As technology has advanced throughout human history, it seems like magic to tell ordinary people 500 years ago that we can simply grow plants with glowing glass tubes.

It does.

With so much focus on sustainability and the environment, it’s no surprise to hear growing lights in conversations on all types of topics.

Grow lights have become very popular, offering a variety of alternative benefits without doing things the old-fashioned way. Talking about bulbs for plant growth can be very interesting because there is so much to learn, there are so many different varieties, and the industry is in a constant state of development.

In this guide, we’ll cover what you should know about grow lights.

How much light do plants need?

Obviously this will vary from factory to factory. But before you start using bulbs to grow plants indoors, first figure out how much light your plants actually need.

If you’re growing some houseplants that won’t receive natural sunlight, you’ll need about 16 to 18 hours of light. If you happen to have plants that will receive some light, look for about 12 to 14 hours. Try to use roughly the same amount of time your plants receive during the day.

If you’re a perfectionist and not sure how much light to give your plants, your best bet is to study it. However, it is not uncommon for beginners to simply try to replicate the amount of light their plants receive in nature.

ECO Farm ECOT 120W Dimmable Samsung LM301H Quantum board LED Grow Light with UV&IR

Features:

ECO Farm led grow lights are suitable for all growth stages, with excellent full spectrum-white, blue, red and IR (3000K, 5000K, 660nm and IR 760nm and 395nm UV), especially 660nm red and infrared lights are very useful in bloom, It can increase the growth rate of plants and make the flowers bigger and more vivid. The full-spectrum LED grow light has a 30% higher yield than HPS or other SMD LEDs or fuzzy lights. Lower operating costs and higher output-Using today’s latest high-yield LED technology-Samsung LM301H diode, high energy efficiency of 2.8 umol/J. The PPFD value in the central area provides strong light output and uniform canopy penetration, resulting in higher output.

Atreum Lighting HYDRA-1000 LED Grow Light

Features:

Atreum Lighting uses the latest LEDs for high efficiency output of 2.7umol/J, delivering powerful light output for maximum higher yields compared to HPS, Blurples or other cheap LED lights. The HYDRA-1000 is the only LED light with algorithmic spacing that produces the most uniform PAR map in the industry. This means your canopy will grow more evenly than similar LED panels on the market. This grow light can be used in all stages of the plant growth cycle from seedling to flowering. Dimmable lights with an actual power display are the only lights of their kind that ensure you know exactly how much energy you’re consuming.

What are the advantages of Led grow lights?

LED is worthy of your attention, and here’s the reason:

Saving Energy — Low Power

LED grow lights are more efficient than traditional lighting systems, consuming 60% less energy to give the same level of light. They emit less heat and provide more usable light than traditional lighting systems. This is because an LED diode does not burn anything to produce light. Due to their reduced energy use and heat production, LED grow lights lower energy bills considerably.

Temperature

LED grow lights do not give off a lot of heat. This is unlike HID lighting systems that produce temperatures approaching 400 or more degrees. LED grow lights do not give off a lot of heat. This is unlike HID lighting systems that produce LED light and does not much affect the operating temperature in a greenhouse or grow room.

Recycle & Environment Friendly

LED grow lights are 100% recyclable. Unlike HID lights, they do not contain toxic substances like mercury. To ensure this, all quality LEDs are certified by RoHS.

On the other hand, LEDs do not contain mercury and are considered safe. This is mostly true — they do not contain mercury, but they are not completely metal-free. A 2010 study by the University of California Irvine, found very high levels of lead in low-intensity red LEDs and high levels of copper, nickel, and silver in other colors of LEDs, except for in low-intensity yellow. LEDs are solid-state lighting and the diodes are typically very small so do not risk breaking. Yet, if the diodes end up in the environment and break down, the metals can leach.

LED grow lights can be used 24 hours a day with little effect on temperature. The use of LED lights enables you to change the daylight hours and the amount of red wavelength light at the exact right time to maximize the plant growth rate.

Spectrum Control

The best-LED plant lights in the marketing produce a balanced full spectrum of light. Spectral manipulation is from the ability to independently control each panel’s spectrum. This is a feature unique to LED grow lights. Traditional grow bulbs beam a single spectrum that cannot be manipulated. Many LED grow lights contain an array of colors, typically reds, blues, and whites, that can be turned on or off in any combination depending on the plant’s growth stage or variety/strain.

Remote Operation

Most of these lights connect to a WiFi network in which the grower can use a remote to set up the SDS options. Some lights use a smartphone app to control the fixture’s SDS, while other brands have their own remote or controller.

Long Lifespan

LED grow lights have a lifespan of over 50,000 hours, some manufacturers use LEDs that last up to 100,000 hours or more. which is much longer than traditional lighting systems This is equivalent to almost 10 years of use (at 50,000 hours) or almost 20 years of use (at 100,000 hours), respectively. Compare this to MH bulbs which last an average of 10,000 hours or HPS bulbs which have a lifespan of 16,000 hours or so.

Easy to Install

At a minimum, small to medium-sized grows only require an LED fixture and ventilation/air circulation. Simply plug in the light, hang it up, and ensure adequate airflow and stable temperatures. Growers don’t have to set up a ballast, hang the reflector, and worry as much about the grow space overheating due to the hot temperatures exuded by an HID bulb.

Fast ROI

Return on investment — ROI; there are many factors to consider for ROI that is not related to the direct monetary savings of electricity. Return on investments will vary significantly for growers depending on if they are a small closet grow, a medium-sized home grow, or a large commercial farm.

Conclusion

We tested several models for you to find the best grow lights for indoor plants. We prefer grow lights that use full spectrum LED grow lights, which are adjustable, relatively easy to install, provide ample power while being safe for long-term use, and have options for different time and brightness modes. Indoor grow lights are one of the top lawn and garden essentials you can always rely on.