ECO Farm TOP Series 650W Full Spectrum Commercial LED grow lights VS Enlite Hera 660W Full-cycle Grow Light
The market of artificial lighting for indoor gardens has expanded over the last several years. Manufacturers have made improvements to indoor light sources. Indoor growers are more picky about how much the indoor lighting mimics natural sunlight. LED (light-emitting diode) lighting is a newer technology that has taken indoor gardening by surprise. The major benefits of LED lighting include reduced heat and reduced power consumption. This article will help you choose the right LED grow light by comparing the two different brands of grow light and buying guide of how to select the LED grow light.
What Type of Light Do Plants Need for Growth?
Growing plants indoors sometimes don’t get the required amount of light as plants outdoors, where grow lights come in. Grow lights can be red or blue or full spectrum. Whole spectrum light is the best for the plant as it mimics light from the sun. Different plants require an additional amount of red and blue lights, so be sure to carry out your research to find the ratio to mix your lights. You should note that red or blue light doesn’t refer to the color of the lamps, instead of the wavelength of the light.
You can get incandescent lights, CFL, and LED lights for your to grow stands. Incandescent lights give whole spectrum light. However, they get hot and cause damage to plants. They are not energy efficient and will cost a lot in electricity bills. CFL and LED lights are cheaper and more efficient than the incandescent bulb, with the LED lights being the most economical and efficient light source for your grow room.
If you are wondering if your plants are getting enough light or not, look out for the following signs:
Wilting and dying lower leaves
Reduced flowering
Stunting of new growth
Spindly stems
Lack of vibrant color, or no color in plants that should otherwise look luscious
What is the proper way of installing and using my vegetable grow lights?
When it comes to installing the lights, you will have two options. The first one is using hanging panels to place the lights on the ceiling or some kind of construction. The alternative is using a lamp that allows clamping the unit to the surface, such as a table. In both cases, the lights will go above the vegetables. The ideal height will depend on the light strength. Compact lighting solutions can be placed up to ten inches above the plants. However, strong lights that emit 1,000W or more should go 20–40 inches or higher above the vegetables. As for the hours of operation, seedlings need from 14–18 hours of light per day. You can achieve the desired results with approximately 12 hours per day, especially when combined with at least some natural lighting.
ECO Farm TOP Series 650W Full Spectrum Commercial LED grow lights
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light is designed for top lighting solutions for indoor planting, which can bring higher crop yields and better crop quality. Using Samsung LM301B diodes, the luminous efficiency is 2.7 µmol/J, and the output of 1908 LEDs is 1755 µmol/s. IP65 waterproof ensures that the lamps can work in humid and harsh environments, and supports 0–10V dimming, compatible with ECO Farm intelligent control And most controllers on the market. If you are starting to grow plants indoors, full-spectrum LED plant growth lights are the best choice because they can provide all the light you need without overheating issues. Insufficient light can lead to long internodes of tall plants, so do not use weak light, which can cause the seedlings to reach out and cause “stretching.” ECO Farm’s full-spectrum LED plant growth light is specially designed for growing healthy and high-yielding plants.
Enlite Hera 660W Full-cycle Grow Light
Features:
This Enlite LED grow light combines 936 high-efficiency full-spectrum LED chips, excellent heat dissipation and waterproof IP66, and an ultra-narrow lamp body design, which perfectly meets your greenhouse planting needs. The full-spectrum daylight LED grow light is suitable for the entire process from seedling, nutrition, flowering to fruiting. The LED grow light has a slim design, high efficiency of 2.6 umole/J, suitable for indoor/greenhouse planting. With a self-designed heat dissipation system with a special structure, it can keep itself at a lower working temperature compared with other growth lamps. This unique design can not only extend the service life of the lamp, but also reduce the harmlessness of the canopy. Full-spectrum LED lights are designed for applications such as growth rooms and vertical agriculture. These slim, dimmable full-spectrum LED strips are highly dust and moisture resistant (IP66) and are available in three different lengths.
LED Grow Lights Buying Guide
Setting up your plants with the best LED grow lights won’t be easy. You need to know exactly what to look for and what to overlook. And if you’re a total noob or just not experienced enough, then this may become a bit of an issue.
Luckily, we’ve brought a set of factors to consider if you’re ready to learn. Below, you’ll find these things to look for when buying a new grow light:
Light Spectrum
Probably the most essential feature if you want the grow light to work effectively. The light spectrum refers to the color range it offers, meeting the plant’s growing needs according to its stage.
A full-spectrum light should offer Red, Blue, Green, and Infrared/Ultraviolet waves. The focus is to have a light that gets to the whole spectrum to increase the effectiveness.
But you don’t necessarily need a broad light spectrum. You can also consider those with Red light only. This color is the most important for plants, especially on their initial growing stage.
Overall, try to get a light that goes anywhere from 380mn to 780mn. This range (or anything in between) should be enough to meet your plant-growing needs.
Light Power
You want a light that works with a few watts as possible and provides strong-enough light at the same time.
That’s why the power (in watts) is such an essential factor to think about. You will find lights going from 100 watts up to 1000 watts or even more. So the more output you get, the more likely the light will provide higher brightness. But if you go low, then the electrical consumption will be less.
Often, we recommend going as high as possible in power. But if you’re looking to save some bucks, then you may want to go for low power (less than 50 watts). Just be sure it is enough to help your plants grow.
Micromoles & Brightness
There are several light measurements from grow lights you may want to think about when picking. Among them, you’ll find micromoles (the number of photons per meter square) and the lumens (that measures brightness).
For the micromoles, you can go for as many as you need. And for brightness, we typically recommend at least 50 lumens.
Light Control
Because you want to reduce your own output on the growing process, then getting a LED light that automatically controls the spectrumcan be a huge advantage.
These lights will automate the different phases and types of light to ensure proper growth. For example, it will deliver Red light for 12 hours and shut off for the other 12. The same should happen with other phases as necessary. Automated cycles will save tons of time and effort.
Durability & Safety
Your growth light also needs to be secure and last through the whole growing process of several plants (preferably).
That’s why a quality construction with heat-dissipating materials is a go-to choice. Materials like aluminum and plastic tend to be pretty effective at reducing heat. The LED quality should also be part of what you’re looking for.
Another thing to consider is a fire-retardant material that prevents any kind of fire-related accident. Especially for cheap grow lights, you want to be sure it is safe enough to use.
Overall, you need to look for a grow light that lasts at least 20,000 hours of total use. This means no less than 2 years.
Programmability & Adjustments
Lastly, consider those lights that offer programming functions. This includes a timer, the ability to change the phases (spectrum), and those you can adjust the brightness (dimmable ones). Anything you can program to meet your demands is an excellent thing to consider.
Conclusion
Grow lights come in various sizes and offer almost the same functionality. They help you arrange your plants and supply light to help them grow. Before buying your Grow Light, ensure the lights are of the correct spectrum needed for your plants to grow correctly.
Have a happy growing!
