A beginner’s guide to picking proper LED lighting for growing plants
Determining what LED grow light is best for your purposes depends on several factors, including:
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Now, before explaining why each of the above factors is important when choosing the right LED grow light, we’re happy to walk you through this process — and give you guidance custom to your situation — over the phone or via email. Simply call 1-855-255-9197 or contact us here.
Key Factors When Buying LED Grow Lights
Location (if in a greenhouse)
A big benefit of a greenhouse is the ability to successfully manage crop production anywhere you desire and do so year-round. However, the location of your facility determines how much sunlight your greenhouse receives throughout a 24-hour period. This can also be referred to as the daily light integral (DLI).
Less natural light increases the need for supplemental lighting within your operation. Adding supplemental lighting can help maximize yields by simply assisting and encouraging crop photosynthesis.
Crop and growing facility
Your type of growing facility is one of the greatest influences when selecting proper LED lighting. Traditional greenhouses, vertical farms, indoor facilities, and a variety of other grow operations require different light supplementation on fixtures that fit accustomed to the production area.
Keep in mind, certain crops need specific amounts of micromoles (light) throughout the day for optimal results. For example, a fruiting crop typically requires more light than a leafy green.
Your growing facility also determines how much space you have for crops. This area, as well as how you set it up, dictates the size and number of LED grow lights you need.
Coverage area
Coverage area is the square footage of plants that fall under a light’s beam. This “footprint” is key to knowing which LEDs you need, as well as the quantity for optimal growing conditions. For example, if you grow within a tomato greenhouse and your toplighting coverage area is 4’ x 4’, you could properly expose the plants in that area by using one L1000 (see lights below).
The distance your light hangs away from your crop also impacts your coverage area or, more specifically, the intensity of the light. Farther away means less intense light and, as a result, slower growth. So you can gain greater coverage area with your LED grow lights hanging higher, but this can come with drawbacks.
Spectrum
The goal with supplemental LED lighting is to mimic the same energy source plants receive from the sun. This includes giving them the exact hues of the light spectrum they need to grow efficiently and consistently.
Visible light ranges from blue to far-red light and can be measured in wavelengths. Each wavelength in the lighting spectrum impacts growth in different ways and can have specific benefits for different crops. Generally, red light assists in developing flowers/fruits, while blue light assists in creating strong, healthy stems and leaves.
Light color strongly determines plant development. So when your crop has the proper lights, you can increase performance, quality of product and overall yield.
Voltage
LED grow lights operate at different voltages. The electrical outlets in your growing facility determine what type of lighting you can use. A typical wall outlet allows for 120V or 240V. Of course, you can change your voltage capacity if you’re building a new growing structure.
Wattage
Wattage refers to the amount of power used by an LED grow light. This can vary on the low end from 200W to as high as 600W. Between 200W to 600W is considered medium wattage. Just like traditional home lighting, more wattage means more light.
Wattage is also important because it affects your cost on your electric bill. The more watts the fixtures use, the higher the consumption of electricity. So if you pay more $/kwh to your utility provider, small differences in wattage for the same amount of light (i.e., more electrical efficiency) can add up to big savings at the end of the year.
Plugs
LED grow lights come with two types of plugs. This is important to know because, depending on the lighting you choose, you may need to upgrade your outlets (see Voltage information above).
Many grow lights use a standard wall plug, which is the same as what you have in your home. Some, though, have an L7 plug. The L7 electrical plugs are on higher voltage LED grow lights (277V+). These look like the plug that goes into the outlet for your washing machine.
Mounting Accessories
Your structure type impacts what mounting accessories you need. While some LED grow lights come with mounting accessories, many require you to purchase them separately.
At Hort Americas, we offer a variety of accessories that cover the most common installation requirements. Just plan in advance of your lighting purchase to make sure you have what you need to make installation easy.
Advantages of Using LED Grow Lights to Maximize Yields
LED grow lights are a relative newcomer to the horticulture industry. As a result, the technology continues to advance, bringing added benefits to growers, especially when it comes to maximizing yields. Picking an LED grow light that gives you the greatest advantages depends on your preferences.
