LEDs? Really?
What the heck are LED grow lights? Aren’t those the lights we put up at Christmas time? Well yes and no. LED lights have been used for entertainment and decoration in the past, but there is a new technology of LED lights that are being used by farmers and taking the horticulture industry by storm. Farmers have been using lights such as high-intensity discharge lamps (or HIDs) for a long time now with good results, but advances in technology are blowing the old ways out of the water.
The Science
LED lamps are 95% more effective in supplying plants with the nutrients and energy required for photosynthesis. This is because LED lamps only use the light waves on the light spectrum that plants respond to. HID lights use the entire spectrum of light which in turn produces massive amounts of heat that must be contained. Farmers have to use expensive cooling accessories to counter the HID heat problem. Fans, reflectors, and heat removal systems, are all things of the past. LED grow lights require no accessories, as they are just warm to the touch, creating a much more tolerable environment for plant growth. Another aspect that makes LEDs great grow lights for indoor plants is the lifespan of the lights. HIDs have been clocked at lasting about 2 years at most. LEDs have a longevity that is over five times longer than the HIDs, making them a clear winner in yet another category.
Wave of the Future
So we have a lamp technology that is extremely effective, produces very little heat, requires no extra equipment, and it’s incredibly long lasting. It’s no wonder that farmers are chucking their old expensive grow lights for a newer, sleeker, and dare I say, less expensive piece of lighting technology. The benefits of LED grow lights are such that it really is a no-brainer to take advantage of them.