of these lamps can replace sunlight. The lamps themselves are inexpensive and have a long service life. Consumes little electricity. Can be used around the clock.

Incandescent lamps

This lighting method is useless. The lamps heat up very much, and it turns out that the seedlings are fried, and the light spectrum is poor for illumination.

LED lights

The best way to light. It has a number of significant advantages for the gardener. Using an LED strip, you can create an ideal lamp with a spectrum of blue and red light. Affordable price. LEDs consume little electricity and shine up to six thousand lux. Very easy to install - even women can handle it.

LEDs– a material of modern generation, it is used in everyday life and production due to its availability. This lighting method is perfect for seedlings, since LED lighting covers a large area and does not heat the air. To create an LED lamp you need:

LED lamps in red and blue.
hot melt glue or thermal paste, paste is cheaper than glue.
profile, wooden slats, any long object that is suitable for the base.
power supply for the required voltage.
plug and cord.

For seedlings, it is necessary to alternate LED elements in the following order, two red, one blue. The elements must be connected to each other using a soldering iron, connected to the power supply, and a switch, plug.

The tape must be attached using bolts, double-sided tape, or in any convenient way to the prepared surface. Then connect everything into one structure. The lamp for illuminating the seedlings is ready.

Bolts or screws are needed for fastening. The whole design depends on the size of the boxes; in order to make shelves in the rack, you need to measure the width of the box. Next, a rack with hollow shelves of no more than three rows is assembled. Boxes with seedlings are installed in a rack. A lamp is attached to the bottom of each box.

LED backlight design (2nd method)

LEDs are convenient because their location can be any, but it is best to mount them in two rows so that the lighting is uniform. It is necessary to take into account that the cone of light of an LED is equal to an angle of seventy to one hundred and twenty degrees. They need to be positioned as follows so that they overlap each other.

This lighting is used by experienced gardeners. This backlight is a good choice, it consumes little electricity, and you can make the light spectrum as desired. By combining different types of spectrum through an LED, you can grow different varieties. This light will also allow you to grow strong seedlings.

To design a lamp you need:

thirty red diodes,
twenty blue diodes,
white diodes ten pieces.
drivers.

The housing can be taken from an industrial lamp by removing the contents from it. You need to combine in such a way that you can combine light, for example, red and blue, or white and red, and so on.

LEDs are glued to hot glue or thermal paste. Then you need to attach fans, maybe from old power supplies.

the light should be located low, as close as possible until the seedlings have sprouted, after sunrise it should be raised as much as possible, you can raise it by forty to sixty centimeters.
to more accurately determine the distance, you need to bring your hand to the top of the lamp; if your hand is comfortable, the plant will also feel good.
It is best to install adjustable shelves. This is convenient for plant growth.
if seedlings are in the living room, you need to use light reflectors. It will concentrate the light on the plant and will not irritate the eyes.
There is no need to illuminate seedlings around the clock, plants also have day and night, the length of the day should be fifteen hours. At night, the lamps must be turned off.
There is no need to highlight seedlings that are located on southern windows as long as the sun hits them.
It is best to adhere to the illumination schedule; if this is not followed, the light may be poorly reflected on the seedlings.
the most optimal illumination is from six to eight thousand lux. For exotic plants, illumination from ten to twelve thousand lux is suitable. In winter, seedlings need to be illuminated at about two thousand lux. On cloudy days at five hundred lux.

Shelves for seedlings with lighting: video

Today there are few people who grow seedlings “the old fashioned way.”

Technologies do not stand still; gardeners can choose any type of lighting for seedlings, which will bring them good results in the future, because a lot depends on light. At first, the sprouts gain strength, and only then strong and healthy plants grow.

Illumination of seedlings is one of the most important issues that both novice gardeners and gardeners, as well as experienced business executives, puzzle over every year. Additional light largely determines the success of the development of healthy and strong plants.

The advantages of additional lighting are:

extending daylight hours, which is especially important when growing seedlings early;
additional light provides comprehensive illumination of plants, thereby preventing plants from stretching and becoming deformed;
Providing plants with the necessary spectrum guarantees their gradual development to adult crops.

Practice confirms the need and importance of supplementary lighting of seedlings of all crops. The better way to highlight seedlings is a more complex and multifaceted question.

