ECO Farm TOP Series 650W Full Spectrum Commercial LED grow lights VS Grower's Choice GHS-730 LED grow light
Growing plants indoors — isn’t always easy. Although LED grow lights have been around for over 50 years, they’re still considered a relatively new technology.
LED grow lights are making the lives of hobbyists and professionals much easier. Thanks to technological advancements, LED lights are increasing in power while becoming more affordable.
The best LED grow lights don’t just encourage growth and produce higher-quality yields. They’re also durable and will help you save on electricity. They do this by replicating the wavelengths and spectrum of the sunlight.
With many options available and a lot of misleading information out there, choosing the best LED grow light can quickly become overwhelming. I’m here to help — by sharing some general information and things you should consider. And of course, to give you my top recommendations.
Do LED Lights Take Longer To Flower?
You may have heard that one big drawback of LED grow lights is flowering time. They simply take longer to flower.
While that used to be true, it no longer is. At least not for the best flowering LED grow lights.
The majority of LED lights will take longer. That is still true. They often don’t have enough power to bloom, or they simply have an ineffective spectrum. The reason HPS bulbs flower so well is a light spectrum that is heavy in red. It is great for flowering.
But it is not ideal. Adding blue light to that spectrum would improve it and lead to better results.
The LED grow lights I recommended above have the ideal spectrum. It is close to sunlight, but with additional peaks on read and blue.
The result is faster flowering times and better yields, both in terms of quality and quantity.
In short: while most LEDs are still pretty useless, the best LED grow lights are now also the best flowering lights on the market. Some do still have less canopy penetration, but if you remove the lower branches of the plant, that won’t matter much anyway.
ECO Farm TOP Series 650W Full Spectrum Commercial LED grow lights
Features:
The actual power of this ECO Farm LED grow light is 650 watts, and the output of 1908 LEDs is 1755μmol/s. The SMD plant growth lamp is designed to replace the traditional 1000W HPS, with lower temperature, more science and more energy saving. Allows you to obtain 30% higher output than HPS. It is very suitable for planting areas of 4x4 feet. It operates at a lower temperature, which can bring higher energy conversion and longer life. This kind of growth lamp is a full-period lighting solution suitable for all growth environments (including humid environments), and is an ideal choice for greenhouse or indoor lighting. No fan, no noise and waterproof function. A large number of heat sinks and hollow bodies ensure maximum heat dissipation. No additional fan and zero noise. In addition, the plant growth lamp adopts an advanced waterproof power supply, which is installed outside the lamp and is easy to replace. The light board adopts sealing technology, and the whole plant growth light reaches IP65 waterproof level. There is no need to worry that the humid planting environment will damage the light of the plants.
Grower’s Choice GHS-730 LED grow light
Features:
This Grower’s Choice grow light is designed and manufactured specifically for use in commercial gardening facilities. GHS-730 provides one of the industry’s highest light output with 730W of power, and has excellent thermal management. Its stylish linear design eliminates unwanted shadows, making it ideal for supplemental lighting in greenhouses. Growers Choice GHS-730 brings efficiency and savings to a whole new level. GHS-730 prides itself on its energy efficiency, which is 40% lower than other LED grow lights on the market today. GHS-730 has full spectrum coverage and can generate up to 730 watts to provide high-quality lighting for your plants. GHS-730 uses passive cooling, which can reduce your HVAC requirements by 40%, and save you more costs through this growing light.
Some Features of LED Grow Lights
Based on these reasons, you may have realized that LED lights can be used to provide very high-quality plants. It doesn’t mean that it is always the best light to choose for your garden. But, it really does work once used correctly.
Here are some features of LED lights that make them great from growing plants.
LED light color spectrum
It is widely known that plant requires a full color spectrum so it can maximize its potential. When it comes to full spectrum light, there are many LED lights on the market that can provide it, so this is a non-issue once you purchase the right LED panels.
LEDs and heat dissipation
Although you want your plants to get a bit warm, you don’t want them to get too hot. LED lights are one of the coolest grow lights on the market today. So, you are often able to move them closer to your plants without negative results. One of the most common things to experience with plants that are too hot is leaf discoloration. It’s quite easy to prevent this with LED lights once you maintain a safe distance between the light and the plants.
Using LED lights for growing plants
There are many LED lights on the market today and many different brands to choose from. So, when purchasing LED lights for your garden, make sure you carefully check them out. The general recommendation is to use many small LED panels instead of a single large one. It is believed that multiple small panels produce much better results; since there are many panels, light spread will be better for your plants.
It is also important that you pay attention to the actual power draw or power consumption of the bulb and not just the power rating of the unit. For best results, you should try to purchase LED panels that can provide 50–60 Watts per square foot. Don’t forget too that although your LED lights may seem cool, you shouldn’t put it too close to your plants. You may just end up with discolored plants that seem like they have a nutritional deficiency.
Mixing LED lights with other types of lighting
There are many seasoned growers who do not stick to just one type of light for their gardens. Many of them believe that mixing lights will give you better results as you get advantages from both types of light. While this is true, it may not be the ideal practice for someone who is new to growing plants. However, some of the best plants may be grown under mixed lighting.
Why? With mixed lighting, you’re able to provide conditions for your plants that they would have lacked with just one light. For example, since LED lights don’t maximize yield per watts, you could mix it with HPS lights which will increase the yield per watts. This way, you’ll get high-quality plants from the LED lighting. But, you’ll also increase the amount of high-quality plants that you receive. It’s a win-win situation. But, you have to be knowledgeable about mixing lights to make it work. If you are thinking of mixing lights, be sure to do adequate research ahead of time.
Conclusion
LED grow lights offer hobbyist growers many advantages. These range from eliminating the need for reflectors, airflow system, air conditioning, or heavy equipment setup. They help produce denser and more potent yields, while reducing your electricity bill.
After reading this article, you’ll understand that when selecting the right grow light for your plants, there’s a lot to consider. The wrong light can ruin your efforts and plants.
I’m hopeful that the information I’ve provided has answered many of your questions. It’s my goal to help you make the right decision as you set out to choose the best LED grow light for your space. Also, be sure to check out our homepage if you would like to learn more about plants.
