How Far Should LED Grow Lights be From Plants?

Grow light in layman’s terms refers to the artificial alternative to the sunlight for providing light to your plants. The grow light helps the plant to grow quickly and efficiently. But, have you ever wondered about the electricity these grow lights might consume? If yes, then, do not worry! They consume an extremely low amount of power that will help you save your cost. 

If you are planning to purchase these lights you might want to know about the list of best-led lights for growing. The post below will provide all the significant information relating to the subject. It will help you know the basic functions of the grow lights as well as some tips to avoid mistakes while using the grow light. The post will also be covering other aspects such as the distance and time to be maintained while using these grow lights. So, keep on reading the post below for your reference and clarity. 

What is the purpose of LED grow lights?

The grow lights as you might have understood are the most important and best source of artificial light. But, the grow light is not just normal bulb light, it has a lot more benefits. The best part is that it comes in various colors. Each of these colors is useful to the plants for various purposes. These grow lights can be controlled unlike the natural source of light that is sunlight. A few of these reasons why you should purchase these grow lights have been highlighted below for your reference. 

• Optimum heat emission

At the outset, the grow light provides the optimum heat emissions. This means that the light emitted by the grow lights can be controlled by the users through the controller. You can control the amount of light your plant will require during a particular time of the day. 

• Eco-friendly

In addition, if you are wondering whether this artificial source of light is eco-friendly or not. Well, to clear out all your perplexities, the grow lights are completely eco=friendly and do not cause any harm to the surrounding environment. 

• Proximity

Furthermore, proximity is another reason why you should plan to purchase the grow lights soon. In the case of grow light, you can also decide the proximity of these grow lights to your plants. More proximity is required during the day and comparatively lesser at night. 

• Modular designs

In conclusion, the grow lights are not limited to a single design. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, as well as designs. You can get the one you find interesting and exciting. With these modular designs, your plantation will look impressive. 

These were a few of the best features of the grow lights. There are enormous benefits that you will get as you start using these grow lights. Let us now move on to the next section to understand other aspects of the same. 

What is the distance of grow light from plants?

The light spectrum of the LED grow lights can be indeed overwhelming despite them not producing much light. This is when you hung this LED grow light too close to the plants. Hence, when you hung the LED grow light way too close to your plant, it might lead to light bleaching. This will also have an impact on the entire process of energy conversion which has a direct impact on the growth of the plant. 

The temperature of the light makes the grow light cool or warm. This is why the red color grow lights are warmer in comparison with the cooler, blue color lights. When it comes to the LED grow lights, their main focus remains on the output of the light spectrum in comparison to energy generation and hence you are required to hang the LED grow lights above the plants. Overheating and light bleaching are almost the same things and hence, you must avoid both. 

The distance you need to have between the lights and the plants will majorly depend upon the voltage of the grow lights. In this line, the LED light having a voltage between 240w-400w can be hung 16-30” above the plants. Similarly, if your plant height is 20-30” then, you need to use LED grow lights of 450w-550w. In the case of 600w-850w of LED light, you can keep a distance of around 24-26”. For the 900w or even more, the distance to be kept between the LED grow lights and the plants will be around 26-42”. However, one thing to always remember is to never reduce the distance, especially during the flowering stage. 

Tips to avoid mistakes while using the grow lights

Before going into the details of the grow lights, let us understand why to be careful; while using the grow lights in general. The grow lights are the most significant part of the indoor plantation. Your plants might die if they do not get this alternative form of light efficiently. This is because the light helps the plant to prepare the food that provides energy and further helps the plant to grow efficiently. But, if the plant receives too much light, it could be harmful as well. Here are a few of the tips that will help you to avoid common mistakes while using grow lights.

• Turn off the grow light regularly: You need to make sure that the grow lights are not on throughout the day and night. In such a case, the chances of your plant dying are more in comparison to the growth. 

• Correct the height of your grow lights: You also are required to check the height of these grow lights. This is primarily because the height will decide the amount of heat emitted on the plant. The more is the proximity, the stronger is the light emitted on your plants.

• Use the red and blue color combination: It is advisable to use the combination of red and blue grow light for your plant. This combination provides the best result as the chlorophyll of the plant absorbs these two colors much rapidly in comparison with other colors. 

• Have a rotation schedule: Since it is not a sure thing that the amount of heat emitted by the grow light will be the same for the entire room. Hence, it is best if you keep rotating all your plants. You can have a rotational; schedule and hence all the plants will receive equal heat. 

• Check the water daily: The heat emitted by the grow lights is not just like a normal bulb. Hence, you must check or monitor the water content throughout the day. It will provide you with an idea of when to water and when not to. 

These were a few of the tips that will help you avoid the most common mistakes that people often make. It is important to realize that minimal factors play a key significant role in the growth of your plants. So, you must be careful about every single thing. 

When should you dim the grow lights?

Well, now that you know the basic tips to avoid making common mistakes, you might be wondering if you can dim the light to save the electricity cost. To answer this question, it is ideally not suggested to dim your light for any moment. This is primarily because dim light will not emit the desired amount of light and hence no desired outcome. It is ideally suggested to not dim your light at any hour of the entire day. 

The plants will require a dark period as well. This means that after the entire day of light which might be around 16-18 hours, the plant will also need a period of the dark cycle. This dark cycle will help plants to grow and rest as well. This period is used by the plants to rest as well as move the nutrients absorbed into the extremities. You will hence be able to enjoy the benefits of the LED grow lights only when you put them with full power as they are not the typical home lights that can be useful even when dim. 

Conclusion

This was in all about the grow lights. The grow lights can be extremely beneficial for your plant’s growth. All you need to do is to take proper care of your plant as it grows. But, ensure that you do not put a strong light when the plant is at the stage of flowering. 

Grow lights as have been stated in the post above are the most way through which you can provide heat and light to your plant. Plant growth depends mainly on only three factors: water, light, and nutrients. If these are provided at through time at the right quantity then, the growth will be quick. So, do ensure to follow the tips mentioned above to avoid the common mistake while using the LED grow lights.