Plants that are regularly illuminated grow hardier, stronger, stronger and more resistant to pathogens of various infections, and the yield per plant also increases.

The peculiarity of the backlight is the maximum proximity of the lighting to the natural spectrum of sunlight.

The most important spectra in the beam are red light, responsible for plant growth and development, and blue light, which ensures proper cell development. Taking this into account, it is recommended to select light elements in these two spectra.

In this graph we see that in the red spectrum photomorphogenesis (fruit formation) is maximum! It’s also worth taking this into account when designing lamps for seedlings! Pay more attention to the red spectrum!

Basic methods of illuminating seedlings at home

Among the currently presented options for organizing lighting, the following methods are distinguished:

lighting for seedlings on the windowsill without lamps;
additional lighting of seedlings with various types of lamps.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, which largely determine the scope of application of a particular lighting option.

Illumination without lamps

To organize lighting on the windowsill, a simple structure made of a cardboard box is often used. The top and side of the box are removed, leaving small sides. This entire structure is covered with foil and installed behind the plants. Sunlight, entering through the window, falls on the foil and is reflected on the plants, providing comprehensive illumination of the crop.

This method is accessible and economical, but at the same time quite effective. However, a significant drawback does not allow using this technique for large plantings - in cloudy weather or on the north side of the house there is not enough light and the foil will not be able to compensate for the darkening. In such cases, it is impossible to do without lamps.

Lamps

Making lighting for seedlings with your own hands is not difficult. For this it is enough:

organize space - free up, arrange tables in the room, build shelving;
provide mounts for lamps - various hooks, homemade “ears”;
pull the wire from a stationary electrical network or generator set.

The most important process in arranging lighting is the selection of suitable lamps. Gardeners use in their experiments:

High pressure sodium lamps. They provide stable warm light, which has a beneficial effect on seedlings, but the lamps require additional equipment (power regulators) and also have an excessively high price, which is incommensurate with the productivity of the average gardener.
Phytolamps. An excellent solution for lighting - the violet-pink spectrum of lamps is ideal for plants, but very harmful for humans, so it is recommended that such lamps be equipped with a special reflector.
Sodium metal halide elements. This is also a fairly affordable and effective way of additional room lighting, but still there is very little blue color in the spectrum, and therefore plants have difficulty developing and hatching.
Fluorescent lamps. These fluorescent lamps are good in many ways, but their light is still too cold and therefore poor in the red spectrum.
Classic incandescent lamps. They are one of the most useless for additional lighting. Light bulbs are more suitable for heating a room rather than illuminating it.
LED lights. These types of lamps are among the most promising, affordable and have a number of features that are worth discussing separately.

Advantages of LED lighting for seedlings

Illuminating seedlings with LED lamps gives the gardener and plants a number of undeniable advantages that are worth mentioning:

when creating a lamp, you can combine the two most important spectra - blue and red - and create an ideal lamp for seedlings;
LEDs are quite affordable, and their low cost quickly pays off;
LED lamps consume a minimal amount of electricity, but produce a sufficient amount of light - up to the 6000 lux required for normal plant development;
ease of installation and ease of operation have won the love of millions of gardeners.

LEDs are modern materials that are actively used in everyday life and in production. It is quite effective to use LED lamps on racks for seedlings - they illuminate the area well and do not heat up the air.

To make an LED lamp you do not need to have special skills or special knowledge.

To create an LED strip light you will need:

red and blue LEDs;
thermal paste, it can be replaced with hot glue, but it is more expensive;
base - a piece of aluminum, a profile from furniture, any available material up to an old ruler;
driver or power supply - it ensures current stability and the required voltage;
cord and plug.

They are connected to each other by soldering and output to the driver, which is respectively connected to the switch and plug. The tape is attached using bolts, double tape or rivets to the prepared surface. After this, it is assembled into a single circuit with a driver, cord, switch and plug.

Seedling rack with lighting

Building a rack will not take you much time, but it will allow you to significantly save on space for seedlings by placing containers with soil and seedlings in several tiers.

The design is extremely simple - shelves with hollow compartments for drawers. The length and width of the rack directly depends on the size of the seedling boxes. It is recommended to install no more than 3 rows in height. Each row is illuminated by its own lamp, attached to the bottom of the upper seedling box.

