April 29, 2022
If you’re on the hunt for the best grow lights, you’ve arrived at just the right place! Artificial light is an important part of the process for indoor growers. The quality and intensity of this artificial lighting can have a direct impact on how successful your harvest will be, come harvesting time, so it’s crucial to get grow lights that are appropriate for what you’re trying to do.
Grow lights are a great way to control the amount of light your plants receive. They provide them with an even source of illumination day in and out without having to worry about cloudy days or inclement weather outside, which is perfect for those who don’t have time to garden! Some grow lights can be expensive but they will save you money on electricity over the long term because it’s more efficient than other types. Find one that suits your plant needs whether you’re just getting started or need something powerful enough for mature plants as well.
Grow lights are a great way to ensure your plants get the right amount of lighting for their growth. Keep reading to find the best LED grow light!
When using grow lights, there are a few primary considerations regarding quality: the color of light, the energy cost of light fixtures, and light intensity. Before we look at the best LED grow lights, let’s start by understanding the needs of your plants.
Color Of The Light
We all know that plants use light to grow — but have you ever thought about how the color of light affects your plant growth?
The sun emits the entire spectrum of seeable light, which includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This is what we call full-spectrum light or white light.
When it comes to artificial light, most indoor plants thrive under full-spectrum bulbs, which generate a balance of cool and warm light that mimics (or at least tries to mimic) the sun. They’re great for seedlings, houseplants, culinary herbs, and a variety of other plants.
In broad terms, blue light specifically helps support leaf and stem development. Red light benefits flower growth, so it’s essential for plants that produce fruit. That said, there’s a lot of information out there about the specific benefits of red and blue lights. And some of it is misleading.
Lumens vs. Par
While it may seem obvious, it’s easy to forget that plants and people perceive light very differently. Humans perceive color using photopic vision. Plants use photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), which is the wavelengths of light that drive photosynthesis. Here’s a wonderful article on the differences between PAR and lumens.
Grow Light Intensity
The total quantity of grow light produced by an LED, HPS, or other light source per second is measured in PPF (Photosynthetic Photon Flux). This is what we would call the grow light intensity. Micromoles per second (umol/s) is the unit of measurement.
How Much PAR Does The Light Produce?
PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) refers to the wavelengths of lights that drive photosynthesis in plants. To measure the amount of PAR produced by a system per second, we use Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF).We should point out that PPF does not tell you how much of the measured light reaches the plants, but it is crucial to know if you want to figure out how efficient a lighting system produces PAR.
How Much PAR Reaches Your Plants?
To measure the amount of instantaneous PAR that goes from your fixture to your plants, something called photosynthetic photon flux density is used (PPFD). This a measurement of the PAR that arrives at the plant from the lighting fixture.
To add more to this complexity, you need to take several PPFD measurements on a growing area and find the average. The reason for this is that grow lights are typically the brightest in the center, with the light decreasing toward the edges of the area. It’s possible (and likely) that a grow light manufacturer only provides the PPFD from the center space.
Overall Intensity
The strength or amount of light produced by a particular lighting source is referred to as light intensity. It is a measurement of a light source’s wavelength-weighted power.
The lamp source determines the light intensity, and there are high and low light intensity fixtures, lamps, and bulbs.
When it comes to indoor gardening, different light intensities have different purposes. Young plants, for example, typically need lower light intensity than vegetative and flowering plants.
ECO Farm DBL3000 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light 320W
Features:
The ECO Farm LED Grow Light utilizes SAMSUNG LM281B diode, to deliver spectacular PPF output up to 2.5 umol/J, The light intensity is higher, the light attenuation is smaller, and the lumen and PAR value are better than ordinary LED. Cover 3' x3' of high-yield full-cycle growth. It enables you to obtain a 30% higher output than HPS. This durably constructed LED grow light has 4 bar technology to deliver smooth, even light over the canopy. Remotely mounted driver technology allows for quicker and more efficient heat dissipation. In addition, the plant grow light uses an advanced waterproof power supply, installed in The outside of the lamp is easy to replace. This kind of growth lamp is a full-period lighting solution suitable for all growth environments (including humid environments), full-spectrum (3000K, 5000k, 660nmnm, 30nm) is very suitable for vegetable flowering and is an ideal choice for greenhouse or indoor lighting.
