Using grow lights in winter can help keep your succulents looking their best. Find out what you need!
My goal in writing this article is to answer the question “When to Use Grow Lights for Houseplants?” and “What Grow Lights Should I Buy?” as simple as possible.
To make things easier, you can download a free cheat sheet that shows at a glance which grow lights are best for indoor plants. Click here to get it. This will be very helpful.
When to Use Grow Lights for Houseplants
If your plants have been kept indoors, grow lights can help year-round. They will ensure your plants always get enough light to thrive.
You may decide that you only want to use grow lights for your houseplants for part of the year. If so, then it’s best to use them in winter. Since the days are shorter this time of year, grow lights will help compensate for the reduced sunlight.
But if you have outdoor plants, you can still use grow lights to your advantage. For example, if you’re growing an outdoor garden in the spring, indoor grow lights are a great way to get your plants started indoors first because it’s too cold to keep them outside. Then, when the weather warms up and the risk of nighttime frosts disappears, your health plan will be ready to be transplanted outside into the garden.
What Grow Lights Should I Buy
LED grow lights are more widely used than any other type of grow lights, full-spectrum LED grow lights are very close to natural sunlight. These are available in a variety of sizes and are easy to install in a grow room or tent.
Additionally, there are full-spectrum LED grow lights that contain additional blue or deep red diodes that can be used at specific stages of growth and development to produce the desired effect.
The type of plant you grow will determine which color of light you want to use at different stages of growth to force flowering or induce dormancy.
A specific combination of blue and red light promotes the growth of dwarf varieties without making them grow too large. The same goes for growing plants that are more compact than those normally grown in natural sunlight. The inclusion of green light and a small amount of far red light helps the lower stems and leaves of larger plants grow so they don’t appear “leggy”.
ECO Farm 900W Commercial Full Spectrum LED Grow Light Bar MS Series
Features:
The ECO Farm grow light uses Samsung high-bin LEDs, ultra-high PPFD, and 8 high-efficiency aluminum rods to ensure high-efficiency PPE 2.7umol/J, better heat dissipation, and long service life. Compared with old plant lights, the average PPFD is increased by 30%, and the yield and quality are increased by 50%. 90% of led plant growth light will be absorbed by plants, while traditional HPS lights and MH lights, the effect is only 8 %-10%. 8 LED growth lights, each rod is covered with high-grade glue, waterproof and easy to clean, not easy to be filled with dust. This plant growth light also uses a special dimmer, which can precisely adjust the brightness. 0–10 levels are optional. This means that you can see clear brightness levels and record while adjusting. No need to worry about differences.
Mars Hydro FC-E1000 Bridgelux 1000W LED Grow Light
Features:
The Mars Hydro LED Grow Light has a full spectrum for full cycle plant growth. FC-E1000W is specially designed for high PPFD culture (such as high concentration CO2 growth). It is by far the most powerful grow light with a high PPF of 2,766 umol/s and an average PPFD of over 1,300 umol/m2/s. The FC-E1000W is slightly different from other FC-E LEDs because of its scalable flexibility, allowing for customization and configuration. Typically, 10 light bars are arranged on 2 support bars to provide an unusually high amount of power for an area of 4×4 feet.
Points to consider before buying the LED grow light
Selecting top-of-the-line LED grow lights is not a one-size-fits-all process. Other points to consider include:
Durability
LED Grow Lights are cutting edge solutions for growing indoor plants — especially bio-greenhouse products. When you are shopping for these grow lights, you need to consider their durability. Construction needs to be high quality.
PAR
The term PAR, or Photosynthetically Active Radiation, often comes up when you’re selecting LED lights for your grow room. This is an alternative sunlight solution that plants can use indoors. You need to make sure that the grow lights distribute the PAR evenly among the plants. That’s why it’s crucial to look carefully at the surface area. text
Cooling system
LED grow lights can often overheat if you’re not careful. When shopping for grow lights, make sure you have a cooling system to protect your home. Most LED grow lights come with cooling fans and built-in systems, although these can be a bit noisy at times. Also check for a suitable heat sink.
Conclusion
Of course, all plants need light, but the amount of light they need can vary widely. A space with sunny windows may be all your low-light houseplants need to do just fine, but other houseplants need brighter, more consistent amounts of light to grow properly. For example, if you’re growing vegetable seedlings for your spring garden, nurturing flowering houseplants to bloom, or even growing fresh herbs on your kitchen countertops, then the right grow light is your friend.