I’ve already had build an indoor grow light, but my plants didn’t survive. I thought, the lights were bad, but honestly ,I had no clue how to handle plants.
So here comes the second try, on my way to an automatic hydroponic system.
The light will be made out of ultra bright white, red, and blue LED’s. and will not point directly to the plant.
In principle, it will work, like the backlight in modern LCD TV’s. The engraved dots and the reflector at the top will mix the light, before it shines on the plant.
Sounds like a weird idea and maybe it is.
I ignored all the tips, I found on the internet about plant lights so that this project will be, either a new innovative low power intelligent grows light or a complete failure.
The Arduino can separately control the red/blue and the white LED’s. I also added a RTC-Clock module to simulate a 12 hour day night cycle. Early in the morning, the red and blue LED’s light up first. One hour later, the whites switch on and the red and blue turn off. Over lunchtime all the LED’s will light and in the evening the whites will turn off and one hour later the others.
For this prototype, I use my Arduino Q.P. as controller.
First seeds planted and watered.
Now to the hardest part: I have to wait!