Do you have an indoor garden? Growing plants and vegetables indoors can be an exciting venture if done the right way. One of the requirement for indoor gardening is grow lighting system. There are different types of grow lights that growers can use for their indoor garden. However, all grow lights are not equally effective. LED grow lights are more effective and energy efficient compared to HPS and HID grow lights.
It’s for this reason why more and more gardeners are switching to LED lighting system. In this article, we are going to focus on the pros and cons of LED grow lights.
We shall provide a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of LED grow lights so as to help you make an informed buying decision.
Keep reading…
Advantages of LED Grow Lights
Are there any benefits of using LED grow lighting system in your indoor hydroponic grow tent garden as opposed to HID lighting system? Indeed, there are notable benefits and that’s why many growers are using LED grow lights.
Some of the advantages of using LED grow light in your indoor garden are;
- Energy Efficient
- Advanced Cooling System
- Full Spectrum
- Longer Lifespan
- Healthier plants
They Are Energy Efficient
As a grower you definitely want to keep your operation costs low as much as possible.
LED grow lights are energy efficient compared to other model of grow lights such as HPS and HID. Majority of LED grow lights only consume about 60% of energy to produce similar amount of light.
For instance, BESTVA DC Series 3000W LED grow light replaces the traditional 2000W HPS while consuming 615 Watts only.
Advanced Cooling System
Too much heat in your indoor garden does not only harm your plants but it also inflates your electricity bills. LED lights are made of LED diode which does not burn any substance in order to generate light.
As a result, there is less heat and noise produced and they also require minimal energy. A thick aluminum plate is also fitted in most of these grow lights for optimal heat repulsion.
Full Spectrum for Both Veg/Bloom Stages
If you want to grow your indoor plants and vegetables faster, you require more hours of light. What about going for a grow light that you can use form planting to harvesting without having to incur additional cost?
LED grow lights can help you achieve all these. Most Full Spectrum LED grow lights are designed with both vegetative and flowering switches.
They give gardeners an easy option of changing the type of light color at different stages of plant growth.
Longer Lifespan
LED grow lights have a longer lifespan compared to other conventional grow light systems. Due to low operating temperatures, LED indoor grow lights can guarantee you 50,000-100,000 hours.
The longer the lifespan, the greater the value for money. In addition, LED lights are also eco-friendly since they can be recycled.
They don’t contain toxic components such mercury found in some other models of indoor grow lights.
Healthier Plants and Increased Harvest Cycle
When using LED grow lights, growers can be able to adjust their functionality to produce the perfect light wavelength for plants at different growth phases.
When you manipulated the number of light hours, you can increase the plant growth rate. LED lights can help growers dealing with auto flowering plants achieve more than one harvest in a single season thus, increasing productivity.
Check out the following best LED grow lights for indoor plants.
Disadvantages of LED Grow Lights
Now that we have extensively focused on the pros of LED grow lights, it’s only fair to also have a look at their drawbacks.
Although these modern artificial grow lighting systems are very popular among many indoor growers, they come with a few disadvantages which include;
- Too much bright blue light
- High initial cost
- Less intense grow light
- Risk of light burn
Too Much Bright Blue Light Which Is Harmful
Although the blue light color helps the plants nourish very well especially during the vegetative stage, too much exposure to this kind of light can damage your eyes.
High Initial Cost
There are models of LED indoor grow lights which are a bit expensive for a beginner. Although they don’t require too much additional accessories, you will spend more when buying a high quality grow light.
However, LED lights will save you money in the long run since they have a longer lifespan and they are energy efficient.
Power Level
Compared to the HID lights, LED indoor lights are less powerful. The more powerful a grow light is, the more intense light. If you supply your plants with intense light, they will increase production.
Risk of Light Burn
If you don’t adhere to the usage rules and decide to place the LED lights too close to the plants, you will expose them to light burn.
The light bleaching effect can be spotted once you see your plants leaves turning yellow and then white. Therefore, ensure that you place them at the recommended height and angle for optimum productivity.
Common LED Indoor Grow Light Frequently Asked Questions
Are LED Grow Lights Worth It?
Yes. LED indoor grow lights are worth the money. They might require a high initial capital when installing them for the first time but they are very economical in the long run. They have a longer lifespan which means you save on the replacement costs.
Are LED Grow Lights Harmful To Humans?
No. LED lights are not harmful to humans but you should use them with precautions. They release a blue bright light which is beneficial to your indoor plants but too much expose to such kind of light for long can damage your eyes. Check out our review for G8 900 Watt MEGA LED grow light.
How Long Does A LED Grow Light Last?
Since LED lights do not burn anything in order to generate light, they produce less heat which enables them to have a longer lifespan compared to other indoor growing light models. Most of LED indoor growing lights have a lifespan of 50,000-100,000 hours.
Are LED Lights Better Than HID?
LED lights are better than HID grow lights when it comes to energy efficiency and operational cost. However, if you have a big indoor garden and you want to increase the quantity and size of your indoor plants, you can use HID grow lights because they produce more intense light.
