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LED Grow Light Distance Chart: How Far Should Led Grow Lights Be From Plants?

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hydroponics led grow lights ECO Farm

If you’re trying to figure out the perfect distance between your plants and the LED lights nourishing them, you’re already ahead of the game. Too many growers overlook light placement or decide to wing it. At worst, the result is a struggling, unhealthy crop. At best, they don’t get the full benefits of choosing LED lights to begin with.

The most technologically advanced LED lights have completely revolutionized indoor and greenhouse growing. Between the high-intensity output and variable spectrum control, these lights are the best option for mimicking sunlight and manipulating your product. Plus—as you’ve undoubtedly heard by now—LED lights to accomplish all this while using limited energy and emitting very little heat.

However, in order to use all these benefits to their fullest potential, you must determine the optimum placement in relation to your canopy. Unfortunately, there is no set standard. All LED lights are a little different, which is why the absolute best advice we can offer is to consult with the manufacturer of your specific light.

Beyond that, here are a few insights and tips that can help you make the wisest choices for your plants.

How To Measure Light for Plants

Let’s quickly define PAR and PPFD. PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) describes the portion of the visible spectrum that plants “see” and use for photosynthesis (400nm-700nm). PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) measures the amount of light (PAR) a plant receives over time. PPFD represents the light density a plant receives over time and is measured in micromoles [of photons] per square meter per second (1).

A way to visualize PPFD is to imagine the sun is “pouring” light onto the plant leaves. As the sun pours light onto the plants, their leaves are collecting the energy. PPFD is the measurement of the amount of light (photons) the sun “pours” onto the plants over time. PPFD is an important metric because it helps growers accurately measure the light intensity for photosynthesis at the canopy level. It is also important because lights placed too close to the canopy can cause burning, bleaching, stunted growth, or discoloration.

How far should LED grow lights be from plants?

A general principle for placing LED grow light is 18 inches to 42 inches above the canopy of your plants but the accurate distance is determined by the type of LED light, Wattage it uses and the growth stages of plants along with their types. If you often use a 1000 watts LED light then it is advisable to place your light at least 36 inches away from the canopy of your plants. These can be brought further closer during the vegetative stage, about 24 inches from the canopy and 18 inches during the flowering or bloom periods till the maturity of the plant.

LED Grow Light Distance Chart

How Far Should LED Grow Lights be for Flowering Plants

As plants grow, their needs change. Once the vegetative stage is complete, plants enter the bloom or “flowering” stage. For established plants, they are already where they need to be in order to thrive. During the flowering stage LED Grow lights should be located between 16-36 inches from the plant canopy. Moving the grow light closer will increase the light intensity which can maximize photosynthesis. However, if the grow lights are too close above plants, they can cause wider, more sprawling growth or can even damage the plant.

Plants require different levels of light depending on each stage of growth. To understand exactly how far grow lights should be from plants, it is important to factor in the different stages of growth (2). It is also important to consider the power output of the grow light — this usually is related to the wattage of the light source, which is a primary factor in determining the optimal distance for LEDs when starting the growing process.

Plant growth can roughly be divided into three different stages – Seedling, Vegetative, and Flowering stages.

This means once healthy roots are firmly established, it’s time to increase the intensity and lower the lights.

Seedling Stage

During the initial stage as seedlings, LED grow lights should be placed higher up from the plants to avoid drying out the soil.

Some growers may be tempted to blast seedlings with a high-intensity light to promote faster growth, however, this will not help until the plants become established. Seedlings are too vulnerable in this early stage and require a gentler approach. Once plants mature, then higher light intensity is required to promote photosynthesis.

Vegetative Stage

During the vegetative stages, plants respond well to intense light – it is during this period that they are maturing and using photosynthesis to grow quickly. To increase the light intensity, LED grow lights should be located closer to the plant canopy. Strong, healthy stems and roots are key for a successful and repeatable yield.

While increasing light intensity promotes growth in the vegetative stage, it is important to closely monitor your plants, making sure to look out for adverse symptoms caused by too much light or not enough.

Flowering Stage

Flowering is the final stage of a plant’s growth cycle — during this time fruit production and stem growth accelerate. As plant growth transitions from the vegetative to the flowering or bloom stage, it is good practice to “phase” this transition process. To do this, gradually raise the height of the LED grow lights away from the plant canopy (using the height recommendations outlined earlier). Monitor the distance closely, keeping in mind the desired crop height and flowering needs for the specific plant/crop.

Full spectrum LED grow light provides plants in all stages from veg to flower with everything they need in the natural sunlight. 

Adverse Effects of Too Much Light

When a plant like cannabis receives too much light at any stage, they often show symptoms of distress. Since LEDs do not give off much heat, the main issue that needs to be closely monitored is any indication of “light burn”. Other side-effects related to grow lights that have been placed too closely to the plant canopy could be discoloration or stunted/irregular growth. Both of which must be identified quickly and the grow light height adjusted accordingly.

Signs of light burn in cannabis plants include upward-pointing leaves and what is known as “bleaching”. Bleaching is the white or yellow discoloration on the leaves closest to the light. Light burn can also be identified when the plant veins stain green as the rest of the leaves turn yellow.

Lighting Distance for Traditional Grow Lights

Before LEDs became popular for indoor growing applications, traditional High Intensity Discharge lamps (HID) like MH and HPS grow lights, as well as fluorescent lamps, were widely used. These lamps historically have had a much lower first-cost than LED grow lights, making them more affordable to purchase and therefore accessible for large-scale indoor growers.

The distance that HID or fluorescent grow lights should be from the plant canopy is greater than from LED. This is partially because they give off more forward heat than LEDs, but they also are only available in a few different wattages/light outputs. The distance that grow lights should be mounted varies for each stage of growth and depends on the wattage of grow lights used.

While traditional grow lights have a lower first cost (they are less expensive to buy) they require more maintenance over time – the bulbs need replacing and/or cleaning more frequently – and they have significant limitations related to lighting controls – many do not dim and can take a long time to turn on to full light output.

The Bottom Line

The intensity or distance between your plants and LED lights is crucial to the health of your grow. Run the lights too high power or place the lights too close, and you can damage the plant. Underpower or hang them too high, and you miss out on the highest possible yields and potency.

Your best bet for getting the exact perfect height is to consult with the manufacturer of your specific LED light. If you’re still on the hunt for an LED light, include customer service as a consideration when weighing your options. Choose an LED light manufacturer that offers easy access to expert insight.

In conclusion, we hope that this article helped you understand what the ideal distance of grow lights for indoor plants need to be. We hope it helps you grow just the perfect type of weed which you would enjoy smoking up!

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