Grow Lights Guide
Susan Slobac asked:
If you are starting out with indoor gardening, there is a lot to learn. One of the important environmental factors that you will need to provide for your plants is appropriate light. Plants need light for photosynthesis. Plants have the amazing ability to change light energy through photosynthesis into glucose and oxygen, which they need to thrive and grow. You will want to consider the grow lights you use in your indoor growing area very carefully, because it is a major aspect that will affect the success of your gardening venture. There are several new grow lights, and very popular ones include HID lights, HPS grow lights, LED grow lights, and MH grow lights. These are all hydroponic gardening grow lights, and all can be used with plants grown in soil as well.
HID lights go by the full name of high-intensity discharge lights. MH grow lights and HPS grow lights are also high-intensity discharge lamps. HID lights produce a great deal of light that more closely resembles sunlight than the light produced by either incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, which is better for plant growth and reproduction. The way light is produced by HID lamps is when you turn the electricity on, the current runs through a ballast, which regulates the electrical flow to the electrodes, which are inside an arc tube, along with various gases and metals. When an electrical arc is produced, the gas in the tube helps start the light bulb, and the metals, once they reach the appropriate temperature, evaporate and produce the light that you see.
HPS grow lights make excellent hydroponic lights. HPS stands for high-pressure sodium, and these are used by professional growers to produce vegetables and flowers indoors commercially. HPS lamps use mercury in the arc tube, as well as sodium, and this makes for good color rendering, or colors showing up accurately when lit by the bulb. The spectrum color that a bulb gives off is important, because plants thrive under different colors depending on their stage of maturity. If you are trying to grow lettuce, for example, you will want to use the blue light spectrum under which it thrives. If you have mature tomato plants that you want to produce fruit and flowers, then you will want to use a red/orange spectrum to induce the plant to behave appropriately.
LED grow lights are called this due to a light-emitting diode that allows the lamp to produce light. These lights are handy because they come in an array of colors used in growing plants, and they produce a lot of light that is easily focused where you need it. They have a very long life as well.
Another type of grow lights are metal halide lamps. The arc tubes of these compact and efficient bulbs contain argon gas, mercury and a mix of metal halides. Like the other choices for HID lights, these lights require the use of a ballast in order to function properly.
If you are starting out with indoor gardening, there is a lot to learn. One of the important environmental factors that you will need to provide for your plants is appropriate light. Plants need light for photosynthesis. Plants have the amazing ability to change light energy through photosynthesis into glucose and oxygen, which they need to thrive and grow. You will want to consider the grow lights you use in your indoor growing area very carefully, because it is a major aspect that will affect the success of your gardening venture. There are several new grow lights, and very popular ones include HID lights, HPS grow lights, LED grow lights, and MH grow lights. These are all hydroponic gardening grow lights, and all can be used with plants grown in soil as well.
HID lights go by the full name of high-intensity discharge lights. MH grow lights and HPS grow lights are also high-intensity discharge lamps. HID lights produce a great deal of light that more closely resembles sunlight than the light produced by either incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, which is better for plant growth and reproduction. The way light is produced by HID lamps is when you turn the electricity on, the current runs through a ballast, which regulates the electrical flow to the electrodes, which are inside an arc tube, along with various gases and metals. When an electrical arc is produced, the gas in the tube helps start the light bulb, and the metals, once they reach the appropriate temperature, evaporate and produce the light that you see.
HPS grow lights make excellent hydroponic lights. HPS stands for high-pressure sodium, and these are used by professional growers to produce vegetables and flowers indoors commercially. HPS lamps use mercury in the arc tube, as well as sodium, and this makes for good color rendering, or colors showing up accurately when lit by the bulb. The spectrum color that a bulb gives off is important, because plants thrive under different colors depending on their stage of maturity. If you are trying to grow lettuce, for example, you will want to use the blue light spectrum under which it thrives. If you have mature tomato plants that you want to produce fruit and flowers, then you will want to use a red/orange spectrum to induce the plant to behave appropriately.
LED grow lights are called this due to a light-emitting diode that allows the lamp to produce light. These lights are handy because they come in an array of colors used in growing plants, and they produce a lot of light that is easily focused where you need it. They have a very long life as well.
Another type of grow lights are metal halide lamps. The arc tubes of these compact and efficient bulbs contain argon gas, mercury and a mix of metal halides. Like the other choices for HID lights, these lights require the use of a ballast in order to function properly.
Indoor Gardeners Experience Many Benefits From the Supernova LED Grow Light
Susan Slobac asked:
Indoor gardeners are agog with the introduction of the latest LED grow light to hit the market–the Supernova LED. This family of LED grow lights offers improved light output for a fraction of the cost of using HID or other ordinary types of grow lights. Gardeners are impressed with its light coverage, increased light spectrum control, and cool running temperatures, among a wealth of improvements it brings to ordinary grow lamps.
The Supernova grow light offers an increased light coverage when compared with other LED grow lights. While other good LED grow lights offer a three foot by three foot area with good light coverage, the Supernova LED adds an additional two feet to that, for a total of five square feet of coverage area. These grow lights are designed to be space saving yet very powerful. The Supernova LED achieves this large coverage through the clever use of seven individual circuit boards. This allows the light to flow out of the unit at different angles, and this unique design provides for its improved light coverage that your plants will appreciate.
