Black Light & Plant Growth

There are a number of different types of artificial lights that can be used to help plants grow without sunlight. Black light is a kind of artificial light that gives off very little light.

Black Light

Plants can grow and survive with a black light source, according to a video presentation by Yolanda Vanveen on GardenGuides.com.

Full Spectrum

Most plants need a full spectrum of light to truly thrive in their growth, according to Vanveen, so using just one kind of light, including black light, will inhibit plant growth. The best combination, she says, is blue lights when the sprouts are starting and red lights for starting blooms.

Downside

Using solely black lights for interior gardening will produce plants that do not have many blooms and are very "leggy," according to Vanveen.

Night

Vanveen says that using a black light alone gives plants the sense of perpetual night or a cloudy day in winter, which are not good natural conditions for plant growth.

Flair

Black lights are better to showcase plants for entertainment purposes than for growing those plants, according to Vanveen.

References

• Garden Guides: How Do Black Lights Affect Plant Growth?