Spider Farmer SE3000 300W Dimmable Full Spectrum LED Grow Light
Features:
This Spider Farmer LED grow light features uniquely designed 4 LED strips that extend to the edge to provide more even canopy coverage, especially on the outer edges of the growing area. With 896 SAMSUNG LM301B diodes, the SE3000 Led Grow Light consumes 300 watts at 822.82 umol/s, achieving an impressive 2.75 umol/J of PPE, covering a high yield full-cycle growth of 3'x3'. The full spectrum (380–410nm, 660–665nm, 730nm, 3200–4200K, 4800–5000K) is ideal for vegetable flowering to suit every stage of the plant cycle. The dimmer knob is ideal for growers to adjust the light intensity for different growth stages. The SE3000 grow light comes with a detachable driver and long power cord to reduce ambient heat in the grow space for a longer lifespan.
The three main stages of a plant’s life are seedling, vegetation, and flowering. We’ll now take a closer look at these three phases to determine the impact that LED grow lights will have on them.
The recommended distances stated are general, and you should read your LED instructions to ensure you correctly position your plants from your lights.
Seedling
Remember, plants seedlings are vulnerable and will require less light intensity. Too much light can dry out the soil, so you should place your LEDs higher up and further away during this phase.
Always read the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure you place your plants seeds at the correct distance.
It can be hard to determine the exact distance, as it depends on the wattage of your LED grow lights. Plants seedlings will be safe between 24–36 inches from your lights as a general rule of thumb.
Take a gentle approach, and when your plants mature, you can promote photosynthesis with more light intensity.
Vegetative
Your plants will need more light for photosynthesis during this stage, so place your LEDs closer. The tops of your plants crops should be between 12–24 inches from your LED source. If you can’t adjust the height, you should modify the light intensity.
As your plants grow, they’ll become less demanding on light intensity. If you don’t have full-spectrum LED lights for plants, blue LED lights are ideal for vegging. Blue LEDs promote healthy and sturdy leaves and stems.
Flowering
When your crops have completed the vegging stage, it’s now time for them to bloom. Place your LED lights between 16–36 inches from the canopy of your plants to maximize photosynthesis.
Be careful of placing your LED lights for plants too near, as this can damage plants crops’ growth.
Red LEDs are perfect for your plants’ flowering stage to promote bud development and stem acceleration. They also contribute to potency and resin production for a healthy yield.
Ensure you watch the distance carefully and raise your LED lights away from your plants canopy as they grow.
There are so many variables when it comes to finding the right indoor grow lights for medicinal plants. What works for one grower might not necessarily work for you. The trick is to have a well-rounded understanding of what you need, as well as the requirements of your plants. If your plants are happy, you’ll be happy!
SPECTRUM
There are three main stages of growth that your medicinal plant will go through: seedling, vegetative and flowering. Different types of light will promote different growing stages, making the spectral light output of your grow light an important decision. Ideally, you will have a light that supports all stages of growth, such as a full spectrum LED grow light.
Full spectrum grow lights aim to mimic the natural light of the sun as closely as possible. This helps ensure the growing conditions of your garden are as close as possible to what it would experience in a wild environment. While some grow lights focus solely on specific frequencies, the best results will be obtained with a full spectrum grow light.
If you decide to go with HID or fluorescent lights, it is recommended to run a combination of bulbs that output different frequencies of light to promote all stages of growth.
BUDGET
It may seem like we’re stating the obvious, but by spending a little more money you’ll be rewarded with far greater results down the road. While top of the line LED grow lights aren’t cheap, they’re highly energy efficient and won’t need replacement bulbs as frequently as fluorescent and HID lights. This means you’ll save money in the long run.
On the other hand, if you’re just getting started with indoor growing you may not feel ready to splurge on a top of the line grow light. If this is the case, it’s especially important to do your research and ensure that your chosen light will give your plants the best chances of success.
Hot tip: you can’t go past customer reviews and recommendations when it comes to indoor grow lights. With the grow light industry and technologies rapidly advancing, choosing a light with customer-proven results is always going to be a safe way to go.
SPACING
Spacing is important both in terms of fitting the garden and lights into your space as well as getting the right amount of light coverage. Before you purchase your lights, you should know the dimensions of your growing space down to the last centimetre.
When it comes to light coverage, this will differ on a light-by-light basis. A good general rule is 400–600W per m2. You’ll find all the information you need in regard to light coverage in the light’s specifications when making your purchase.
Indoor gardening should always be viewed as a stress-free hobby, rather than a burden. With the natural lighting situation being not so ideal, do not panic — you are not totally out of options. Getting an LED grow light is an excellent way to make growing plants indoors a lot easier — and choosing a model that fits your specific location and setting does not have to be that hard. Whatever your choice is, the first step is always to get educated first. Sooner than later, you can cultivate your plants in any conditions and enjoy watching them flourish under these magical glows.
October 20, 2023