Best LED Grow Lights for 3×3 Grow Tents (2023 Updated)
Over the years, lists of the best LED grow lights for 3×3 tents have changed as new technologies emerged, pushing older technology out of its current place. So in this guide I’m going to round up the best LED grow lights for your 3×3 tent!
I will give you more information about this LED grow light, especially in the second half of this guide.
For everyone’s benefit, this guide is dedicated to helping you not only improve your indoor grower plants, but also help you save money!
What size grow lights do I need for a 3×3 tent?
A grow light that draws 200 to 300W high-efficiency LEDs will be the perfect LED grow light for a 3x3ft or 1x1m plant growing area.
How many plants can grow in a 3×3 tent?
Now that you have a good idea of the recommended number of LED grow lights you need for your 3×3 tent, do you know how many plants you can grow in it? The recommendation for a 3×3 tent is a maximum of 9 plants in the vegetation.
ECO Farm FLD 320W Full Spectrum Dimmable LED Grow Lights Bar
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light with upgraded SMD 3030 chip 6 passive-cooled led bars, higher light intensity, less light decay, better lumens, and PAR values than ordinary LED chips. FLD 320W uses 1200 LED chips that consume only 320W, perfect coverage for 3x3ft, helps you achieve maximum quality and quantity. The intensity of light can be adjusted according to the needs of plants. It can be freely adjusted lighting intensity as plants need growth at different stages with dimming options ranging from 0 to 10 levels. SMD leds spectrum is white 3000K leds, white 5000K leds, 660nm red led, and 740nm IR leds. Master light is easily controlled for commercial & home horticulture.
Spectrum King Phoenix 340W LED Grow light
Features:
Spectrum King grow light is the most efficient LED light fixture on the market with a dedicated plant spectrum. SK Cryo-Therm cooling technology enables ultra-thin profiles, maximizes airflow and minimizes microclimates. It has unmatched performance and reliability in its class. It is optimized for single or multi-level planting near the canopy. The Spectrum King Phoenix 340W Veg sets a new benchmark for what’s possible with grow lights. The full spectrum is ideal for most light-loving plant seedlings, vegetation and the entire growth stage of flowering. IP65 waterproof horticultural lighting system, can be used in humid or water vapor environment, easy to use, plug and play.
Neocision Spectra Explorer 340W LED Grow Light-BVV
Features:
This BVV grow light is designed for a full grow cycle with maximized red for increased photosynthesis, and effectively promotes plant leaves, stem growth, and flower yield. The full spectrum, infinite close to natural sun light, is suitable for all stages of indoor growth of all plants, accelerating flowering time and increasing yield! Ideal for 2’ x 4’ tent environments for increased consistency and yield. Using the most advanced SMD LED technology, to provide high PAR output, high energy efficiency and long life while improving light transmission. Comparable to a traditional 600W HPS or CMH light. Save up to 70% on your electricity bill.
Why is grow light distance important?
“The intensity of light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance”. what does that mean? This means that small changes in the distance between your lights and plants can result in huge differences in light intensity.
If you grow plants, you know that your plants need a lot of light. As simple as more light equals more productive plants equals higher yield. But hang the lights too close to the plants, and this can cause problems.
The key here is to find the perfect distance that supports optimal yields without compromising plant health. You don’t want to be stressing or burning your plants all the time. Things are complicated by the absence of general recommendations for the best (and safest) light distances for growing plants. The reason for this is that not all grow lights are created equal.
With some types of grow lights, such as CFLs, safe distance is not as much of an issue. You can place grow lights as close to the plants as possible. Other lights, such as HID grow lights, emit a lot of heat, so there must be enough distance between the canopy and the grow lights. Then there are LED grow lights, which emit a lot of light but don’t run too hot.
Also, the optimal distance depends on your light intensity and where the plant is in its growth cycle. Ultimately, though, whatever grow light you have, you want to hang it as far away from the plants as possible.
Factors That Affect LED Choice
There are two factors that you need to consider when choosing the wattage of the LED Grow Lights.The first would be the plant you’re growing, and the second would be the total area of your grow space.
Type of Plant
Plants have different lighting needs, which is why you need to know how much light a plant needs. As a rule of thumb, the higher the wattage, the more intense the light is. Leafy plants and herbs usually need lower wattages. Fruit and flowering plants like tomatoes need higher wattages. The amount of power you need for leafy plants would often be half of what a flower-bearing plant needs.
When it comes to the total grow space area, this pertains to how much space your plants cover and not the footprint of your space. That will help you also decide how much wattage you need for every plant.
Different growing techniques are a consideration in the total area of growth. And while that affects wattage, you can’t just split the light to get the right amount of power. Instead, you can use that light in a position that can help benefit multiple plants.
So, how much do you need per plant per area?
Thirty-two watts of power should be enough for every square foot as a rule of thumb. You can go a bit low to 30, but don’t go beyond 40 per square foot. So how good is a 32-watt LED?
Let’s take the Screen of Green technique as an example. A Screen of Green needs about 0.25 square feet of grow space. With a 32-watt LED grow light, you can provide enough lighting for four plants. For a Sea of Green, the same 32-watt grow light can provide lighting for one plant.
On the other hand, 32-watts of power won’t be enough for a low-stress training, which occupies at least two square feet of grow space.
As you can see, you can use a grow light for multiple plants. But take note that it’s not ideal to do so all the time. For one, the lighting coverage on the outer part of the light’s footprint isn’t as beneficial as being close to the center. And while you can cram plants under a grow light, the results won’t be as helpful.
Sounds simple? There are some considerations to consider with the grow space and wattage.
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
PAR, or photosynthetically active radiation, is just as important to know when deciding how much lighting you need to grow your plants. PAR measures the intensity you need to grow your plants. To give you an idea, leafy plants need around a PAR of 200, while fruit-bearing plants would thrive between 400–500, depending on the plant.
Knowing how much PAR a grow light has will affect how a plant grows. If the PAR is too low, your plant will have a hard time growing and will likely have stunted growth. Too intense lights, meanwhile, can burn your plants. That’s why LED grow lights need to be set at an optimal height, even with the lower heat emission.
Conclusion
Keep in mind the various grow lights for different stages of plant growth:
Choose white light for all stages of the plant growth cycle
For early growth stage lights, choose blue grow lights
If you want to promote flowering, red grow lights are the best choice for you
Whether you’re permanently growing your plants indoors, or growing them outdoors indoors, grow lights can help keep your plants healthy. Hopefully we’ve given you some ideas on how to use grow lights for your houseplants.
