If you have a desire to grow plants but live in an area where natural light isn’t sufficient, you can opt to use LED grow lights. In some areas where there could be long winters, plants have difficulty growing because they can’t photosynthesize. So choose a grow lights for indoor plants is important!
What To Look For In An LED Grow Light?
Since many of our first-time buyers experience difficulty choosing the best LED grow lights for their plant’s particular needs, our team of experts offer these tips for choosing LED grow lights. Here you`ll find all the vital information for making an informed choice and selecting the right product and model.
Taking Into Account The Size Of The Grow Space
In LED lighting bigger wattage doesn`t automatically translate into a bigger area coverage, as it is with regular HID, MH and HPS lights, but it can still serve as a good rough estimate. However, the most accurate metrics are the so called Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) and the Daily Light Integral (DLI) that serve to determine the number of lights to the power of lights ratio, but for simplicity and coherence we`ll use wattage as the metric to determine the light coverage area.
Plants and especially cannabis need most lighting during the flowering stage, so we`ll be using that as an estimate of how much area needs to be covered. A standard LED grow light must use more than 32 watts per square foot of grow space, but for optimum results it should be over 50 watts, up to 80 watts.
Consult with the following bullet points if you need a quick guide for calculating how many watts you need for a given grow area.
1 by 1 – 32 watts
2 by 2 – 128 watts
3 by 3 – 288 watts
4 by 4 – 512 watts
6 by 6 – 1152 watts
How to calculate LED wattage required to flower Cannabis plants?
The traditional power measurement for grow lights has been Watts which has made things simple up until the development of LED. A Watt of power equals 1 Watt of power output of light. The confusion comes when you try to measure LED grow lights in Watts. In the case of LED, a Watt of power into the light isn’t a Watt of power out of the light. Since LEDs are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs we must use a different measurement to qualify the power being generated by the LED grow light.
You might have heard or read the term “PAR” related to led grow lights, this is the actual measurement of the useable light spectrum produced by the LED. You see LEDs get their efficacy from not converting as much energy into heat compared to incandescent bulbs. This means that more of the energy used by the LED grow light is converted to actual usable grow light.
What Are the Advantages of LED Grow Lights?
LED lights have many advantages compared to compact fluorescent bulbs or high-intensity discharge lights. Being efficient with energy use is one, another is producing less heat than HIDs. Let’s look at the reasons why you should choose LEDs for your growing operation.
1. More Energy-efficient
LED lights use less electricity and can save you money in the long run. LED consumes 40% less energy than HID, and 50% less than CFL. While it is true that high-end LEDs are more expensive to purchase, the initial investment is offset by your electric bill savings over time.
Furthermore, LED light fixtures have a longer lifespan than other types of lights. Therefore, there is no need to replace them as often. For example, an HID light lasts between 2,000 to 3,000 hours, but an LED will give you 50,000 to 60,000 hours. That’s a difference of almost 5 years!
2. Produce Less Heat
LED lights run cooler than HIDs, which means that you won’t have to buy an air-conditioning unit or evaporative cooler to lower the temperature in the grow room. If you are growing marijuana in a warmer climate, then LEDs make more sense.
On the flip side, if you live in a cooler climate, your grow room might get too cold because LED light fixtures do not contribute significant heat. An electric heater might be necessary. Nevertheless, the lower energy consumption of LEDs will make up for the cost of operating a heater.
3. Uses Less Space
An LED lamp uses far more energy efficient because it focuses light through a lens, unlike an HID light, which requires external reflectors. Moreover, since LEDs produce less heat, you can move the lights closer to your plants. The upshot is a greater light intensity for the plants, which results in higher yields.
4. Safer
LED bulbs do not emit polluting radiation, and therefore do not pose a health hazard. They don’t contain mercury like other lights, such as CFLs. They are also less of a fire risk due to lower heat output.
5. Reduce Your Watering Schedule
Because there is less heat in the grow room, there is less evaporation. Your potting soil will remain moist longer after watering, and you won’t have to water the plants as often.
A nutrient mix is usually added to the plants’ water, so less-frequent watering translates to less expenses for nutrients, too. Additionally, there is a lower risk of nutrient lockout due to the buildup of nutrients from chronic watering and feeding. A nutrient lockout can stunt your plants’ growth, and even kill them.
Types of LED grow lights
By now, you might have an idea of what brand of LED grow lights would be best for your crop and how many watts are required for your grow space. Now, you will discover the different LED unit options available to you.
If you are growing plants from seedling to flower you will want to purchase a full cycle LED light. However, you may only need lights for vegging or blooming.
Lights designed for high-light plants and vegetable growth/flowering have many different options including single-channel lights (on or off); 2 channel lights that have a veg and bloom mode; and programmable lights, such as California Lightworks, Cirrus LED, Kind LED, Mars Hydro, and Viparspectra that allow you to set light schedules, customize spectrums, and alter intensities. Also, there are many best quantum board led grow light for you to choose.
The programmable lights are by far the most advanced LED grow lights that will make for an almost effortless grow. It is safe to say that the LED grow light industry is moving in the direction of fully automated panels.
In addition, there are different shaped LED grow lights available, including panels, bars, and bulbs. There are even LED tubes that will replace T5 or T8 fluorescent lights.
DIY kits have even recently become available for those who would like to assemble their own light.
All in all, choosing a full spectrum LED grow light is a right choice!
Final Thoughts
LED grow lights is a revolutionary solution to plant growth. Relying on sunlight to grow your plants is not always enough, especially for places that experience long sunless winters. Now, you can grow plants even inside your home. So, if you plan to buy LED grow lights, make sure to consider the tips above so you get the best one for your plants.