How to choose full spectrum LED grow lights for your crops-The Full Spectrum Grow Light Comparison
Full spectrum grow lighting has emerged in popularity. However, you have to understand how to choose grow light settings that will work for you. Not all are created equally for each plant you want to grow.
Before you dig into how to set up your grow lights, you may need to understand what full-spectrum lights are. This includes a brief explanation of LED grow light specifications that matter most for achieving your desired crop yield.
What are full spectrum grow lights?
Full spectrum LED grow lights are usually ones that shine a bright white shade. This type of light encompasses all seven colors of the visible light spectrum, otherwise known as the rainbow. LED lights for growing are meant to serve as an alternative to daylight, which has a cooler temperature than incandescent or fluorescent lights.
Specifications of Full-Spectrum Lights
First off, when we speak of full-spectrum lights, we’re focusing on the light waves your eye can see. This guide doesn’t include information about ultraviolet or infrared light waves, which many full-spectrum light sources may contain.
Each visible light wave color measures a different length. It also has its own frequency measurement. Violet is the shortest and the highest in frequency. Red is the longest visible light wave and the lowest in frequency.
Color temperature is another indicator of full-spectrum lights. Some spectrum waves are warmer and they measure at about 2700-3000k (reds oranges and yellows). Other waves may measure as high as 6500k, which include blues and purples.
Know that many fluorescent and LED sources range somewhere in the middle–about 6500K. It’s other types of light, such as the standard household incandescent type, that measure at a warmer temperature. Some fluorescent lights also are a little warmer, at about 4000-5600K.
Should you use full spectrum led grow lights for indoor plants?
That’s up to you. It may provide you with the best growing experience. That’s because full-spectrum LED grow lights emit the seven different light waves that come from the rainbow.
The seven different light waves of the rainbow emitted by LED sources also come from sunlight. You probably know this by now, but those seven colors include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Why use full-spectrum grow lighting?
Full-spectrum grow lighting contains the wavelengths that most plants typically respond to. This ranges in measurements from about 400-700 nanometers (nm).
It’s also the range of visible light frequencies that best supports photosynthesis, a [process ordinarily activated by natural sunlight. Depending on your light settings, full-spectrum lights can also speed up or slow down plant growth rates. It also helps you develop healthy root systems for all your crops.
The visible light from full-spectrum LED lamps is not the only light that your plant may need. They also might respond to infrared or ultraviolet rays. However, you’re usually better off with a variety of light waves rather than just one.
When should you use full-spectrum LED Lights?
It’s rare to use them outside, although it’s not entirely impossible. For best results, you want full spectrum LED grow lights for indoor plants. If you want to set up a greenhouse and grow indoor plants in that, that would also be an excellent time to use full-spectrum growing lights.
What are the benefits of each full-spectrum LED light wave?
An explanation of how plants may respond to each full-spectrum LED light wave will best help you understand the benefits of full-spectrum LED lighting. You can adjust your full-spectrum light color levels to suit your needs for increased plant production advantage.
Red
The red light wavelengths range from about 600-700 nm. They usually promote budding and flowering. They also work well with blue light to completely activate the photosynthesis process.
Orange
Orange light, which measures at a little less (frequency??) than red light, can encourage healthier root growth. It also can improve the taste of fruit and enhance leaf quality. It’s close to red on the full-light spectrum, so it also provides similar benefits as red light.
Yellow
For some types of plants, yellow can support the nutritional quality of edible crops. Like orange light, it can also improve food taste upon harvest. It also provides some of the similar effects as red light.
Green
Sometimes, green light benefits growers more than the plants themselves. It reduces eye strain while workers inspect and cultivate crops. You can turn your light to this color when detecting diseases and abnormalities too.
Blue
Blue lights seem to be a favorite for plant growers. That’s because it’s one of the most powerful visible colors of the light spectrum for providing plants the C02 it needs.
This maximizes the chlorophyll absorption required for photosynthesis. As a result, you may end up with thicker and darker leaves.
Purple (Indio and Violet shades)
Purple with strong red tones can provide germination support. Indigo, violet and other purple hues ensure that you have as many leaves and stems later on in the growth cycle as possible.
