Understanding Benefits Of LED Grow Lights

Three kinds of supplemental plant lights for indoor use are marketed today – HID or high density discharge lights, fluorescent lights and LED grow lights. If you love the idea of have an extended season of fresh vegetables, or are a grower who wants to extend the production season, then a supplemental light system can be just what you are looking for.

If you want a light that can produce the most light per electrical unit, then HID or high density lighting is the primary choice. Of the two types, metal halide lights produce light most similar to sunlight, so are best as your primary grow lights. They emit much of their light in the blue end of the spectrum, and this is beneficial to foliar growth.

The other type, high pressure sodium, emits most of its light in the red-orange end of the spectrum. To encourage your plants to set buds and to bloom, this type of light wave is essential. This makes them a good greenhouse supplemental light. The two types of HID lights are often used in combination for the best plant growth in all stages.

Most gardeners are somewhat familiar with the use of fluorescent lights for growing plants. Because they give off much less heat than HID lights, they can be placed closer to plants. This is necessary because they are much less efficient in the light to electricity ratio. They are also quite large, and require more room.

The fluorescent tubes that are the full spectrum type are used mainly for starting plants and getting seedlings off to a good start early in the growing season. They are more energy efficient than the high density lights, making them an economical buy.

A newcomer to the arena of supplemental plant lighting are LED grow lights. These small, lightweight lights do not need ballast or require reflectors, since the light is focused and directional. Each diode has a very long life and can last for several years.

It has taken over 80 years for the benefits of LED (light emitting diode) technology to be recognized fully by manufacturers. The technology was a Russian invention, but because the costs of developing it are high, its use has languished. Now that energy conservation is a top priority, it is finally being utilized.

Each lamp actually is comprised of many tiny individually made diodes, and manufacturing them is expensive. Each diode can be engineered to emit a specific light wave. This expense makes the cost to the end user quite high. In fact, good quality LED grow lights can cost in the neighborhood of $600. Although still relatively expensive to manufacture compared to other types of grow lights, LED lights use considerably less energy, This offsets the purchase price in around two years.

Questions that customers have are usually about value versus cost. They are also concerned about whether the light does in fact enhance growth of plants. By including a variety of spectrum-emitting diodes, LED grow lights can be made to include the full light spectrum required for efficient photosynthesis. Although expensive at present, they are definitely a viable choice.

Sacha Rathe is a gardening enthusiast and writes about indoor gardening, hydroponics, and LED grow lights. For more LED grow light reviews, visit www.led-grow-lights.com.