Why Choose LED Grow Lights? LED’s create substantially more light per watt than t5 grow lights or HID lighting. This additionally implies they run cooler, decreasing power costs and additionally the danger of flame in your grow room.
Most LED grow lights accompany little fans worked in, and don’t require extra ventilation with the exception of in unique conditions.
HOW DO LED LIGHTS WORK
The invention of LED lights is credited to H. J. Round, a British man from Marconi Labs who, in 1907, was the first to experiment with, and observe electroluminescence. Fast forward twenty years to when the actual invention of the first LED light finally came about. But even the Russian inventor, Oldeg Vladimirovich Losev, couldn’t find a practical way to use the light. It wasn’t until 1955 that Rubin Braunstein observed semiconductor alloys, and six years later, Texas Instruments took over with a patent.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING
1 Spacing: You absolutely need to ensure that you have an idea of the amount of space you want to cover with your LED lights. Each light has a maximum range of space that it can cover, and it'll be important to understand the measurements of your grow space down to the centimeter. If you currently do not know what that is, you should find out now. After that is done, make sure you read reviews and feedback from others on the actual space that the LED light can cover (sometimes, products are not as advertised... shocking, I know).
2 Spectrum: A full spectrum LED grow light will go a long way in terms of helping your plant growth. You'll need red & blue spectrums, but also infrared and ultraviolet, depending on the stage. It's important to have a powerful light, with different wave lengths to ensure maximum growth. The full spectrum yields are a bit newer to the industry, but they are certainly making headway to any good growers catalog. They run cool and don't need any additional fans, they cost less overtime given the electrical savings, and the durability is second to none. It is highly recommended to purchase a full spectrum LED grow light. Most LED lights have a range of colors being emitted (full light spectrum) - the best lights offer the full range, including UV light.
3 Electrical Usage: Your LED lights will need to have durability and great electrical efficiency as well. A good LED light should be operating for at least 10-12 hours a day. When researching a good LED light, you'll need to thoroughly understand what the total output is (1000w, 400w, 300w etc). The higher you go, the more powerful and more likely leads to less electrical usage (and more cost effective for you).
4 Light Control: Depending on the stage, you'll want to ensure that your plants receive the proper amount of lighting (down to the exact hour). See a breakdown of the phases below for growing LED lights:
Seedling Phase: 16 hours on, 8 hours off
Vegetative Phase: 18 hours on, 6 hours off
Flowering Phase: 12 hours on, 12 hours off
It's extremely important that light cycles are followed to a tee as it can severely alter the growth and potency of your plants.