Each gardener decides for himself which lamps are best to illuminate seedlings. Some people prefer fluorescent lamps, while others consider LED bulbs to be the best. Conduct experiments and watch your pets, find a comfortable way for yourself to grow seedlings. After all, gardening is, first and foremost, fun!

Video: advantages of LED lamps for seedlings

In this video, experienced gardener Valery Medvedev conducts an experiment with seedlings and proves that LED lamps for seedlings are the best choice!

Video: DIY assembly of a simple LED lamp

Reading time: 4 minutes

Not a single seedling, planted even in the best quality soil, will grow if it does not have enough light.

In order for the sprouts to become stronger by spring, they have to be planted in winter. when the amount of daylight is not enough. It is in this case that they turn to for help.

Is it possible to backlight with LEDs?

Today, illumination using LED strip is not only possible, but also necessary in many cases. It can be purchased at the store, or you can also make it yourself.

People who care about their future harvest will definitely have a similar system, because it really improves the growth and development of normal seedlings.

LEDs provide the lighting necessary for the development of sprouts

A certain spectrum of color, diffused lighting of LED lamps in the cold season replace sunlight or make up for its lack. That is why installing them in winter is simply necessary.

Which spectrum is better for backlighting?

The light spectrum affects seedlings differently. This type of lamp creates the necessary range of colors:

Blue– promotes the development of the root system.
Red– stimulates the growth of the entire plant, as well as the process of its flowering.
Pink helps leaves develop and improves flowering process.

The advantages of such lighting

It is considered the most suitable because it has a number of positive properties:

Their wavelength is much longer than that of conventional incandescent lamps. This creates favorable conditions for photosynthesis;
They produce light of the required brightness, which is their feature;
Such lamps consume much less energy than conventional lamps, which allows you to save a significant amount of money;
They are characterized by a low supply voltage, which allows them to be installed close to a water source. In this case, they do not pose any threat to others;
The plants do not dry out because they are practically not heated;
Do not have a stroboscopic effect;
These lamps do not generate ultraviolet or infrared radiation, thus creating safe conditions for the development of some seedlings;
Made from environmentally friendly materials;
They are completely fireproof;
They have a long shelf life (on average this figure is 50 thousand hours), the light bulbs almost never burn out.

This is what the LED strip looks like up close

A large list of advantages explains the high popularity of this type of lighting.

The analyzed tape is very easy to use. However, to obtain the best effect and uniform growth of all seedlings, you need to familiarize yourself with the following recommendations:

The tapes must be placed in two rows.
Please note that all LEDs have a certain cone of illumination.
To stimulate the root system, as well as growth in width rather than height, a combination of blue and red colors is used. Moreover, the number of the former should be twice as large as the latter. This method is best suited for the picking process.
The backlight must be installed in such a way that one of the selected colors or a combination of them can function at any time.
To safely use such lamps, you need to connect a power supply capable of changing the mains voltage to 12 or 24 V. Only this indicator is acceptable for an LED strip. In addition, such a barrel transforms alternating current into direct current.

Reference. It is better to purchase a device equipped with a current stabilizer, which will protect the entire structure from voltage surges.

In order for this type of lighting to produce results, you need to monitor how the seedlings behave. If their development is poor, the lamp must be turned off or its color changed.
The length of daylight hours for each type of plant must be selected individually, which also needs to be remembered when choosing this method.

Making a lamp with your own hands

Homemade lighting device

Making them yourself will not be difficult, even without special experience. The main thing is to follow clear instructions:

Clean the ends of the wires and treat them with a special liquid.
Attach the matrices to the wires, which must first be connected by plus and minus.
Place the wires on the LEDs connected to the power supply.
Fix the LEDs on the plate using glue.

Note. For this, epoxy-based glue is used.

To place the lamps you need to choose the reflective side of the aluminum.

How to attach an LED lamp to a panel?

In the event that the installation will be carried out independently, you need to make sure that during the process of caring for the seedlings, the tape does not interfere with this.

Attention! You cannot connect the tape in question directly to a network that has 220V.

