What Color Should I Choose For My Led Grow Lights?
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Natural sunlight contains all the colors of the lighting spectrum . While plants use the full spectrum for their photosynthesis studies have shown that red and blue are the most useful for growth. This is because Chlorophyll absorbs light most strongly in the blue portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, followed by the red portion as shown in the image below.
For more information on the relationship between chlorophyll, light and photosynthesis and to see an original of the image, click here. The images shows four chlorophyll absorption peaks and the best LED grow lights use four different types of LEDs to emit light at all four peaks (two red and two blue).
More specifically Red/orange light tends to stimulate growth and encourage flowering and so is useful for blooms and food plants. Too much red light can make plants tall and spindly. Blue light on the other hand regulates growth and so can encourage a more bushy, stocky appearance in plants, especially useful for foliage houseplants and leafy greens.
They key here is to ensure that the light emitted from an LED plant is absorbable by the plant and put to use in photosynthesis. While other lights, for example HID lights may produce more light, not all of the light will be absorbable. In addition when compared with HID lights, LED grow lights consume less power and produce less heat. Cooling fans are generally not needed, and as less heat is produced the watering cycle can be lengthened.
Plants have individual requirements when it comes to the best mix of colors in the spectrum for their growth. For instance, lettuce plants tend to do best with more cool blue light to encourage leafy growth. African violets on the other hand will grow well under blue oriented light but will only flower if also exposed to light in the red area of the spectrum. Some plants also do better if some green light is included in the mix. Ultimately the goal is to mimic the lighting present in the plant’s natural environment. Size is also a factor. The bigger the plants the more light that is needed.
Once you know the color that will best suit the plants you’re intending to grow you can choose the right mix of LED grow lights specifically for your needs. But don’t ignore the fact that plants also require dark periods as well as light periods when they photosynthesis. The best light/dark intervals will depend on the species of plant being grown.
Topics: Advice | Tags: best LED grow lights, blue LED grow lights, grow lights, HID lights, red LED grow lights | No Comments »