Why Do Pea Plants Grow More Efficiently in Artificial Light?

Pea Light Requirements

• Peas are full-sun plants. This means that when they're growing outdoors under natural light, peas require at least four to six hours of direct sunlight each day in order to survive. When the pea plant leaves receive this sunlight, they take in vital nutrients. The nutrients aid the plants in life processes such as photosynthesis, which creates the food and energy that peas need to survive. When the energy is created and food stored, the plant is better able to produce ample peas for harvest. Adequate lighting allows peas to properly function and grow to their full potential.

Light Specificity

• Light from the blue spectrum aids in growth of leafy foliage. Peas with ample leaves are better able to produce food and energy to aid in growth. Light from the orange and red light spectrum increases pea plants' ability to produce flowers. The flowers on the pea plants are what eventually become pea pods with little peas inside. While sunlight provides light from all of these color spectrums, using artificial light allows you to choose specific grow lights offering more light in a particular spectrum, or one that singles out the light from only one spectrum. That way, if you wish to increase foliage growth, fruit production or simply plant height, you may choose the grow light that best achieves efficient growth in that area.

Consistency

• While natural sunlight meets your pea plant's needs very well, it has its drawbacks. Sunlight may not be available each day for the amount of time your pea plants need, for instance. Pea plants growing out of season may not have their light needs or temperature needs met by the sunlight available. Finally, even in the proper growing season for peas, sunlight is sporadic in certain climates. Artificial lighting for peas allows you to provide your peas with consistent lighting each day, regardless of the season or weather.

Considerations

• Improper use of grow lights may lead to problems with your pea plants. Plants may become scorched or burned if you place the lights too close to plants. Plants may grow and mature too quickly if you use the lights too often or for too long at a time. Your peas require full-spectrum lighting, and providing too much of only one type of light may hinder your plant's growth. The important thing to remember is that nothing takes the place of natural sunlight ... but when used properly under the right circumstances, artificial light may cause peas to grow better than they would under natural conditions.