Grow lights have become very popular among both commercial and home gardeners. The need to increase the growing season for plants makes the use of grow lights almost a necessity, and the indisputable need for extra light in making plants grow and increase yield makes the use of grow lights increasingly popular. In this context, LED grow lights are moving to the fore in the grow light market for a number of reasons.
Economy
Grow lights are expensive, and LED lights are even more expensive than halide lights. However, LED grow lights are much more economical in many ways. LEDs run on lower wattage than traditional grow lights. They can do this because normal lights emit a full spectrum of light. Plants, however, don’t use the full spectrum of light to grow and produce fruit and flower. This means that a great deal of the energy used by full spectrum lights is wasted.
LED lights only produce light from the spectrum that are actually useful to plants, such as red and blue. Some LED lights also produce orange. Green light is useless to plants. They only reflect green light—that’s why they look green to us. By producing only colors that the plants will use, LED lights require less energy to produce better growth. As a result, most LED grow lights use ½ to 1/3 less energy than traditional bulbs, while producing as much, if not more, light.
The construction of LED lights is totally different from traditional bulbs, so that the light is produced without heat. This also creates an energy savings, because now energy is wasted creating heat, and no energy is used to disperse unwanted heat.
LED bulbs also far outlast other types of bulbs. LED lights will last up to 18 years, doing their job day after day, as opposed to incandescent or metal halide bulbs. LEDs last up to 10 times longer than traditional lights. LEDs are also much stronger than the typical bulb because they are not made of glass. Even when you drop or bump an LED light, you won’t break it as you would a traditional bulb.
Quality Plant Growth
The main reason people seem to prefer LED lights is because they produce better plants. Since there is no white light, there is no glare, so to moisture loss plants encounter under regular lights is greatly reduced. Therefore, LED lights won’t dry out your plants nearly as fast. This enables you to garden with less water, for an additional savings. It also provides a safety measure if you happen to miss a day or two of watering, because the plants won’t dry out as badly.
LED lights, with their select spectrum of light production, encourage better growth from plants. You’ll find that your plants grow fuller, thicker, and darker green than you normally see with other kinds of lights. Flowers, fruit, and vegetables will produce more product which, after all, is the purpose of growing plants. The life span of blooms will be extended, as well, even past the effects of natural sunlight.
LED lights are also much more eco friendly than most other lights.
LEDs contain no led or mercury, and, since they are so energy efficient, they greatly reduce their carbon footprint on the Earth. Not only do they reduce pollutants when disposed of, they use less energy to operate, reducing the greenhouse effect because of electricity usage. LEDs can also run off of solar power and wind generators. This leaves no impression at all.
You’ll find with LED lights that the portability and lack of bulk is also very preferable. Most traditional grow lights must be mounted from the ceiling, and are very bulky and heavy. LED lights, by contrast, are very lightweight and portable.
Most people who try LED grow lights are so pleased with them that they prefer them over any other kind of light. They find that the initial cost is offset rather quickly by the energy savings alone, and those who are growing fruit, vegetables, and flowers for resale increase the yield significantly enough to help pay for the lights, as well.
Posted in Indoors