January 11, 2022
Light is an essential ingredient for plants to survive. They use it through photosynthesis to produce the food sugars and energy needed to grow and thrive. The best grow light for plants supplement those light sources that can mimic natural sunlight loss and keep your indoor garden flourishing throughout every season.
Edible plants, such as herbs and some vegetables, require light to make the oils that create their flavours. Natural sunlight is always best when available, but that is not always an option when growing an indoor garden of herbs and plants, especially in the winter months when less daylight occurs.
Yes, growing your own indoor garden is worth it. There are many reasons why people are growing their own indoor gardens these days. Some of these reasons include saving money, having access to fresh food when they want it, and knowing what is in the food they eat.
Growing your own indoors can be a hobby or a full-time job. If you have enough space in your home for an indoor garden, do some research on the types of plants that you want to grow. Generally, choose smaller varieties of vegetables and plants for the smaller-sized indoor gardens.
#1) One of the benefits of growing your own indoor garden is that you can save money. By growing herbs, vegetables, and fruits, you can eliminate trips to the grocery store.
#2) Not only will you save money on food, but you will also save on gas or transportation costs. In addition, many people find that they have more control over the quality of the food they are eating when they grow it themselves.
#3) Another benefit of growing your own indoor garden is that you can have access to fresh food whenever you want. If you grow fruits, vegetables, or herbs indoors you can have a continuous supply of this food year-round.
#4) You can also experiment with different plants to see what grows best under your conditions. Growing your own indoor garden allows for plenty of space to expand and try new plants.
ECO Farm DBL3000 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light 320W
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light adopts 864pcs SAMSUNG LM281B diodes, boast the market-leading efficiency 2.5 µmol/J, with 30% higher Average PPFD, more cost-effective compared with other same type lights. IP65 Waterproof wide 4-LED bars provide more even canopy coverage, Bar light design and aluminium material on the back contribute to better airflow and great heat dissipation. With the waterproof circuit board, worry free of the moist environment. Easy installation. It is prefect as commercial LED grow lights, this dimmable grow lamp with daisy chain,up to 15 lights connected, master light controlled offers great convenience to your planting! maximizes grow space, ideal for home & vertical farming.with the intensity of light can be adjusted according to the needs of plants, enable the exact control over each of plant growing stages.
MAXSISUN MG3000 300W LED Grow Light
Features:
This LED grow light uses top components with Samsung diodes and MeanWell driver with a bar light design that fits perfectly into a 3x3 ft space from seeds to harvest. Empowering plants with plentiful and evenly PAR distribution without hot spot, the MG3000 consumes only 300 watts, offers a truly high efficacy rating of PPF per Joule 2.4 μmol/J. A smooth rotary dimmer offers flexibility to reduce the amount of energy while reducing your electricity bill. It helps you master light levels from normal daylight to super bright. You can use the remote to set the same or different brightness levels for multiple lights by grouping. Daisy chain function keeps your power sockets free and power cords managed.
Mars Hydro FC-E 3000 300W LED Grow Light
Features:
This LED grow light’ detachable design allows growers to organize their light layout more freely. At the same time, the high light efficiency and more even light distribution promises growers a more uniform crop and reliable yields. This grow light consumes 300W input power, FC-E3000 has 1184 pcs high-quality BridgeLux chips, perfectly cover 3x3 ft (flower), 4x4ft(veg) grow space, more cost-effective compared with other same type lights. Not only the driver is removable, but also the light bars, which makes it easy to install, store, and replace the light bars. Meanwhile, cultivators can freely adjust the light bar space according to your growing needs in order to maximize light utilization. Light designed with a dimmer knob which makes dimming more convenient. Up to 30 lights can be daisy-chained and controlled through just one light.
There’s a lot that goes into the decision-making process when choosing which type of light a grower should use, including the cost, quality, intensity, and desired spectrum.
Here we’ll go over the main factors to consider when choosing grow lights:
Cost and efficiency
Facility layout
Light spectrum
Let’s look at each of these in detail:
1. Cost and efficiency
In general, the cost to purchase HIDs is lower than for LEDs, but prices on LEDs are decreasing. Plus, many companies offer rebates, helping to offset the upfront costs. But when calculating capital expenditure, you also must consider the net running costs of lights, including how much power they consume and how much heat they give off.
LEDs throw off considerably less heat than other lights, such as HPS. This has a dramatic impact on cutting cooling costs, making it more efficient all the way around.
If a grower is replacing HPS lamps — which often provide heat for the grow room due to their low efficacy — with LEDs, which run cooler, they’ll need to properly compensate by adjusting the HVACD [heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and dehumidification] system to add heat to the room.
2. Facility layout
Another key consideration is the space that plants cultivators are working with. With vertical farming increasing in popularity, growers are now able to produce high yields within a limited footprint. Plants are grown in tiers, which means a multi-level lighting system is required to supply all plants with the right amount of light.
HPS lamps are usually unsuitable in this scenario, as they tend to be large and give off a lot of heat. On the other hand, LEDs have a slim profile, fit easily into racking systems, and don’t emit much heat. As such, they can be strategically placed to ensure that all plants have the right amount of light, no matter their position on the racks.
3. Light spectrum
Plants require different levels of light intensity and spectrum composition depending on their cultivar as well as their stage in the growing cycle. Recent advancements in research mean that lighting manufacturers and growers are now equipped with more in-depth knowledge in this area and are tailoring lighting systems accordingly.
As mentioned, LED lights offer more control here, but not all LEDs are made equal. This is definitely an area where you need to do some research and find out what the different lighting manufacturers are able to offer.
When shopping for your “best grow lights” for indoor plants, remember to consider your garden space’s future. Are you going to grow only herbs and maybe a couple of houseplants? Perhaps you would like to expand into some indoor vegetables. Perhaps you have thought about starting a hydroponics garden.
How ample your space is and what you intend to grow will help you determine the best grow light to fit your inside gardening needs.
Hopefully, this helps to illuminate your decision to grow light for your indoor plants and garden space. If I can help you with any questions or you would like to leave a comment below. I look forward to your feedback!
October 20, 2023