Growing plants and flowers is tricky enough outdoors. Maintaining the right amount of water and nutrients while protecting a garden from the elements is a balancing act. Many people turn to indoor gardens to avoid the challenging growing conditions of the winter or harsh environments. This route, however, brings its own set of challenges.
First and foremost, you are going to need some light. Grow lights provide the same energy to indoor plants that the sun brings to the outdoors. Without them, photosynthesis would be impossible and the plants would die. So choosing Highest Yielding LED Grow Lights for indoor plants is important.
The most basic thing that one needs to know about growing weed is that it requires some basic elements of nature – air, water, heat, and light! While all four of these are available in the outdoor growing setup and exist freely in nature, the problem with growing weed outdoors is that it does not allow the grower to have any control over these factors. Basically, there might be a day where the sun might be behind the clouds – which means that both light and heat are being cut off – and there might be multiple such days. Furthermore, there might be a dry spell for a really long time and water might become scarce.
Benefits of Having LED Grow Lights
It is specifically used to stimulate plant growth since the electromagnetic spectrum coming from the LED light optimizes the photosynthesis process of the plants.
Portable Design
You can easily utilize a small space to your advantage when you have LED lighting solutions as these lights do not take much room. You need not think of wire management or cable management. It is also very easy to change its position. In a nutshell, you just have to plug it in and adjust it to a specific angle.
Light Optimization
With the use of LED grow lights, you can adjust the amount of light your plants will get. You can customize the light spectrums based on what your plants need. This type of feature cannot be done with other lights.
Power Saving
LED lights are proven to consume less electricity than regular lights, so maintaining your low electricity bill will not pose a problem. This type of light is both efficient with power and saves energy.
Longevity
LED grow lights last a long time. They can run for more than 100,000 hours before dying out. The other lights, on the other hand, can only last through a mere 25,000 hours or less. Them being lights that run at low temperature, it helps them to be durable, and at the same time, their low-temperature run is beneficial to the plants.
Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights vs Other Grow Light Options
By far, full spectrum LED grow lights are the best choice for growing. They offer the closest light spectrum that is similar to natural sunlight.
However, there are other grow lights that offer a variety of light spectrums that are worth considering.
Broad Spectrum LED Grow Lights – these grow lights have a high ration of broad-band LEDs. They are white in color that is a combination of red, blue, and green wavelengths. They do not offer white wavelengths. These lights are perfect for increasing photosynthesis and recommended for indoor use and plants that do not have different lighting preferences for various plant stages.
Narrow Spectrum LED Grow Lights – these lights use a higher ratio of narrow-band LED or phosphors enabling wide color gamut displays. They are generally purple or pink in color and are optimized for red and blue PAR. They are mostly used in greenhouses for adding extra wavelengths and the red diode efficiency. These lights are not recommended for grow tents. They do not have the necessary full-spectrum lighting.
Adjustable Spectrum LED Grow Lights – these newly developed grow lights are designed for precision control of plants. They allow you to adjust the grow light spectrum using wireless methods. Many growers use these lights to encourage flowering, improve cell structure, and easier maintenance. These lights are designed for commercial and scientific applications to study and monitor precision.
