August 20, 2022
Which LED grow lights are best for indoor plants? LED grow lights are fast becoming a must for houseplants, and it happens to be a must for most gardeners to keep their plants healthy.
There is no doubt that LED grow lights are efficient, not only do they provide some light for your indoor plants, but they also provide you with a low-energy option compared to fluorescent and incandescent lights.
There are several reasons to choose LED grow lights, and there are many LED grow lights on the market today. However, you need to make sure you choose the right plants that are good for your houseplants.
LED grow lights are not only effective, but very effective. They can last up to 50,000 hours. Equipping indoor plants with LED grow lights is ideal, as most indoor plants are susceptible to pests and diseases. You also need to make sure your plants get enough light.
Color variations of the LED grow lights are directly connected to the intended purpose.
Adding other colors to the spectrum, such as green, far-red, and deep blue aids this process by giving plants more information about their environment and overall resulting in higher quality plants (quicker growth, more secondary metabolite accumulation, etc). A spectrum that contains all colors is called a full spectrum and mostly resembles sunlight. If it has high proportions of green, the light will appear white to human eyes, and while not a crucial factor for plant growth, it does make the workaround of these lights easier and makes a visual inspection of the plants possible.
LED lighting systems can be configured to provide optimum photosynthetic photon flux density.
Photosynthetic flux density (PPFD) refers to the total amount of light that actually arrives at a plant surface. Higher PPFD levels generally translate into better plant quality and higher indoor crop yields. Because LED lighting systems operate at lower physical temperatures than traditional indoor lighting, LED fixtures can be placed closer to plant surfaces to generate those higher PPFD levels.
LED lighting produces larger plants and better crop yields.
Indoor cultivation that utilizes LED lighting is superior to crop production that relies on older artificial lighting sources, and in some ways, it may produce more bountiful harvests than outdoor cultivation which is subject to inconsistent amounts of sunshine and variations in weather patterns.
LED lighting is durable.
LED grow light system will generate high-quality light for more than 50,000 hours of use. LED lights are resistant to vibrations, shock, and impact from external objects. Their durability makes them ideal for exposure to weather, wind, and rain. They are even strong enough to be a good choice when there is a concern of vandalism, traffic-related impact, or on construction sites
ECO Farm Z8–800 Samsung LM301B LED Grow Light With Separately UV+IR Control
Features:
The ECO Farm grow light is equipped with SAMSUNG LM301B chip and 8 high-efficiency aluminum rods to ensure high-efficiency PPE 2.7umol/J, better heat dissipation, and long service life. Compared with old plant lights, the average PPFD is increased by 30%, and the yield and quality are increased by 50%. 8 LED growth lights, each rod is covered with high-grade glue, waterproof and easy to clean, not easy to be filled with dust. This plant growth light also uses a special dimmer, which can precisely adjust the brightness. 0–10 levels are optional. This means that you can see clear brightness levels and record while adjusting. No need to worry about differences. At the same time, it also has an ideal full-spectrum and amazing heat dissipation: excellent full-spectrum mixing of white, blue, red, and ultraviolet light, IR LED (3500K, 660nm and IR 760nm & 396nm UV), close to natural sunlight. The spectrum applies to the entire stage of indoor planting. This ECO Farm LED grow light has 3 channels control: Adjustable knob, IR switch, and UV switch.
Dio-Tech Satellite Unit 830W LED Grow Light
Features:
Dio-Tech lighting solutions are designed by growers for growers. The result of years of research and development devoted to optimizing plant growth performance. Dio-Tech is powerful enough to not only replace but completely outperform your existing HID lighting, with a lighting formula that provides the ultimate spectrum for your garden at every stage of the plant growth cycle. The Dio-tech 830W LED combines a high-end Osram chip with a built-in dimmer. Dio-Tech 830 starts in F1 mode (flowering spectrum) but has a wide spectrum for excellent vegetative growth.
Mammoth Lighting Fold Series MF08 LED Grow Light
Features:
The Mammoth LED grow lights are built with high-quality Samsung diodes. The lights encompass a continuous range of wavelength from blue and green to red, creating a light blend matching the natural sunlight. 469 Samsung LM301B diodes per bar delivers the industry’s Highest PPFD and Yield. Mammoth customized their light spectrum to optimize plant growth and increase yields while consuming less energy and reducing operating costs compared with traditional horticulture technologies. With a proprietary blend of 3000k+5000k+660nm+730nm, for full cycle growth. 730nm speeds up flower (~5 days) and adds up to 5% more yield.
Spectrum
All light, visible and invisible, exists on a spectrum that is measured in nanometers. Visible light falls between 400 to 700 nanometers on the spectrum, which is also known as Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). PAR is the wavelengths of light that plants can actually use for photosynthesis.
When it comes to grow lights, you have likely heard of “blue light” versus “red light.” These two types of light refer to different subsections of PAR that are used by plants during photosynthesis for specific purposes. “Blue light” exists in the 400–490 nanometer range and helps support vegetative growth, while “red light” exists in the 580–700 nanometer range and helps support flowering and fruiting.
Many grow lights available on the market today are “full-spectrum” lights, meaning that they cover the full PAR spectrum, plus a little extra. However, you will also see grow lights that are specifically manufactured to cover the blue or red light ranges as well, which can help you to tailor the light to your specific growing goals if desired.
Light Output
Light output refers to the strength and intensity of the light being emitted from a light source and is measured in lumens. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter the light. For succulents, a grow light with a lumen rating between 2300 to 9300 (similar to full daylight) per square foot is sufficient.
Power and Efficiency
The amount of electricity used by a grow light is measured in watts. To understand the efficiency of a grow light, you will need to understand the lumens (light output factor) per watt. The higher the number, the more efficient the light is in terms of energy consumption.
Cost
Grow lights come in a wide range of sizes, strengths, and applications, so the cost that you can expect to pay for a grow light also varies depending on what you need it for. If you are looking for a small light to support the growth of one or two plants in your home, you can likely find a grow light for between $50-$100 that will do the trick. Alternatively, if you are hoping to use grow lights to grow lots of succulents in a larger space, you may be looking at a heftier investment — several hundred dollars at least.
LED grow lights can definitely be used to grow plants indoors, and it gives you the opportunity to keep growing through the winter. There are different types of LED lights, keep in mind that some are better than others. Your indoor plants do need as much sunlight as your outdoor plants, so you need to choose your LEDs carefully to light up.
The type of LED lights you choose will also determine the quality and quantity of growth your plants will experience.