What are the best full-spectrum LED lights?
Keep in mind you won’t find a “one-size-fits-all” solution even for one type of plant. For instance, you may need a different type of light for your Roma tomatoes than you would for your red vine ones.
Certain strings of cannabis may call for a higher frequency of red and blue than others. Maybe not all your flowers will respond if green light waves are too weak. Here’s a general recommendation for each type of harvest you plan to produce, but you still need to know what’s right for your specific crops.
For Food
Every food, such as carrots, tomatoes cucumbers or lettuce has its own lighting needs. In this case, you may need more than one full-spectrum light source. Then, adjust each one according to each plant and its stage of growth.
In other words, indoor food growing usually calls for maximum control over brightness settings. For vegetable and fruit production, you also want the freedom to select light rays as needed.
For Cannabis
It depends on how much space you have. If you’re just starting to dip into commercial cannabis growing, you may have limited space. If so, you might want to set up some vertical grow lights.
Some types are compact enough to not take up space on each shelf you place them. You can combine varieties of light intensities and adjust them according to your needs.
For Flowers
Assuming you have room for a greenhouse on your property, you can install vertically or horizontally mounted lights. These illumination sources along with a greenhouse set up to allow natural light. This allows you to produce flowers at any time of the year, not just in the spring or fall.
Growers often set up full-spectrum greenhouse lights when growing vegetables and fruits. Like vertical farming lights, the greenhouse ones can be placed in a vertical position. They also will fit in a horizontal position, so they’re also suitable for growing in limited spaces.
How do you choose the right full-spectrum LED lights?
Consider what you are growing because not every type of full-spectrum LED grow light will work in every situation. For example, tomatoes may require a different concentration of light than cannabis, carrots or cucumbers.
The amount of space and the positions you place your LED grow lights in also may determine what construction of light is best for your indoor grow room plants. These LED grow light comparisons could send you in the right direction, depending on your needs. By the way, some are meant for commercial growing, but others are intended for residential growing.
LM301H Optimized Bar Light
Pros
LM301H fits the description of one you could easily customize to the needs of your plants. You can also change its photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) for the type of crop you want to use.
It also has a heat dissipation function that keeps the light cool for safe operation. You also have the privilege of running it for about 100,000 hours. It covers a range of waves across the entire spectrum from 3000K-5000K, so you can use it for all plant growth stages.
Cons
You probably won’t need one this big if you just maintain a few houseplants for yourself. In that case, you’d benefit more from portable lights.
YPLZ Grow Light Board
Pros
The YPLZ series contains special LED chips. They provide lighting balance for the most healthy plants you could ever produce. You accomplish this using this product’s LED chips.
It has an RJ control box, which allows you to fine-tune your illumination settings as much as you need to. You’re also offered multiple wattages from 100 to 480. That should accommodate enough growth sizes for you.
Cons
This one is not practical for growing just a few houseplants. It’s more for sections of your home or a commercial growing site.
PHDG Toplight
Pros
The PHDG Toplight series allows you to customize the spectrum for maximum plant growth control. Like most Boya Grow Light systems, it’s also waterproof. It isn’t that difficult to install and can help your plants flourish in just about any growing environment. It also provides shadowless, uninterrupted light.
Cons
It’s another one that you probably wouldn’t use if you have limited space and are not intending on growing commercial plants in a large space. You wouldn’t find it practical for growing a few plants at home for yourself.
Bar Light Mini-Series
Pros
The Mini-Series allows you to reduce your energy usage while providing your plants with the right amount of light for the best growth experience. it’s also one of the most durable grow lights we sell, and you can set it to assist you during each growth phase.
Settings allow you to also adjust for specific plant types to ensure that lighting conditions provide the best chance for healthy and productivity. What’s more, it’s a light you can install in smaller residential growing environments, but you can also use it in commercial settings.
Cons
It may not be as effective as the large-sized ones are for commercial indoor growing. However, it may provide you with a way to start growing sooner than you think. You’re also limited to only four or six bars per section, unlike commercial-sized bar lights.