It is best to attach the tape to an aluminum panel. The installation process is as follows:

Clean the surface of the panel from dirt and dust, degrease it;
If necessary, cut the tape to a certain length between soldering;
Remove the protective layer from one edge of the tape. Underneath there is glue, which will be used for installation. If there is no pre-applied layer of glue, epoxy glue or rivets are used for fixation;
Using little effort, secure the material to the panel, lightly pressing it to the base;

Important! Do not allow the tape to bend, as this may damage it.

Secure the panel in the right place and place the seedlings under it;
Observing the polarity, connect the tape. Otherwise, the diodes will not light up.

Useful video

Watch an educational video about self-assembling a lamp from a diode strip below:

Illuminating seedlings with an LED strip will definitely give results. If you wish, you can easily make it yourself or buy it in a store. The main thing is don’t be afraid to spend money on it, because in the future it will affect the size of your harvest.

Illumination of seedlings is an important factor for growing plants. Of course, natural light is available to everyone and is completely free, but it is not always enough. If there is not enough light, additional light should be used at home. Special LED plant lamps are manufactured so that each wave emitted promotes growth and creates positive conditions for photosynthesis.

Selection of lamps

The most important question facing us is what kind of LED lamps for seedlings should we choose? Today there are many types of lamps used to illuminate seedlings, but not all of them can be used for these purposes.

LED lighting for seedlings - phytolamps.

Modern LED light sources have a long service life. LED lamp for seedlings has a number of advantages:

low power;
reduced heat generation rate;
their use makes it possible to reduce the rate of water evaporation, that is, the time between watering increases;
one phyto-lamp can combine a couple of shades, that is, it can simultaneously cover several phytoactive areas.

Today, anyone can make such a universal design as an LED phytolamp for plants with their own hands. It is quite difficult to purchase a device with maximum power, since mass production has not yet been established.

Energy saving lamps for growing seedlings.

Lighting seedlings with such a lamp is very convenient, since its structure is quite simple - it consists of a built-in choke, and all that is needed is just to screw it into the socket. It is customary to distinguish ESL for seedlings on a windowsill by the type of glow:

the cold spectrum is used mainly to accelerate the growth of seedlings;
warm spectrum is a favorable option for flowering;
day spectrum.

The latter variety is used as an independent source of artificial lighting for seedlings. The big advantage of such lamps is reduced electricity consumption and long service life. The advantage is also in material terms - one lighting fixture can last a long time, which greatly reduces the cost of purchasing a new lamp.

Fluorescent lamps for seedlings.

The main advantage of such lamps is that they do not heat up, that is, when using such a device, the air temperature does not increase, which is important if you want to grow high-quality seedlings. Don't know how to choose a lighting device? It is worth choosing those devices whose light spectrum uses blue rays - they are needed for reliable photosynthesis.

Such a lamp for seedlings has a number of advantages - a long service life and cost-effectiveness.

Sodium phytolamps for seedlings.

Such phytolamps for seedlings are mainly used in a later period of growth to illuminate seedlings. NLVD is used during the period of flowering and fruit ripening; in this case, additional lighting is necessary if you want to speed up the growth process. If you turn on such lighting for young seedlings, they will begin to grow very quickly, but their leaves will be more spreading.

Such phytolamps for seedlings have high light output and a long service life. They can mainly be used for fragmented light in greenhouse conditions, when the main part of the lighting is natural light.

Metal halide lamp for illuminating seedlings.

This light source is highly efficient and approximately 80 percent close to natural light. HID lamps are considered versatile because the main properties of the light output can be changed, thus making them more efficient for certain applications.

Illumination of seedlings with LED strip

Lighting seedlings is extremely important for growing plants at home. A variety of lighting fixtures can be used here. And the quality of the plants grown depends on their choice. But today many people know how to make phytolamps with their own hands. This self-made LED lamp is durable and has excellent performance characteristics.

Do-it-yourself lighting for seedlings has many advantages:

increasing daylight hours, which is important when growing seedlings early;
additional lighting included during the growth period of the plant prevents it from stretching;
plants gradually develop into adult crops.

In practice, it has been proven that such illumination is very effective for the growth of various crops.

With constant illumination of plants, you can notice that they grow more hardy, reliable and resistant to any infectious agent, in addition, plant productivity increases. The main thing is to choose the optimal distance for installing the phytolamp.

