February 27, 2023
Whether you’re looking to start a hydroponic mini-farm, seed your garden, or keep your perennials happily alive through winter, grow lights increase the amount of light your plants receive indoors. This translates into happier, healthier, more productive plants. LED lights are a cost-effective option for indoor gardens because they use less wattage. Here’s everything you need to know when choosing LEDs for your indoor garden.
LED grow lights are gaining popularity among indoor gardeners and horticulturists looking to provide plants with the light spectrum they need to grow and develop. LED technology is seen as a more energy-efficient alternative to traditional incandescent bulbs.
When purchasing an LED lighting system, it is important to consider factors such as light output (measured in lumens). Different luminaire manufacturers offer different types of LED lighting solutions for different plant requirements, so reading customer reviews online may help you decide which one best meets your needs.
ECO Farm ECO D700 700W Samsung LM281B Chip LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light features the highest output white chips and Osram chips, with a high energy efficiency of 2.6 umol/J, PPF 1820 µmol/s, LED grow lights provide plants with powerful and high-quality light to maximize yield . The vegetable footprint is 5 x 5 feet and the flowering footprint is 4 x 4 feet. This grow light has an excellent full spectrum (3000K, 5000K, 660nm, 730nm IR, 395nm UV) and is ideal for all growth stages (germination, cloning or cuttings, mothering, vegetative and flowering applications) for higher yields . The dimming knob can adjust the light intensity at will. Designed with daisy chain function, up to 100 lights can be connected. Multi-light connections with uniform dimming are especially beneficial for large-scale indoor and commercial cultivation.
Features:
Using high-quality OSRAM and Lumileds LEDs, full-spectrum output LED lamps, with far red and ultraviolet light components, this Maxibright LED grow light can achieve uniform light distribution to help you achieve maximum quality and quantity, which is better than traditional growth systems. The advanced design effectively expands the light area. The light distribution is optimized for the 1.2mx 1.2m area, and the illumination is more uniform. The light bar can be tilted 30° to optimize light transmission, and the power can be adjusted from 30% to 100%. Excellent heat dissipation design-no needs to worry about heat dissipation even with high power. A passive heat dissipation design (without an internal cooling fan) achieves an excellent heat dissipation effect.
When choosing a grow light, there are some factors to consider when deciding which is best for you.
Power
The amount of power consumed by your grow lights is one consideration to factor. Grow lights have different wattages, which equate to the amount of electricity you consume. And while LED grow lights are still energy efficient, this should still be a consideration. You would want to consume less while growing in a small footprint.
Footprint
Another thing to look for is a footprint or the area that a grow light can cover. Measure how big your grow area is to get an idea of which grow light works best for you. Take note that some grow lights cover a rectangular footprint, another consideration. You want to maximize the light, so you should look for something that matches your existing space.
Spectrum
There are grow lights that work for a particular stage of plant growth. You’ll see grow lights classified for vegetation and flowering. If you’re growing herbs or any other leafy plant, you won’t need a grow light with a spectrum meant for flowering.
Now, if you’re growing crops, that’s where you’ll need the flowering spectrum. That would mean having vegetation and flowering grow lights in your grow space. The good news is that many grow lights offer a full spectrum to handle both stages of plant development.
PPF and PPFD
When checking the product specifications of grow lights, you will encounter the terms PPF and PPFD.
PPF, or Photosynthetic Photon Flux, refers to how much light comes from a source per second, measured in umol/S. To be clear, PPF doesn’t automatically mean a plant receives X amount of light per second. It just means the grow light produces that amount of light every second. Getting the right amount of light per second need not be done with a single light. You can combine grow lights to get the right amount needed by your plants.
PPFD, or Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density, refers to the amount of light your plant receives. Technically, the values listed are the amounts it receives when the grow light is set at the ideal height. Putting it higher will, of course, lessen the PPFD. Commercial-sized operations will benefit significantly with a PPFD range of 1,500–2,000 umol/S for every square foot. CO2 enrichment systems then supplement these. For smaller spaces, you won’t need as much.
When choosing the ideal light, many factors related to indoor plants and their lighting must be considered. It should be suitable for extended areas, have proper cooling technology, have a longer lifespan, and provide good performance. Quality will suffer, rendering the product useless.
October 20, 2023