Along with water, air, nutrition, and optimal temperature, indoor plants require plenty of light to grow. Outdoor plants receive 6 to 8 hours of good sunlight.
However, most indoor plants suffer from insufficient sunlight, resulting in poor overall growth. Nevertheless, such plants can benefit from LED grow lights.
LED Grow lights are a splendid horticultural innovation. NASA has undertaken several studies to see if LED grow lights can help plant growth. They also did experiment with how plants respond to different color shades. The good news is that LED Grow lights work similarly to natural sunlight.
Using LED grow lights for indoor plants is straightforward. However, you have to keep a few things in mind when using them. For example, what color LED grow lights can give you the best results? What should be the ideal intensity of lights? What should be an appropriate installation height? For how long LEDs should stay on plants? And so on.
I will go over each of these points in depth. But first, let us take a look at the global LED Grow Light market. It will give you a sense of what percentage of people benefit from them.
LED Grow Light Market Size
Over the years, the LED Grow Light industry has grown swiftly. There are several reasons for the same. LED Grow lights provide the necessary light to indoor plants that help them grow properly.
Furthermore, LED Grow lights are energy-efficient. They last longer than Fluorescent and Incandescent plant growing lights. Additionally, they are budget-friendly.
In 2014, the industry was worth $170.66 Million, and this share increased with a CAGR of 26.19% between 2015 and 2020.
Things to Consider When Using LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants
Every plant needs sunlight to flourish. However, plants inside apartment buildings do not get adequate natural light. LED grow lights are beneficial for such places. They do offer the red and blue light waves that plants require. LED grow lights use LED chips to produce light for plants and work as the natural sunshine.
Keep following things in mind when using LED grow lights for indoor plants.
Color Spectrum
When it comes to LED Grow lights, the color spectrum is a crucial factor to consider. The colors in LED grow lights are called a spectrum, measured as a wavelength number. For instance, the red color in the color spectrum may have wavelength numbers between 630 and 660. While these colors appear to be the same to human eyes, they are different.
Each color in the spectrum has a different effect on plants. In addition to this, plants require different color lights during the stages of their growth cycle.
Remember, plants only react to spectrum light ranging between 400 and 700 nanometers. After all, it helps with photosynthesis.
Let us find how different lights in the color spectrum affect the growth of a plant.
Red Light
In comparison to other hues, red light has a longer wavelength. It is often between 640 to 680 nanometers. Red light plays a crucial role in the development and growth of plants.
It promotes fruit production. Additionally, it helps the production of green pigments in plants, also known as Chlorophyll. However, if you solely use red lights for your indoor plants, it may have a stretched appearance. As a result, the appropriate ratio of other lights is also crucial.
Blue Light
Blue is among the most crucial hues in the LED grow light color spectrum. The light has a wavelength range between 430 and 450 nanometers.
When combined with Red light, it promotes the flowering of plants. The light helps establish plant roots and the growth of vegetables. Plants’ color, scent, and taste enhance when blue and velvet light are combined.
Yellow-Orange Light
Yellow-orange light has a wavelength between 575 nm and 620 nm. Yellow light does not help the plant much. However, the orange light, which is close to the red light in the spectrum, can help in the photosynthesis process.
Green Light
The wavelength of Greenlight is around 500nm to 575 nm. The Green hue can also help in photosynthesis as it can penetrate through a leaf.
What Color LED Grow Lights Should I Get?
In the above section, you learned how different light hues affect the growth of plants. Maybe you are confused about which color LED grow lights you should get.
Always choose an LED Grow Light that provides a full spectrum of light for photosynthesis. Make sure you get Blue-violet light and Red light in the proper nanometer range for the ideal growth of the plant.
Blue-Violet Light between 400 to 520 nm wavelength supports the absorption of chlorophyll. Red Grow light with spectrum range 610 to 720 promotes the budding and flowering of the plant. Nowadays, all LED Grow lights offer both types of color spectrum lighting.
Intensity of Light
Some people think that high-intensity grow light will make their indoor plants better. Unfortunately, it is not 100% true. The intensity of the light is measured as Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR).
The measurement indicates how much light your grow light provides to your plants. It also helps you find which grow light emits the right wavelength amount in the spectrum.
You can easily regulate the intensity of your LED Grow light by adjusting its distance or position.
The general rule you should keep in mind is that plants require different wavelengths during the growth cycle. Therefore, you have to regulate lights during the distinct stages of your plant’s growth.
As I mentioned above, plants require a wavelength range between 400-700nm for photosynthesis only. Anything outside this range would not be that beneficial.
For How Long LED Light Should Stay On Plants?
Almost all floral and vegetable plants require 12 to 16 hours of sunlight. Following this general rule, you can use LED Grow light for a similar number of hours. Most experts recommend 12 hours of lighting in a day. The more than this would not help your plant in any manner.
Do not forget that plants, like humans, require relaxation as well. As a result, you should provide your plants with at least eight hours of darkness each day so that they can rest properly.
Placement of LED Grow Lights
Many individuals are unsure where they should set their LED grow lights for the best results. Well, your goal should be to replicate natural sunlight as closely as possible. Placing LED grow lights over plants would be a better option.
Talking about ideal height, it should be between fourteen and thirty inches above your plants. However, you must adjust the position of your LED Grow lights based on your plant’s growth.
In other words, the height of your grow light should be adjusted following the height of your plants.
Let us understand this concept with an example of marijuana plant growth.
LED Grow Light Positioning During Different Stages of Marijuana Plant Growth
Propagation Period (14 Days)
During the propagation stage, a marijuana plant requires Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) of 150 to 200m/s2. And if you are using a single LED grow light, you should fix it at the height of 100cm above the plant top. If you use multiple lights, keep them 120cm above the plant top.
Vegetative Growth (Lasts for Minimum 21 Days)
During this period, your plants grow swiftly. Therefore, you need a PPFD of 200 to 450 per square meter per second. If I talk about the light placement, keep it 40cm to 100cm above the plant top. If you have multiple LED Grow lights, keep the installation distance from 60cm to 120cm.
Veg-to-Flower Transition Period (3 to 7 Days)
Keep your LED Grow lights 60 to 30cm above the plant’s top throughout this growth phase. Single light users can adjust this distance from 40 to 20 cm. Make sure your plants get PPFD between 500 and 800.
Flower to Stock Transition
This phase lasts for eight to ten weeks. You need to ensure that your marijuana plants get 700 to 800 PPFD per square meter per second during this period. Install your grow lights above 20 to 30cm above your plant during this time.
Why Choose Darklessled’s LED Grow Lights?
If you want to get the most out of your LED grow lights, you must buy them from a genuine brand. Darklessled is a well-known LED light manufacturer providing high-quality LED grow lights.
They offer a five years warranty on their LED grow lights. The company provides replacement and free repair services depending on the condition of LED during this period.
Darklessled Grow lights feature smart controllers that you can connect with your smartphone. The controller is easy to install and lets you control up to 100 LED lamps together. Moreover, it offers various temperature settings and protection against short circuits.
You may contact darklessled.com to learn more about LED grow lights.
