August 01, 2020
If plants need light to grow, then why don’t your indoor plants flourish under the everyday lights you use to light your way each evening? The answer is actually quite simple: not all lights are created equal, and many are specific to certain wavelengths of light. These wavelengths are what makes up the light spectrum, some of which are explicitly used by plants to help them grow and produce, while others are simply to help you find your way.
Obviously, these are two very different lights used for very different purposes. Regular lights are made for everyday use. Grow lights are very specifically constructed to aide in various stages of plant growth.
GROW LIGHT VS REGULAR LIGHTS COMPARISON TABLE
| MODEL | USES | SPECTRUM | EFFICIENCY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grow Lights | Plant growth and health | Red, blue, and UV | variable |
| Regular Lights | Everyday personal lighting | Full range of white spectrum | good |
Regular light bulbs don't help plants along, or at least not very well, because of two problems: spectrum and heat. Light bulbs produce a lot of heat to go along with their light, scorching plants if they get too close. And they often get put too close because they don't provide enough power along the right wavelengths of light. Photosynthesis in different plants, at different stages, uses different wavelengths of light. Anything not the right length can't be absorbed by the plant.
Grow lights either attempt to provide a light spectrum similar to that of the sun, or to provide a spectrum that is more tailored to the needs of the plants being cultivated. Outdoor conditions are mimicked with varying colour, temperatures and spectral outputs from the grow light, as well as varying the intensity of the lamps. Depending on the type of plant being cultivated, the stage of cultivation (e.g. the germination/vegetative phase or the flowering/fruiting phase), and the photoperiod required by the plants, specific ranges of spectrum, luminous efficacy and color temperature are desirable for use with specific plants and time periods.
At present,when we talk about the grow lights ,we will naturally think about the LED grow light. So what is the effect of LED grow light on the plants?
Energy-efficient LED grow lights are the lighting of the future of agriculture. They are not only economic in their use but they produce better plants as well, in comparison to all traditional lighting options.
LED grow lights are luminaires utilizing LED chips in a modern and efficient way to produce light for growing plants. LED grow lights come in many shapes and sizes but as the most essential units of LED grow lights LED chips have most of the effect on the quality of the light, i.e. spectrum (colors) and photon flux (“brightness”) produced.
Color variations of the LED grow lights are directly connected to the intended purpose – various studies have shown that certain colors influence plant growth, affecting root and flower formation (blue and red light spectra) which practically means that the majority of plant sorts will complete a normal growth cycle if exposed to both blue and red grow lights. Adding other colors to the spectrum, such as green, far-red and deep-blue aids this process by giving plants more information about its environment and overall resulting in higher quality plants (quicker growth, more secondary metabolite accumulation etc). Full spectrum LED grow lights mostly resembles the sunlight. If it has high proportions of green, the light will appear white to human eyes and while not a crucial factor for plant growth, it does make the work around these lights easier and makes visual inspection of the plants possible.