If you’re an avid gardener, then you know how crucial proper lighting is to the growth of your plants. While fluorescent lightbulbs work well enough, there are several benefits to using led grow lamps instead—and why you should switch if you haven’t already! Keep reading to find out what those benefits are, and how you can set up your new LED grow lamps in no time flat!
Introduction
The Role of Light in Plant Growth: Light plays a fundamental role in plant growth, particularly in regards to photosynthesis. Photosynthesis, simply put, is a process whereby plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. Through photosynthesis, plants grow larger, become more dense (through cell division) and develop chlorophyll–which allows them to turn light energy into chemical energy. This process happens over several stages involving numerous processes; learning about each stage can help you better understand what’s happening as your plant grows.
Types of LED Grow Lights
There are two types of grow lights: those that emit light in one wavelength (monochromatic) and those that use full-spectrum LEDs. Monochromatic lights are ideal for flowering plants; however, some monochromatic lights also provide wavelengths to support vegetative growth. Full-spectrum lights work best with both vegetative and flowering plants because they mimic sunlight, which is made up of many different wavelengths.
Benefits of LED Grow Lights
When compared to conventional grow lights, which are usually high pressure sodium (HPS) or metal halide (MH) bulbs, LEDs provide several benefits. Among these are lower energy use, longer life spans and better spectral control. With better spectral control, you can help reduce leaf burn and achieve more balanced growth in your plants. One thing to keep in mind is that not all LEDs are created equal; there are many different types of LEDs available to buy, such as cold-cathode fluorescent light-emitting diodes (CCFL), organic light emitting diodes (OLED) or quantum dot LEDs. Some types may be a better choice depending on what you’re looking to achieve with your lighting system.
The Ideal Spectrum
When it comes to plants, most people don’t know what they should be growing. After all, not all plants are created equal and if you want to produce top quality results you need to know how to get your cannabis in front of as many different wavelengths of light as possible. That’s where led grow lamps come into play. By now there are a variety of different options that have recently become available and these include UV bulbs and quantum boards. The truth is that both of these technologies are fairly new, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t still use them today.
Setting Up Your LED Grow Light
For first-timers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of these different things you need to set up a grow light. If your grow lights don’t come with instructions, there are some basics that you’ll want to follow when setting up your light. Before anything else, put your grow light on a flat surface and make sure that it is in an area where it won’t be disturbed or bumped. Then start thinking about what kind of reflector will work best in your space.
Conclusion
While there are many ways to light your plants and help them grow, finding a well-rounded set of grow lights can be a bit tricky. For example, some only provide red and blue spectrum lighting, which is great but not as effective as complete full spectrum lighting. Other lights might also have too much intensity or don’t use energy-efficient bulbs. You also want something that’s built to last and you don’t have to worry about breaking from any accidents or mishaps; after all, LEDs are pretty fragile! You should also look for lights that are easy to use and set up so you don’t need a degree in horticulture or electrical engineering in order to get started. Read More growzelt
