April 17, 2021
A LED grow light provides the light energy of visible and invisible wavelengths (UV rays and Infrared Rays) to increase the growth of plants in an indoor environment. The rays emitted by them mimics exactly the sun rays.
Before moving on how the best Led grow lights will grow your marijuana plant, you should know what kind of light a plant needs to grow.
A marijuana plant absorbs more of blue lights than other light colors. The blue lights induce rapid plant growth. And for the germination and blooming it requires green or red light primarily.
The LED grow lights has UV and infra-red rays. So, when you want growth in your plant you can select the UV blue rays and for germination you can select infrared greed or red rays.
Overall, with the best LED grow lights it is easy to adjust the wavelength of light as per the requirements of the plants.
A UV ray is used for the vegetative phase of the plant. It is because this wave length increases the rate of cell division leading to a rapid growth rate in the plants.
Same way, in the flowering stage the IR rays are used. They are absorbed quickly by the buds and tips of the plant causing them to bloom quickly.
We recommend to go for a best LED grow light that has options of wavelength. It helps to adjust the lightening as per your plants need.
Among all artificial lights, LED grow lights have the highest PAR and have more lifespan. An average LED light runs for 10,000 hrs. To extend the lifespan some companies set the lights such that full capacity is not used. Some lights will be written 5 watts yet only operate on 3 watts. This, however, should not be an issue in calculating how many watts per square foot of LED grow lights since we shall highlight the average requirement per square foot.
On average for a 10 square foot grow area 400 watts is sufficient. The average wattage requirement per foot for LED grow lights is 30–50watts. This is however not standard since different LED grow lights vary some are energy efficient and will use fewer watts for the same kind of lighting. 40–50 watts is just the average standard.
Well-calculated LED lighting brings the perfect balance of light to supplement and control the plant’s photosynthesis.
The very first thing you have to consider is the type of plant you’re planning to grow. This is so since LED grow lights are engineered with respect to the type of growth.
If you are a hobbyist, you can settle for simple and inexpensive designs. However, commercial growers need LED lights with UL or ETL certification.
How much light does your plant require? Usually, the lighter your plant gets the better. Nevertheless, there is a point when your plant may not need additional light.
Extra light creates a condition referred to as light saturation point. If you subject your plant to excess light (beyond its saturation point), it may end up growing poorly.
The lighting requirements for flowering and vegging are not the same. Vegging requires less wattage and light intensity compared to flowering.
Normally, conventional LED grows lights draw approximately thirty-two watts to light a flowering area of one square foot.
When compared to HID grow light, LED grow lights are energy efficient. However, the LED lights in the market do not have the same energy efficiency.
Usually, the LED light for 4 x 4 grow tent will utilize fewer watts to generate an equal amount of light that a conventional model would radiate.
Low light plants, including lettuces and herbs, need approximately eleven to eighteen watts for each square foot of grow tent space.
You can scale up the wattage with respect to your grow space. Just remember that one square foot of grow tent space needs roughly thirty-two watts of real wattage.
According to research, a 4 x 4 requires around 512 watts, but the wattage can range from 500 to 650 watts.
Mostly, LEDs generate light within a narrow spectral range. LEDs are available with peaks at different wavelengths, providing much flexibility in which spectra can be produced.
White light can be generated either by combining LEDs with different wavelengths or by coating blue LEDs with a phosphor.
The specific wavelengths needed for photosynthesis are employed in the engineering of these lights for both the initial and second phases of plant growth.
Research reveals that plants benefit from the exploit of red, green, and blue parts of the perceptible light spectrum.
Which color spectrum is ideal for my plants? There are around fourteen wavelengths. Most high-end models are built with infrared, UV, white, violet, blue, and red LEDs.
These wavelengths are engineered to work exceptionally well in flowering as well as vegetative plant growth cycles.
Photosynthesis, the process by which green plants turn sunlight into carbohydrates, does not use green light.
Plants appear green because they reflect green light. But they have no use for such wavelengths. Green leaves absorb a great deal of the light at blue and red wavelengths.
PAR has a spectral band that ranges between 400 (purple) and 700 (red) nanometers that a majority of leafing plants find necessary for photosynthesis.
The unit of measure for PAR is derived from the number of light particles, or micromoles per square meter per second that strike a surface.
You may be curious about the intensity of light to provide your plants every day. The different growth stages of your plant depend on how much light they obtain every day.
Light intensity can be a benefit and a disadvantage at the same time. Normally, there is a given amount of lumens that will promote healthy plant growth by sparking the process of photosynthesis.
How many lumens are enough? Well, it depends on what you are growing among other things. The size of the marijuana grow tent is the very first thing that you should take into consideration.
The most ideal light intensity (lumens) you need should probably range from 300 to 800 lumens for every square foot.
There are several configurations to choose from, including grow light panels, COB grows lights and single spot lamps.
Among all the available options, you have to consider color balance. With most lights, the ratio may vary from 4:1 to 8:1. In terms of colors, the ratio is red to blue.
When checking the color ratio (red to blue), ensure the manufacturer has specified the wavelengths, such as 660 nm for the red color, and 460 nm for the blue color.
You will also come across bi-band and tri-band LED lights. The bi-band designs may be insufficient; so, consider choosing tri-bands.
Generally, choose LED to grow lights with more than 90 watts; preferably, 120 plus watts. But most importantly, settle for an option that is suitable for your plants.