Best in Gardening

The indoor gardening world was rocked a few years ago with the introduction of LED grow lights. In the midst of controversy, many questions arose as to whether or not they could give true results and live up to the hype. By putting in a bit of research, you can plainly see that, not only do LED grow lights deliver, but they are here to stay.

When using LED grow lights, it is vital to understand that you are trading the high-intensity brute force concept (expensive energy cost) of metal halide and high pressure sodium grow lights for the focused power of an LED grow light.

When typically using HID grow lights - with all the associated (expensive) accessories such as heat ducting, extraction fans, ballasts, and so on - the entire white light spectrum is emitted. With wavelengths from red to blue and in between, plants get the benefit of light while getting attacked by excessive heat. Not many people think about how efficient this method is. At only about 15% efficiency, HID grow lights throw away most of its energy in the form of non-absorbable light and plant-killing heat. That is just money down the drain.

Top LED grow lights on the market get 95% efficiency meaning that almost all light emitted is easily absorbed by growing plants for photosynthesis. The lights produce a small amount of heat (remain warm to the touch) and almost none of the light is wasted. To accomplish this, years of research and development goes into determining what specific wavelengths of light to target that will give the biggest boost to the photosynthesis process. Blue, red, and to some extent orange light are the most beneficial colors for growing plants indoors. Logically, this makes complete sense as plants are green. This means they reflect all green light and most yellow light. For a plant, green and yellow light is basically useless for growing - so there is no need to waste electricity on a light that produces these wavelengths.

To choose the best LED grow light for your indoor garden, you need to take some things into account. First, like nearly any product available, there is a large range of quality depending on the manufacturer. From very basic set-ups to the BMW of LED grow lights, models range in shape, the color of light emitted, price, and power output. All of these factors can determine your overall success as an indoor gardener. Like many other things in life, you get what you pay for.

I am not telling you that you must buy the most expensive model you can find because cost is not the sole factor that determines quality. It is the composition of the LED grow light and the quality of the components used in its construction that is the real factor.

What you need to look for in an LED grow light is the power of each individual LED bulb. It is common to find 225 LED grow panels for sale very cheap - around $50-$100, however, you would totally waste your money. Each bulb in such an array typically has only 0.06 Watts. This is severely underpowered - unless of course you only want to grow a 4 inch tall plant. Because of the lack of power, you will get poor results, no canopy penetration, spindly plants, and some plants just wont grow or flower at all. The minimum power output to look for is 1 Watt per bulb - about 16 times more output than "bargain" LED grow lights and you are still saving a ton of money in electricity.

When using high quality LED grow lights you get powerful, highly targeted light to your plants. You will enjoy the success of thick, stocky plants with huge blooms and the biggest yields possible when growing inside.

Get a more in-depth LED Grow Light Review. Stop by Cora Ladd's site where you can find out all about LED Grow Lights and how they can benefit your indoor garden.

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