The best LED grow lights have some characteristics you need to be aware of when shopping for grow lights.  You must be careful not just buy the cheapest grow lights you can find.   These will not serve you well and will only disappoint.

The first thing to look for is the wattage of the individual bulbs that make up the array.  You want 1 watt bulbs.  Some cheap Led grow lights have wattage as low as 0.06 watts per bulb.  These are essentially useless.  They will not emit a sufficient number of lumens (a measure of the quantity of light) to enable photosynthesis to take place, and therefore the plants will starve to death.  There are LED bulbs in higher wattage available, but the number of lumens per watt drops off, meaning that efficiency drops.   The bottom line is that for LED grow lights, 1 watt bulbs are best.

Another thing to be aware of is the viewing angle.  LEDs can vary from 8 degrees, to as much as 120 degrees.  This viewing angle means the size of the cone of light emitted by the LEDs.  Conventional grow lights emit light in all directions.  This is why you need reflectors (an accessory involving additional expense) to lessen the losses from light going off in directions other than toward the plants.  LEDs on the other hand have lenses as an integral part of their construction.  The 65 degree viewing angle lenses seem to be the most efficient for grow lights.

The third factor to consider when choosing LED grow lights is the color. Or colors. This can vary depending upon what purpose you have in mind.  For simple growth of the roots, stems, and leaves, blue-violet light is needed.  For reproduction, that is to stimulate flowering, red-orange light is best.  Most LED grow lights will have a combination of the two colors, and some will have even more.  Choose according to your main purpose.  Choose the best LED grow light you can find that emphasizes red-orange light if you’re interested in propagating your plants.  But remember that they will still need some blue-violet to make food for themselves and grow.

These are the main factors to consider when buying the best LED grow lights you can.  Choosing according to the needs of the plants and your main purpose in growing them, whether it is to propagate them or to grow them, will result in a bountiful harvest and great satisfaction.

LED grow lights (or light emitting diode grow lights) have become the first choice for many indoor gardeners, and there are several reasons for this.  One of them is that they remove the need for a separate cooling system.  I’ll come back to this point, but first let’s look at some of the other reasons.

Efficiency is another reason for choosing LED grow lights.  They are more efficient than other kinds of grow lights.  A word about how plants use light will help with understanding this.

Plants need two parts of the spectrum.  They don’t require the full spectrum, and in fact can’t use the full spectrum.  They use red-orange light for producing food by photosynthesis, and blue-violet light for reproductive purposes.  Most of the rest of the spectrum just isn’t needed or used.

The reason LED grow lights are so efficient is that they have been designed to use electricity to produce only those wavelengths of light that the plants actually use.  There’s another element to this higher efficiency however.  They also don’t waste energy in producing as much heat as conventional grow lights.  And, the heat that is produced is made at the base, and not radiated outward onto the plants as it is with the conventional variety of grow lights.

The heat problem with the conventional variety requires buying a separate cooling fan system in order to avoid burning the plants or drying them out too severely.  LED grow lights don’t dry plants out in this way and consequently there are savings in watering costs.  Many LED grow lights do have a fan built in to cool their bases where the heat is produced, but there is less heat and it never endangers the plants.

The final advantage of LED grow lights is their very long life expectancy as compared to any other type of light source.  They will usually last from 25,000 to 100,000 hours, which is many times their conventional counterparts lifetimes.

Although LED grow do cost more to acquire than other types of grow lights, between the lowered watering costs, the long lifetime, and the fact that there is no need for an additional cooling system, in many cases, LED grow lights save their owners money in the long run.  LED grow lights are the future of indoor gardening.

LED Grow Lights

Over the past few years, LED grow lights have become increasingly popular for a number of reasons. As growing organic foods and gardening are more widespread hobbies, more people are looking for ways to grow their own food. Not everyone has the luxury of having a large outdoor area to grow gardens and plants. LED lights make gardening possible for virtually anyone, anywhere. These grow lights are a smart and economical way to grow the best, healthiest plants and vegetables. Using an LED grow light to grow fresh vegetables, herbs and plants can help save money on grocery bills and are much cheaper than other alternative lighting sources.

Other indoor growing lights are harsher and give off white light glares that can be harmful to plants. This type of lighting can also cause plants to lose a good deal of moisture. LED lights help plants keep their moisture longer, which in turn helps them bloom faster and grow stronger. LED lights are also much more environmentally friendly than alternative lighting sources.

The best way to use LED grow lights is to place the lightweight LEDs close to the plants, with the light directly on them. Other lighting sources must be permanently placed on the ceiling, or come in the form of large, heavy fixtures. The LED lights can be moved easily and placed in different areas without a problem. Being able to move the lights around with such ease is a huge asset to indoor gardens.

Choosing to use LED grow lights in an indoor garden is a great way to save money and be environmentally friendly all at the same time. Not only are you getting the benefit of having grown your own vegetables, plants or herbs, but you are also helping out the environment by keeping greenhouse emissions low.