The DWLZ Bar Light
Pros
The DWLZ provides more coverage than some bar lights, especially the Mini-Series models. It also emits high concentrations of light for plants that need as much of it as possible. It’s one of the LED sources offered by Boya that uses the least amount of energy for the amount of yield that it produces.
The DWLZ also has a power supply that regulates electrical currents. This provides the most stable and consistent supply of energy of all the grow light models in our stock. You can choose from four different wattages from 100-450.
Cons
It has an edge around it, which could stop light from reaching the perimeter of your plants. You can avoid lack of coverage, however, by positioning your plants within the light boundaries. On the other hand, the edges exist to create the “spotlighting” effect for targeting specific areas of plants with more intense light.
The Interlight
Pros
You can suspend the Interlight. This allows you to reach your lights from the ceiling while leaving room for your plants to grow. It also has one of the highest Luminous efficacy of all the lights in our stock. It converts energy to light with ease. Its head dissipation system also prevents it from becoming too hot, which can damage it. This particular light encourages healthy flowering and fruit development, and it withstands grow room moisture buildup and accidental water exposure damage. It doesn’t require much power to run either.
Cons
It has a shorter lifespan (less than 50,000 hours) in contrast to other systems that may run for 100K hours or longer. It also doesn’t have a full spectrum range like some of the other LED grow lights do.
The UFO Light
Pros
The UFO works well in smaller growing areas. In fact, you could place your edible plants or cannabis under it in the main common area of your home and use this type of lighting for them. The rounded fixture would blend in with your main room decor, and it creates a spotlight effect that focuses on specific plans.
Cons
The UFO light doesn’t cover a large area. We don’t recommend as a standalone light source for commercial growing.
How to Choose Grow Lights Based On Features
Remember, choosing the full spectrum growing lights that are right for your operation requires more than just choosing colors and type. You also need to think about other features that would benefit you the most. This list should help you understand the benefits of growing lights you might consider.
Automatic Shut-off
Ideally, you will want to choose full-spectrum grow lights that automatically shut off and turn on at certain times. This will allow you to set the number of “sunlight” hours that your plants need. For instance, your carrots may only need 10-12, but cannabis strains may require 13. Automatic off-and-on switching also ensures that you give your plants “time to sleep,” so to speak.
Intensity Programming
For different crops, you might want the freedom to set lights of varying spectrums onto your plants. You especially may see the need for changing light wave intensities during differing growth phases from germination to full bloom.
Dimming Options
Dimming can reduce your eye string when in the environment maintaining and inspecting your plants. It also provides you the chance to optimize your light settings for the healthiest production possible. Some grow lights have up to three different dimming settings.
Some growing lights, such as bar lights or lighting boards, come in various wattage capabilities. This allows you to control how much energy you consume while supplying your plants with enough brightness.
Length, Width and Height
It’s important to choose the dimensions, shape and style of light according to what will fit in your growing environment. For instance, you can use some lights in a vertical position if you have limited horizontal space but tall ceilings.
Positioning
Positioning works hand-in-hand with the sizes of lights you choose. Different shapes and styles along with specific dimensions will fit in certain growing spaces better than others.
Mounting Hardware
Some grow lights affix permanently with mounting hardware. Others only stay in place temporarily. It depends on your needs and what you believe is best for your plants. Space also is a factor that determines what kind of mounting hardware you could benefit from the most.
Invisible Light Rays
This content mostly focused on the visible lighting aspects of LED grow lights. However, your plants will also benefit from ultraviolet and infrared rays. If you know a lamp has UV and infrared capabilities, that’s all the better for you.
High CRI Rating
CRI stands for Color Rendering Index. That’s the rate that a lighting source reflects off object around it without distorting the original appearance of those objects much. Some sources say to choose lights of a CRI of 85 out of 100. If you can, we say choose lights that are 95 and higher.
CCT
CCT stands for Correlated Color Temperature. This relates to the CRI rating. For best results, look fo grow lighting that has a reading of about 6500K. This mimics natural daylight the closest.
Coverage
Your grow lights should cover your plants enough. For instance, you need light for the main plant, but you also need enough light to reach the perimeter, including seedlings that may be around that primary plant.