Overall, most growers prefer LEDs because of the following benefits:
- Saves on your electricity bill (uses less electricity to produce the same amount of light and produces less heat that you often have to cool)
- Saves long term on operating costs (due to less maintenance costs)
- Speeds up crop growth, which can increase yields
- Lowers operating temperatures (don’t give off heat)
- Uses about 60% less energy than traditional lights
- Allows for recycling (because LEDs aren’t made with toxic substances)
Yet picking the right one depends on your growing situation.
How much space do you have available for growing (e.g, somewhere small, such as a closet, or a larger area such as a greenhouse)? What’s the size of your growing area? What’s your power source? How much is your budget?
To make selecting the best LED grow light for your purposes easier, we summarize the most important factors (mentioned above) for each of our most popular lighting products. Simply select the LED grow light that best matches your growing needs.
L2000
- Ideal use location: Greenhouses and indoor farms
- Crops: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, lettuce, culinary herbs, cannabis and floriculture crops
- Spectrum PKR, PKB, PKT, BRI, PKF
- Voltage: 120-277V or 277-480V
- Wattage: 606 – 1041 W
- PPF Output: 1800 – 3300 (μmol/s)
- Cord length: 4-foot cable no plug
- Mounting accessories: 2 Unistrut brackets included with each fixture
Learn more about L2000 LED Grow Lights here.
ML900
- Ideal use location: Indoor high light intensity crops and vertical farms
- Crops: Lettuce, culinary herbs, strawberries, young plants, floriculture crops and cannabis
- Coverage area: 4’ x 4’
- Bar count: 2 bars per fixture
- Mounting height: 12-24” above crop
- Pink reproductive spectrum (additional spectrums available)
- Voltage: 120-277V or 277-480V
- Wattage: 626 – 639 W
- PPF Output: 1695 – 1741
- Cord length: 6-foot leader cable
- Plug: Nema 5-15P, 120V standard wall plug
- Mounting accessories: Universal Wire Frame Hanging Mount
Learn more about ML900 LED Grow Lights here.
ML300
- Ideal use location: Indoor farms for leafy greens, propagation or vegetative growth
- Crops: Lettuce, culinary herbs, young plants, floriculture crops and cannabis
- Coverage area: 4’ x 4-10’ or more depending on light intensity needs
- Bar count: 4, 5, or 6 bars per fixture
- Mounting height: 12-24” above crop
- Pink reproductive spectrum (additional spectrums available)
- Voltage: 120-277V or 277-480V
- Wattage: 415 – 635 W
- PPF Output: 1134-1728
- Cord length: 6-foot leader cable
- Plug: Nema 5-15P, 120V standard wall plug
- Mounting accessories: Universal wire frame hanging mount
Learn more about ML300 LED Grow Lights here.
Life2
- Ideal use location: Indoor farms for microgreens
- Crops: Leafy greens, culinary herbs, young plants/propagation and floriculture
- Coverage area: 4’ or 8’ mounted every 10-12”
- Mounting height: 10-14”
- Broad spectrum – pink (PKR) or white (BRI)
- Voltage: 120-277VAC
- Wattage: 32W or 64W
- PPF Output: 70 – 206
- Cord length: 6’ with wall plug (no dimming), 10’ leader cable, no plug (with dimming)
- Plug: NEMA 5-15P, 120V standard wall plug
- Mounting accessories: Optional mounting clips
Learn more about Life2 LED Grow Lights here.
Integral
- Ideal use location: Greenhouse or indoor farm
- Crops: Vine crops, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant
- Coverage area: 7’9″ long, single or double layer between crops. 120 deg beam angle
- Spectrum: PPR
- Voltage: 120-277VAC, 277-480VAC
- Wattage: 99W, 94W
- PPF Output: 346, 340
- Cord length: 21′ 3″
- Plug: Whip end cord
- Mounting accessories: Suspension cable, 6.7 m/22 ft, adjustable end loop, hook, wire form, 138 mm/5.43″, hook, wire form, 238 mm/9.37″, bracket, wire form, 58 mm/2.2 in diameter
Learn more about Integral LED Grow Lights here.
