December 09, 2021
Let’s face it — once you start growing it’s hard to stop. But for those who live in regions with cooler temperatures in the fall and winter, all good things must come to an end. Fortunately, if you’ve caught the itch to grow, there have never been so many types of grow lights to choose from for indoor plants.
On the flip side, with so many types of grow lights for indoor plants, it can be hard to decide for the novice grower. That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate guide to the spectrum of the grow lights and all the best practices you need to know for choosing and using different types of grow lights indoors.
There are plenty of ways in which light spectrum and the different colours can transform your crop growth. Your grow light spectrum can influence multiple factors for your plants, from fruiting to flavour to colour, plant health, weight and nutrition. This is why it’s important to activate your plant responses in the right way using the right LED grow light spectrum. This balance can be achieved through trial and error, or by working with a partner that understands the impact of grow light spectrum and has already developed definitive light spectrum best practices.
The key light spectrum wavelengths to consider are UV, blue, green, red, and far-red. The UV light spectrum is between 100 and 400nm is considered important for plant growth. This grow light spectrum is associated with helping plants to produce specific substances that improve flavour and crop quality. The blue light wavelength at 400–500nm is connected to growth and flowering and can improve the quality of certain types of plants. When used in conjunction with other grow light spectrum wavelengths, blue light can help you tightly manage growth cycles. The green light spectrum from 500–600nm is not seen to be as useful as the other wavelengths for a plant grown but it is valuable for photosynthesis and research has found that green light can ‘actually promote extension growth’ and that the results it offers depend on intensity and type of crop. Then, red light at 600–700nm is one of the most efficient grow light spectrums for photosynthesis and plant biomass growth and is one of the most efficient spectrums for plant growth and energy consumption. Finally, far-red radiation from 700–800nm can promote extension growth and ‘influences the size of the leaves, the length of stems, and ultimately the height of plants.
ECO Farm ECOZ PRO 700W Samsung 301H Chips LED Grow Light
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light uses Top-bin Samsung LM301H LED and OSRAM chips (including white mixed 3000k and 5000k, 660-nanometer red, 730 nanometers infrared and 395 nanometers ultraviolet light). This LED grow light is equipped with the industry’s thickest radiator, ensuring you reduce heat generation and have a longer life. Thanks to the “clamp-in and clip-out” design, transportation and installation are extremely easy, which also makes your life easier, with the lowest maintenance costs, and greatly saving transportation costs. Adjustable spectrum based on three independent adjustable optical channels, with RJ11 daisy chain option, large-scale grow operations can be carried out through the controller. Grow lights enable growers and indoor gardeners to stimulate pre-visibility, increase yield and improve quality throughout the season. This is a good choice for those looking for a high-quality growth lighting system.
Features:
Cultilux 700W LED plant growth light is designed for all stages of growth. It consumes 700 watts of true power, the total photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) output is 1750 μmol/s, and the efficiency is 2.5 μmol/J. Reliable high-performance light sources include Samsung 3000K and 5000K white LEDs and Osram red and deep red LEDs. The portable 1–10 VDC dimmable driver is used in conjunction with popular controllers to make this plant grow light easier to integrate with your existing plant grow light system. There is no need to worry about durability because the Cultilux 700’s aluminium and glass lens housing has an IP65 degree of protection. It has also passed UL 1598 and CE certification, making this grow light meet strict benchmarks.
There are many benefits to growing plants in general. Here are some of the top reasons why patients and consumers chose to grow their own plants even in markets where dispensary access is abundant.
Quality Control
One thing that many personal growers really enjoy about cultivating plants at home is their ability to know precisely what their medicine has been exposed to. Unfortunately, many large commercials grows require the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. When you are growing your own plants, you get to choose how you control pests and what type of nutrients you feed your plants. For many people, this provides peace of mind that what they are consuming is safe and of the highest purity.
Growing Your Own Lets You Save
Aside from the cost of the initial setup to grow at home, in the long run growing plants at home will likely save you a lot of money. If you are someone who seldomly consumes, growing is probably not the most cost-effective. However, if you are a medical plants patient or a recreational consumer that utilizes a lot of plants regularly, growing at home could save you thousands of dollars each year.
You’ll Have More Choices
For many consumers and patients alike, there are specific strains of Indica or Sativa that we enjoy consistently or that always seem to provide relief. Unfortunately, sometimes finding that particular strain regularly is easier said than done. Growing at home can open up your options to specific strains, and there are seed banks and dispensaries across the country that provide genetics to home growers.
Growing is Therapeutic
The love and care that plants desire is another reason why many people enjoy growing at home. It can be very therapeutic to nurture a plant throughout its lifespan. Growing is also a great way to connect with nature, and after all, it’s always fun to get your hands a little dirty!
Indoors Cultivation Offers Minimal Risks
There are some advantages to indoor growing in comparison to outdoor cultivation. In outdoor environments, it is much easier to maintain light and moisture as mother nature takes care of most of it. However, outdoors plants are susceptible to various pests and environmental risks — like spiders, aphids, and other creepy-crawly bugs — as well as animals that munch on plants leaves, like deer and rabbits. These risks can be prevented much easier in an indoor setting.
If it is available to you, moving your plants outdoors could effectively remove the costs of operating an indoor growing system.
If you want to go a step further, investing in a greenhouse could be well worth it. A greenhouse will provide both you and your plants with all of the benefits of growing indoors, along with those of growing outdoors!
No matter how you do it, it is actually fairly easy to make your plants growing system more energy efficient. By no means will you have to sacrifice the quality of your plant and you’ll benefit from a lower energy bill at the end of the day!
October 20, 2023