How Far Away Should LED Grow Lights Be From Plants?

There are many best LED grow light for sale, Lots more growers are starting to use grow lights, especially LED grow lights, but there's a lot of confusion about exactly how to use them. One of the most common questions about using LED grow lights is how far they should be from plants.

How Far To Place LED Lights From Plants In Each Stage Of Growth

Once again, it is important to understand that there is no universal rule for how far to place LED lights from plants in each phase of growth. Different manufacturers construct their LED lights in different ways. There are multiple details to take into consideration, such as the power and angle of individual LED diodes within a fixture and the use of lenses to reflect light downwards. The best way to get that perfect distance between the light and your canopy is to consult with the manufacturer.

The second thing to keep in mind is that the correct LED light placement changes for each stage of growth. If your LED is dimmable, you can use dimming to adjust the intensity of the light on the plant surface. If your LED is not dimmable, your only option is to change the hanging height. These examples aren’t hard-and-fast rules, so don’t follow them without the blessing of your light’s manufacturer. But just to give you a ballpark sense of what LED light placement generally looks like throughout the growth cycle:

LED Light Placement For Seedling Stage

Seedlings need the least intensity and most distance between the canopy and the lights. You may have the instinct to blast these little guys with high-intensity light to promote fast growth. The truth is, they’re young, vulnerable, and likelier to thrive with a gentler approach.

Vegetative Stage

In the vegetative stage, you want to get your LED lights closer to your plants. In general, plants in veg only need about half the light that they need in bloom. It follows that you could have up to twice the hanging height that you use in bloom.

Flowering Stage

It’s in the flowering stage that you really need the highest intensity. It is important to build in a “hardening off” phase as you move from veg to bloom. Slowly increase the intensity or lower the hanging height until you reach the manufacturers recommended height in bloom.

Again, these are general guidelines. Discuss the ideal distances with your manufacturer and keep an eye on your plants for signs that you’re overloading them. If your plants are getting too much light intensity, they’ll let you know. Here’s how:

How to Recognize Light Burn On Your Plants

Because LED lights give off so little heat, you don’t run much risk of causing heat damage by placing your fixture too close to the canopy. What you do risk is light burn. Unfortunately, the light burn is easily mistaken for nitrogen deficiency, and many growers wind up misdiagnosing their grow and addressing the wrong problem.

If your plants have light damage, you’ll see symptoms such as:

  • Leaves point upwards.

  • Bleaching, which takes the form of white or yellow discoloration, typically on the leaves closest to the light.

  • Veins remain green even as the rest of the leaves turn yellow.

A nitrogen deficiency has similar characteristics, but there are a few notable differences.

  • A plant with a nitrogen deficiency also develops yellow patches, but the damage starts from the bottom of the plant and works its way up, while light burn begins at the top, closest to the lights.

  • In the case of a nitrogen deficiency, leaves wilt. In the case of a light burn, leaves turn upward and sometimes even become brittle.

  • The leaves of a nitrogen deficient plant fall off on their own. This does not happen to plants suffering from a light burn.

If it sounds like your plant has a light burn, it’s time to reevaluate the placement of your LED lights.

Why Are LED Grow Lights the Best Option for Your Marijuana Plant?

LED grow lights are the best when it comes to an indoor growing setup! This is because they provide a much better wattage of light compared to some of the older/traditional lighting systems (fluorescent lights/high pressure sodium lamps/metal halides) while also not carrying any harmful chemicals inside them. Moreover, they are much more energy efficient and help save electricity costs. Furthermore, LED grow lights tend to last for much longer (about 50,000 hours on an average) compared to older forms of lighting. The best option for most modern-day growers is to get panels of full spectrum LED grow lights which allow them to easily provide light to different kinds of plants through different kinds of phases of their growth.

Final thoughts

The LED Grow Light must be used properly for optimum growth and yield. Spider Farmer Quantum Board can be your great choice! The most common mistakes with LEDs are not having enough light and not placing the light at the proper distance. If you do not provide enough light, your plants will not grow to their full potential. Similarly, incorrect light placement will also not allow plants to grow to their full potential. Placing a light too close will stunt growth, too far will cause stretching. Follow the recommended coverage areas listed on the Details Page of each light for optimal light penetration and coverage. Keep in mind that there are many variables to indoor growing with lighting being one of the most critical.

Whatever you use any type of grow light, full spectrum or quantum board led grow light, you should remember that:

Keeping the proper distance between your LED grow lights and your plants is important for robust photosynthesis and growth.