LED Grow Lights: The Ultimate How To
LED Grow Lights: The Ultimate How To
If you’re new to indoor gardening, or even a seasoned pro, LED grow lights are something you may have considered. It can be a complex business but with a few simple tips, a handful of know how, and a sprinkle of expertise, you’ll be right on your way! We’ve put together a simple-but-informative guide to using LED grow lights in your Australian indoor garden.
What are grow lights?
As we all know, plants need light to power their growing. But when you’re growing plants indoors, or even in a shadier location, they’re not going to get the same energy-packed light they’d normally receive from the sun. This natural light has cycles that help plants know when to initiate or prevent fruiting and vegetative cycles. It indicates the time of year or season, giving plants the cues they need.
That’s why replicating this as best as possible inside is crucial to the successful growth and yields of your plants. LED growing lights are the key to this, and they have a number of benefits over other forms of lights.
The benefits of LED
LED technology has rapidly developed over the last several years making it the most economical choice as growing lights for indoor plants. LEDs have lower running costs due to a lower power draw than comparative HID lights, lower running temperatures, and longer lifespans. For example, reputable branded LED growing lights you buy will last, on average, longer than 5 years, and up to 10 years. This means, despite a potentially higher upfront cost, they are much more valuable in the long term.
You also get a broader spectrum of light from LEDs, meaning less changing out of the bulbs as your plants mature.
Which growing lights should I buy?
Which light you should buy depends on your growing set up, needs like light intensity and plant type, and of course, budget. Here are a few different options that cover these varying considerations.
Single Bar LED Lights
These are a great beginner growing light if you’re just starting out. They’re one of the cheapest options available and they’re scalable in size and wattage as per your requirements. They’re great as a side light or lighting within the canopy, and are perfect for low-light intensity plants and those that are constantly in a vegetative state like our favourite leafy greens!
Find single bar LED lights here.
UFO LED Grow Lights
These LED growing lights are the next step up in performance and price. They offer your plants 4,000K full spectrum light and are great for filling in the dark spots in your garden. It’s important to manage the intensity of light your plants need and then installing these accordingly. What’s great about these is, they consume approximately half the energy of equivalent HID setups, and with next to no heat output. This requires no fans, which means silent operation!
Take a look at UFO LED grow lights here.
Quantum Board Lights
If you’re looking for the next level up, and with added water resistance, the Big Lizard Quantum Board lights are a good bet. They come in a range of wattages and are perfect for both beginners and more advanced growers. If design or aesthetics aren’t your main focus, these lights are the best value for money when considering the light output. Due to their size and intensity, you’ll often find this sort of growing light used as a standalone setup for larger plants.
Growing tip: purchase the 3,000K model if you will predominantly be growing flowers, and the 3,500K model for the broadest range spectrum covering all stages of growth.
You can learn more about Quantum Board lights and the Big Lizard range here.
5 to 10 Bar LED Lights
At the top of the range we have the 5 to 10 bar LED lights. These lights are used by advanced growers as professional fixtures, as they provide high intensity light across a wide area. They’re highly efficient and offer full-spectrum light for effective vegetative and flowering cycles.
These setups use top of the range LEDs and technology, putting them at the top of the price range.
Take a look at the products available here.
The range of LED grow light products available is almost endless, so it’s important to consider the factors listed above; price, setup, need. Once you evaluate this, you can then go about browsing for the right product for you. Broadly speaking, when looking for a good light, it’s also worth considering the ‘watts for dollar’ ratio, light intensity, and whether there’s an adjustable dial. As always, if you have any questions on LED growing lights or anything gardening related, reach out to us at Aqua Gardening! We love to help.
You can reach us here.
You can browse our LED grow lights range here.