Pros
Light works great for both growth and blooming
Simple designs with optimized features create a set it and forget it style light
No plastic internal components mean a longer life for your LED light
Three-part heat management system
Covers 9 square feet
Comes with hanging kit and power cord
The clustered design allows for better focus and coverage
Fully contained cooling system
Zener system setting
Cons
Light cannot be modified or upgraded
Pros
Very bright
Worth the price
Compact design
The design is well-made
Full-spectrum
Little to no heat generation
Cons
Some diodes may tend to explode
Some plug issues
Pros
Bright light
Worth the price
Full-Spectrum
Has Infrared
Generates little amount of heat
Ideal for boosting flower development
Energy efficient
Cons
Fans are quite loud
Some buttons tend to be lost
GalaxyhydroTM LED Grow Light
Pros
Preconfigured full-spectrum takes the guesswork out of matching light spectrum to growth cycles
Lightweight light that is easy to install
A great midpoint between price and quality
It has two daisy chain connected plugs
Comes with a power cord and stainless steel hanging rope
Generates less noise
Full and comprehensive nine-band light spectrum
Heat efficient
Cons
Less bright than other LEDs, so it may be difficult to see well under strong purple lighting cast
You may need polarizing sunglasses to tent plants under this light
Advanced Platinum Series P450 LED Grow Light
Pros
Double the lifespan of other LED lights
Incredible light spectrum means better growth
Lights will overlap well, so fewer lights are needed to cover a larger area
Separate switches for vegetative and flowering growth cycle optimization
12 band light spectrum that creates the most comprehensive light range
One of the highest output of LED lights on the market
Quiet fans
Comes with dual cycle switches
Versatile design
Cons
While the value is incredible, startup costs are quite expensive
ECO Farm Quantum Board with high quality and service deserves for your try!
What Should I Know Before Buying LED Grow Lights?
How to choose the best LED grow light: there are so many important factors. Here are the ones that are most critical.
The Needs of the Plant
Light cycles can seriously impact your plants’ growth and potency. Some need full light from a high-intensity source, and others get dried out or burned with too much, so make sure you know what you need from the outset.
A full spectrum LED grow light will help ensure maximum growth. Ideally this kind of light will have red and blue spectrums, as well as IR and UV light. (If you don’t grow from seed or germinate your seeds outside you might be okay with just red and blue light, but full spectrum is always preferred.) Better still, you’ll be able to control which spectrums it emits, when.
Energy Efficiency
Full spectrum LEDs are also more energy-efficient, typically. They are durable, usually run cool without additional fans, and cost less in electricity. Your grow lights will need to be operating for 18 hours every day at times.
The higher their output (wattage), the more power you’ll be using, but not proportionately. In other words, if you need 1000 watts instead of 500, you still won’t see twice as much power consumption.
Control and Customization
Remember that you’ll be changing the lighting cycles depending on the growth stage to ensure that your plants thrive:
Seedling stage: 16 hours on/8 hours off
Veg stage: 18 hours on/6 hours off
Flowering stage: 12 hours on/12 hours off
Size and Spacing of Your Grow Room
Don’t fight with manufacturer specifications, especially when it comes to coverage area. Your LED grow light system simply has to cover the right space for your plants.
Remember, if you’re growing with a hydroponic system, you need to have access to the right power and water sources for that system and your lights. This can demand some planning in a smaller space.
As well, if you’re selecting a light not on this list, read feedback and reviews on the actual coverage of the system. Occasionally there can be a discrepancy in this area, as we’ve discussed above.
Balancing Your Budget With Buying Good Equipment
This is tricky, but obviously important. Higher-end lights often produce better results, but a budget only works if each piece fits. Newer growers may want to select less costly grow lights to gain experience. Growers who already know what they prefer and need for their crops may go with a higher-priced option.
An LED grow light is not the only component you’ll need for your indoor grow operation. Your budget also has to cover fertilizers, filters, grow tents, soil, nutrients, and various other supplies. This means that blowing the whole budget on the best possible light isn’t an option—but directing as much of the budget toward a quality LED grow light as you can should be your goal.
Since quality is the goal, brand matters. In this vertical, the best brands develop loyal customer bases and generate solid reviews. They also frequently address feedback that’s less stellar. Look for this kind of brand strength online if you’re not sure about a light system or deciding between great options.
Final thoughts
Your plants are living beings just as you are. You wouldn’t mind someone taking you to an all-you-can-it buffet so why not do the same for your plants. Choose wisely, see what our requirements are. You can buy a cheap LED grow light if you do your research and consider a manufacture’s specifications so you know what you are getting. This will be important as the higher-quality grow light typically yield the Best Results.