The most effective ways to illuminate plants

Let's look at the most effective and at the same time useful ways to illuminate plants:

illumination for seedlings on the windowsill without the use of light bulbs;
additional light for seedlings using a variety of lighting fixtures.

Each method has both its advantages and disadvantages. Thanks to them, the area of use of a certain lighting method is determined.

Illumination without the use of light bulbs is, of course, a universal option. To organize high-quality lighting right in your home on the windowsill, you can use a structure made from a cardboard box. The box needs to have a top and a side, leaving a small side. We cover the entire structure with foil and install it behind the plant. The rays of the sun, once on the plant, fall on the foil and reflect it, while ensuring reliable illumination of the seedlings.

LED plant lighting

This method is considered the most affordable and economical option, while being quite effective. But it also has a huge disadvantage - it cannot be used for large plantings - in cloudy weather conditions or in the northern part of the building there is little light and the foil will not be able to compensate for the darkness. In this case, you should use a special phytolamp.

Using lamps to illuminate plants. To make such a lamp yourself, you will need a little more space. We stock up on special fasteners for light bulbs - these can be a variety of hooks and “ears” made by ourselves. We stretch the wire from the electrical network.

The most important process in the design of such a lamp is the selection of a suitable lamp. Among gardeners, the following are in particular demand:

Sodium lighting devices, which are characterized by high pressure. Thanks to such lamps, stable light is provided, which has a positive effect on seedlings, but the lamps require additional equipment and are very expensive.
Phytolamps are an excellent choice for lighting. Those in which the spectrum of light bulbs is violet-pink are considered ideal for seedlings, but such a spectrum is harmful to people, for this reason it is imperative to equip such lighting devices with a special reflector.

Advantages of LED lamps for illuminating seedlings

Illuminating plants using LED lamps has many advantages, among which the following are worth noting:

during the manufacture of the device, the following important spectra are combined simultaneously - blue and red - and you can make an excellent light bulb for plants;
LEDs are very affordable, and their low price will instantly pay for itself;
an LED lamp consumes a minimum of electricity, but produces the necessary amount of light that is necessary for the full growth of plants - approximately 6 thousand lux;
simplicity of installation work and ease of use are the key to the love of these lamps among many gardeners.

LEDs are modern devices that are actively used in everyday life and in industry. It is very useful to use LED lights on a rack for seedlings - they illuminate the area perfectly and do not warm up the air.

Making a phytolamp for seedlings from LED strip

If you don’t know how to make lighting for seedlings with your own hands, then we recommend that you pay attention to the fact that the work involved in making it is simple and can be done quite easily at home. In addition, you may not have special knowledge in this area. Even improvisation is possible here.

To make LED lighting for plants you will need:

LEDs with red and blue color;
thermal paste, instead of which you can use hot glue;
the base for the lamp is a piece of aluminum;
a driver that provides the required voltage;
cord with plug.

Optimal illumination of seedlings with LED lamps, made by yourself, requires alternating LEDs - two red and one blue.

They can be connected to each other by soldering and output to a driver, which connects to a switch and plug. We fasten the tape with a bolt and double tape. Then we assemble it into one chain with the driver, cords, switches and plug. Thus, now you know how to make a phytolamp. But keep in mind an important point - LED strips for illuminating seedlings are required only in red and blue colors.

Since seedlings are often planted at the end of winter, when the daylight hours are not yet sufficient to ensure full photosynthesis, the question arises of additional lighting for the home greenhouse.

The assortment of specialized gardening stores includes so-called phytolamps - LED complexes for illuminating seedlings in greenhouses. They differ from other sources of artificial light (the same incandescent lamps) by their greater illumination efficiency due to the fact that they transmit rays of different spectra equally well:

blue;
red;
purple.

Photosynthesis (the process that causes plant growth and development) and photomorphogenesis (the process of fruit set) reach their peak when exposed to light rays of about 660 nm. This indicator is provided by a combination of red and blue light waves in a ratio of 3/1. Most phytolamps offered on the market are characterized by precisely this ratio of light waves.

Another advantage of LED lamps is their efficiency - the energy consumption of such sources is several times lower than that of conventional incandescent lamps. In addition, LEDs burn out much less often.

