If you’re starting your seedlings indoors, you’ll want to install some grow lights. Grow lights provide the artificial light that seedlings need to thrive. They come in all shapes, sizes and strengths. You can buy it from any online or physical store. But it is difficult to choose a suitable LED grow light. So, how to choose LED plant growth lights suitable for seedlings?

Well, in the next article, you will learn more about it. This article is beneficial even if you are a beginner.

Horticulture Lighting Science

Plants need light for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy that can be used for growth and reproduction.

During photosynthesis, plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar. These sugars are then used by the plant for energy, to build new tissues or stored for later use.

When it comes to photosynthesis, not all light is created equal. Different colors of light have different energies and are used in different ways by plants.

Red and blue light are the most important colors for plant growth. Plants use red light for flowering and fruiting. Plants use blue light for vegetative growth.

Full-spectrum LED grow lights provide the full-spectrum light plants need for photosynthesis. These lights can be used to grow plants from seedlings to mature.

ECO Farm ECOZ 1000W Samsung 301H Chips LED Grow Light With Separately UV+IR Control

Features:

The ECO Farm grow light is equipped with Top Bing Samsung & Osram Chip and brand driver to ensure high-efficiency PPE 2.9umol/J, better heat dissipation, and long service life. Compared with old plant lights, the average PPFD is increased by 30 %, and the yield and quality are increased by 50%. At the same time, it also has the most trustworthy full Cycle Sunlike Spectrum, close to natural sunlight. The spectrum applies to the entire stage of indoor planting. This ECO Farm LED grow light has independent control of the VEG switch, Bloom switch, and UV switch. VEG dimmer controls white light 5000K, one Bloom dimming The device controls white light + red light (3000K+660nm+730nm), and the UV dimmer controls UV 395nm. And there are optional knobs and touch screen controllers.

Spectrum King Phoenix 1050W LED Grow Light

Features:

Spectrum King’s Phoenix 1050W LED Grow Light is a grow lighting beast that unleashes 1050 watts of sun-like light in areas up to 6' x 6', unleashing the ultimate output for your grows. Designed to hang high, the Phoenix 1050 recreates the sunniest summer days for plants that never seem to get enough light. SK Cryo-Therm cooling technology enables an ultra-thin profile that allows maximum airflow and minimizes microclimates. Optimized for single or multi-tier planting near the canopy. For growers who need the biggest, brightest LEDs, the Phoenix 1050W is for you.

Spider Farmer SE1000W Dimmable Full Spectrum CO2 LED Grow Light

Features:

Spider Farmer LED Grow Lights feature a uniquely designed extension of 10 to provide more even and complete canopy coverage, especially in exterior growing areas. With 3710 SAMSUNG LM301B diodes, the SE1000W Led Grow Light consumes 1000 watts at 2955 umol/s, achieving an impressive PPE of 2.9 umol/J, covering a high yield full cycle growth of 4'x4'. The dimmer knob is ideal for growers to adjust light intensity for different growth stages. The SE1000W grow light comes with a detachable driver and long power cord to reduce ambient heat in the grow space and extend its lifespan. The LED diodes are coated with water repellent, so there is no need to worry about wet environment.

How to Use Grow Lights

Usually, artificial lighting for plant growth is used for about 14 hours on average. The rest of 10 hours is lights off. Plants need their rest to metabolize nutrients.

That’s the general rule but there can be exceptions because some plants might need more time under grow lights, while others might need less.

For example, hydroponic lettuce might be an exception to the lighting for 14 hours on average knowledge. Growers might leave the artificial lights on for 16 to 18 hours and only 6 to 8 hours off. Lettuce is definitely a long-day plant.

On the other hand, strawberries are short-day cycle plants that need longer periods of darkness. Short-day cycle plants should not be exposed to more than 12 hours of grow lights.

And there are also neutral plants, which are pretty much in the middle, between long-day and short-day plants. These can be mixed and grown together with either of the two categories.

In hydroponic systems, some choose to use a timer to set it up to their lights.

The placement of the grow lights is also important, you should pay attention to that, too.

Conclusion

In short, indoor grow lights are an easy way to add life and color to your home or office. Just choose the right one, and make sure you give your plants enough light to thrive. With so many different options, it’s hard to go wrong!