An LED grow light is a great option for indoor gardening. Grow lights are generally used to grow plants indoors, or in a greenhouse to supplement natural light. These lights replicate natural sunlight, or are tuned for the specific growth stage of your plants. For example, young plants need more blue light as they sprout and grow, but when they begin to flower, they require a more red spectrum of light. If you want, you can adjust your lighting according to these growth stages, but such specific lighting conditions are probably only necessary for commercial growing operations, and a home garden would be best suited with a standard grow light. These general grow lights encompass the full spectrum of light and will therefore be suitable, though not optimal, for all stages of growth.
There are many types of set ups used for grow lights, including fluorescent, high-pressure sodium, metal halide/high-pressure sodium combos (used for the aforementioned switching of spectrums for optimal growth and then flowering), and LEDs. They all have their pros and cons, of course, and the specifics of each go beyond the scope of this article, as we’re here to talk about LED grow lights. We’ll compare LEDs to these other types of lights though, and hopefully you’ll be able to decide if this is the type of set up you need for your garden.
LED grow lights are quickly becoming quite popular in the indoor growing arena. This is because they are energy efficient, and therefore cost effective. If you happen to start a large growing operation or indoor garden, using LED grow lights will help you avoid that tell-tale energy spike that might happen should you use traditional lighting methods.
It is often touted that LEDs use less power because they deliver only the spectrum of light your plant needs. This is untrue. While it IS true that LEDs are designed to cover only the spectrums your plants need (which we’ll get to in a moment), this is not what makes them consume less power. The simple fact that they are LEDs is what makes them consume less power. LEDs are a very energy efficient source of light. They have extremely long operation lives and consume very little power in comparison to the light they emit. They also produce much less heat than other light sources. Heat is a sign of inefficiency; it’s wasted energy. Since LEDs produce less heat, they are more energy efficient. These are some of the reasons why they are replacing traditional lighting in many places including your home, your car, stop lights, and other places where long-lasting and energy efficient light is desirable.
It is true that LEDs are able to produce the exact spectrum needed by your plants. Studies have been done to determine that chlorophyll has 4 absorption peaks meaning 4 places within the light spectrum from which chlorophyll absorbs the most light. These peak spectrums can be replicated using LEDs because LEDs can be tuned to very specific wavelengths. This means that instead of wasting most of the light put out standard grow lights, plants are able to absorb a large percentage of the light put out by LEDs. This makes LEDs much more efficient with respect to light absorption, though this is not the main basis for LEDs energy efficiency.
As mentioned above, LEDs produce much less heat, and require far less energy. This has the added benefit of increasing the safety of large growing set-ups. Obviously heat, in excess, has the potential to start fires. Also, drawing too much power for a standard lighting set-up can potentially cause an electrical fire as well. So, not only are LEDs more efficient, and cost-effective, but they’re a safer choice as well, especially if you’re doing any sort of large-scale indoor growing.
Where LEDs fall short is the fact that their specific wavelengths, though efficient, don’t cover the ultraviolet range. UV rays are said to increase the potency and yield of herbs. If you are growing an herb garden, you may consider including a source of UV light into your set-up. Most commonly, HID or high-intensity discharge lamps, are used for this; specifically metal halide bulbs. These are expensive, and have a short life span, especially compared to LEDs, but are vital if you want your home garden to produce the most potent and delicious herbs possible.
LED grow lights are an efficient, cost effective, and safe choice for your home garden. Right now, they are somewhat difficult to come across, as it’s a rather new idea and technology. As LEDs in general become more widely accepted, and used, the availability of a LED grow light set up will also become more prevalent.