LED Grow Lights for Hydroponic Gardens
LED (light-emitting diode) lights are popular artificial lighting systems used in hydroponic or soilless gardening. Some of the advantageous of these grow lights include better growth of plants, less heat production and low maintenance cost.
Hydroponic gardening or soilless gardening can be defined as growing plants in nutrient solutions, rather than using soil as a growth medium. At times, inert medium such as gravel, perlite or rockwool is used in soilless gardening. Usually, hydroponics is practiced as indoor gardening. The necessary plant growth factors like temperature, light and humidity are maintained in controlled conditions, so as to promote the growth and development of plants.
For better efficiency, artificial lighting systems called grow lights are used to supplement the scarcity of sunlight. These grow lights emit electromagnetic spectrum similar to the sunrays, which enhances the photosynthesis of the plants. Previously, metal halide and high pressure sodium are used as hydroponics lighting systems. Though these grow lights provide an ideal light spectrum for the plant growth, they generate excess heat and consume large amount of electricity. Thus, these traditional grow lights are very expensive to maintain. A more energy efficient lighting system is the LED (light-emitting diode) grow light.
Why Use LED Grow Lights...
In recent times, LED grow lights are becoming very popular for hydroponic gardening due to various advantages. One of the major benefits of this lighting system is low cost of maintenance. The technology of these lights is to emit only the color spectrum required for the plant photosynthesis. Hence, they consume less amount of electricity in comparison to the traditional lighting system and other grow lights. On an average, these lights consume less than 5 watts of power for operation.
In LED grow lights, wide-spectrum red light and narrow-spectrum blue light of specific wavelengths are configured in a particular manner. The red spectrum supplements natural sunrays, whereas the blue spectrum makes an ideal light for the plant growth. Thus, these lights provide ideal light conditions for the better growth of all types of plants and/or crops. In addition, this lighting system contains no toxic mercury, which is used in fluorescent lights and metallic vapor.
There are several models of LED lights, each suitable for various types of plants and their successive stages. For example, some are designed for vegetative growth, whereas some are specially configured to promote flowering and/or blooming. Speaking about the installation, these lights should be hanged or mounted in hydroponic gardens, as per the manufacturer's guidelines. While using these lights, the height should be maintained in such a way that it covers maximum plantation area.
Another advantage is less production of heat. With minimum heat production, water requirement also reduces due to less evaporation. The problem of high temperature root damage and plant dehydration is thus solved by using LED grow lights. Hence, with this lighting system, there is no need for installation of fans or cooling ducts.
As these grow lights are available readily with plugs, no ballast is required for the initiation and regulation of the lights. Thus, there is no problem for ballast burning and/or replacement, which is so in case of fluorescent bulbs. These lights are long-lasting; a superior quality may last for 10-12 years. Overall, LED grow lights are easier to maintain and cheaper than other lighting systems used for hydroponic gardening.
For better efficiency, artificial lighting systems called grow lights are used to supplement the scarcity of sunlight. These grow lights emit electromagnetic spectrum similar to the sunrays, which enhances the photosynthesis of the plants. Previously, metal halide and high pressure sodium are used as hydroponics lighting systems. Though these grow lights provide an ideal light spectrum for the plant growth, they generate excess heat and consume large amount of electricity. Thus, these traditional grow lights are very expensive to maintain. A more energy efficient lighting system is the LED (light-emitting diode) grow light.
Why Use LED Grow Lights...
In recent times, LED grow lights are becoming very popular for hydroponic gardening due to various advantages. One of the major benefits of this lighting system is low cost of maintenance. The technology of these lights is to emit only the color spectrum required for the plant photosynthesis. Hence, they consume less amount of electricity in comparison to the traditional lighting system and other grow lights. On an average, these lights consume less than 5 watts of power for operation.
In LED grow lights, wide-spectrum red light and narrow-spectrum blue light of specific wavelengths are configured in a particular manner. The red spectrum supplements natural sunrays, whereas the blue spectrum makes an ideal light for the plant growth. Thus, these lights provide ideal light conditions for the better growth of all types of plants and/or crops. In addition, this lighting system contains no toxic mercury, which is used in fluorescent lights and metallic vapor.
There are several models of LED lights, each suitable for various types of plants and their successive stages. For example, some are designed for vegetative growth, whereas some are specially configured to promote flowering and/or blooming. Speaking about the installation, these lights should be hanged or mounted in hydroponic gardens, as per the manufacturer's guidelines. While using these lights, the height should be maintained in such a way that it covers maximum plantation area.
Another advantage is less production of heat. With minimum heat production, water requirement also reduces due to less evaporation. The problem of high temperature root damage and plant dehydration is thus solved by using LED grow lights. Hence, with this lighting system, there is no need for installation of fans or cooling ducts.
As these grow lights are available readily with plugs, no ballast is required for the initiation and regulation of the lights. Thus, there is no problem for ballast burning and/or replacement, which is so in case of fluorescent bulbs. These lights are long-lasting; a superior quality may last for 10-12 years. Overall, LED grow lights are easier to maintain and cheaper than other lighting systems used for hydroponic gardening.
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