The main disadvantage of such additional light sources is their price. High-quality phytolamps are not cheap; with small volumes of planting in a home greenhouse, the harvest may not pay off at such costs. But if you make LED lighting yourself, the savings compared to buying ready-made phytolamps will be significant.

Is it possible to assemble a phytolamp yourself?

On gardening forums you can come across topics describing how to create phytolamps with your own hands using LED strips or individual LEDs fixed on a metal profile. But to assemble such lighting for seedlings, you need to have a good understanding of electrical engineering. The main difficulty is assembling a current source from a resistor and a stabilizer (instead, you can buy a special driver, but then the cost of the design will be much higher). It’s easier to assemble a phytolamp with your own hands using a simplified scheme from ready-made LED lamps, which can be bought at any lighting store.

Materials and tools for assembly:

red and blue LED lamps with 3 LEDs;
rectangular chipboard fragment;
sockets for LED lamps (the quantity must correspond to the number of lamps);
drill;
screwdriver;
soldering iron;
fasteners;
cord with plug.

Construction assembly stages

Assembling a system for artificial illumination of plants with LEDs according to this scheme does not involve anything complicated. We sequentially perform the following actions:

On a sheet of chipboard, we mark with a pencil the installation locations for future lamps and, using a drill, drill a hole in the center of each of them for further wiring.
Using a screwdriver, fix the lamp sockets in the marked places.
We screw the lamps into the sockets, having previously removed the lenses from them, and connect all the electrical wiring elements in series using soldering.
We complete the assembly of the electrical circuit by connecting the cord with the plug. Now you can carry out a test run of the structure. It is good if for these purposes there is a laboratory power supply with the ability to supply voltage less than 220V.
After making sure that the lighting system is working, you can connect it to the main network and mount it directly above the seedlings.

Video - Do-it-yourself phytolamps

Lighting for seedlings based on LED matrices

The process of assembling a seedling illumination system from individual LEDs is described above. Such systems are effective for individual boxes with seedlings a la “grandmother’s balcony.” To illuminate seedlings in large volumes (mini-greenhouses), it is better to use homemade lighting systems based on LED matrices. The costs of constructing such a device will be higher than in the first case, but still incomparable with the costs of purchasing ready-made phytolamps for mini-greenhouses. The basis of such a system is LED matrices for plants with a dual spectrum.

You will need the following components:

LED matrices - 4 pcs;
old processor heatsink;
connectors for LED matrices;
drill;
hot glue;
fastening elements (screws);
12V computer fan;
screwdriver.

Step-by-step assembly instructions:

Using a drill, we mark 8 holes on the radiator body for fixing the LED matrices.
We install a drill bit with a diameter of M2 on the drill and drill through the designated areas. The depth of the holes must match the size of the screws.
Using screws and hot-melt adhesive, we attach the matrices to the radiator body in the designated places. First, apply a small amount of glue to the base of the matrix and carefully apply it to the mounting location, then screw in the screws.
Now we connect all the LED matrices in series with connectors and install the connector to which the current source (LED driver) will be attached.
We connect the driver to the connector and check our design for functionality.
The final stage of assembling a phytolamp on LED matrices is connecting a 12V fan to the electrical network. Without it, our radiator will quickly overheat.

Video - LED phyto lamp for plants

Checking the effectiveness of the additional lighting system

Whatever seedling illumination system you choose - factory-made or home-made, the principles for checking its effectiveness are the same. The main evaluation criterion is the appearance of the seedlings:

If in some areas of the greenhouse the stems are frail and of unequal length, then the plants do not have enough light. A solution to the problem may be additional illumination of the area (try moving the profile with attached LEDs closer to the seedlings).
Straight stems with bright green leaves indicate that the plants have enough light. In this case, you should not reduce or increase the lighting intensity.
If the leaves become lethargic and withered, most likely the lighting system is too hot. Try reducing the number of LED panels. To determine if there is overheating, hold your hand just above the tops of the seedlings. If you feel like it's getting hot, it means you've gone too far with the heating.
Remember that each crop has its own light regime. The plants themselves will help you determine when to turn off the lights. Take a closer look at their leaves: if they begin to close (stretch vertically), it means it’s time to turn off the light. Boxes with seedlings should be illuminated not only in the dark, but also on cloudy days.