When you purchase an ordinary grow lamp, it comes with a particular color temperature and color tone built in. This is also the case with the Supernova LED grow light, but with the major benefit of allowing you the flexibility to change the color spectrum as you wish. This is accomplished through independently adjustable spectrum control. In addition to this flexibility, the Supernova LED also comes in an enhanced spectrum version, providing you with six more custom LED light spectrums at your fingertips. While young plants require the blue light spectrum for growth, mature plants need red and orange light in order to produce fruits and flowers, so if you can adjust your light to meet their specific needs, they will experience much better growth rates. This unique light allows you to fine tune your light to exactly what your plants require, unlike any other grow light available.
Ordinary grow lights have a side effect, after being on for a length of time, of increasing heat temperature, so much so that extra equipment must be used so that the lighting equipment does not overheat and malfunction. LED grow lights such as the Supernova LED avoid this issue because they have fans built into the units. This keeps the Supernova LED lights cool, and avoids entirely the need for ducting and air-cooled reflectors, which offers a tremendous cost savings to the the indoor gardener. The grower can use these funds to purchase hydroponics supplies and equipment for other areas of their gardening enterprise.
A Supernova LED grow light is a new innovation in indoor gardening lighting that will offer superb lighting for your plants while saving you money.
Indoor gardeners are agog with the introduction of the latest LED grow light to hit the market–the Supernova LED. This family of LED grow lights offers improved light output for a fraction of the cost of using HID or other ordinary types of grow lights. Gardeners are impressed with its light coverage, increased light spectrum control, and cool running temperatures, among a wealth of improvements it brings to ordinary grow lamps.
The Supernova grow light offers an increased light coverage when compared with other LED grow lights. While other good LED grow lights offer a three foot by three foot area with good light coverage, the Supernova LED adds an additional two feet to that, for a total of five square feet of coverage area. These grow lights are designed to be space saving yet very powerful. The Supernova LED achieves this large coverage through the clever use of seven individual circuit boards. This allows the light to flow out of the unit at different angles, and this unique design provides for its improved light coverage that your plants will appreciate.
When you purchase an ordinary grow lamp, it comes with a particular color temperature and color tone built in. This is also the case with the Supernova LED grow light, but with the major benefit of allowing you the flexibility to change the color spectrum as you wish. This is accomplished through independently adjustable spectrum control. In addition to this flexibility, the Supernova LED also comes in an enhanced spectrum version, providing you with six more custom LED light spectrums at your fingertips. While young plants require the blue light spectrum for growth, mature plants need red and orange light in order to produce fruits and flowers, so if you can adjust your light to meet their specific needs, they will experience much better growth rates. This unique light allows you to fine tune your light to exactly what your plants require, unlike any other grow light available.
Ordinary grow lights have a side effect, after being on for a length of time, of increasing heat temperature, so much so that extra equipment must be used so that the lighting equipment does not overheat and malfunction. LED grow lights such as the Supernova LED avoid this issue because they have fans built into the units. This keeps the Supernova LED lights cool, and avoids entirely the need for ducting and air-cooled reflectors, which offers a tremendous cost savings to the the indoor gardener. The grower can use these funds to purchase hydroponics supplies and equipment for other areas of their gardening enterprise.
A Supernova LED grow light is a new innovation in indoor gardening lighting that will offer superb lighting for your plants while saving you money.
Hydroponics Gardening With LED Grow Lights
Susan Slobac asked:
It’s a well known fact that hydroponics gardening requires grow lights. Choosing a powerful grow lamp to light the plants properly in order for photosynthesis to occur and for the plants to grow and thrive is the key to success. Lighting is crucial to every kind of indoor gardening situation, because without adequate light, the plants will be stunted and not grow to their full potential. LED grow lights can be used to good effect in an indoor plant growing situation.
LED refers to light-emitting diode. A diode has two terminals, and it allows current to flow in one direction and not in another. It is a simple semiconductor.
Photons are units of light. Atoms contain photons, and it is the photons that produce light. They produce light when electrons move around and change positions. Electrical current, in an LED lamp, flows across the diode, and when this happens, it causes a change in the movement of the electrons. The positively-charged electrons will move in the opposite direction from the negatively-charged electrons. A semiconductor is made more conductive to electrical flow when free electrons are added to the conductor material, creating negatively charged areas, or when they are taken away, leaving gaps in the chain, and positively charged areas. Electrical current flows over these areas, and it causes the electrons to move. The side effect of all this movement is the production of light.
The color of the light emitted by these types of grow lamps is based on the size of the gap in the electron chain. The gap size affects the frequency of the photon, and this is why it has an impact on the color of the light produced. Low-frequency light produced by an LED light is used to light remote controls for one of many common examples, because it it infrared light.
If you are growing plants indoors, then the color of the light that your grow light emits is quite vital to your plants’ health. Young plants at the seedling stage require blue light in order to grow properly. Mature plants, such as a flowering or fruiting plants, require red and orange light in order to get the plants to produce the flowers and fruit that you want. All of this is dependent on the light that you use with your plants. LED lamps come in a wide variety of colors, so it is easy to get the exact grow lamps you need in order to get the results you want from your indoor plants.
The advantage to using LED lights is that they do not get hot as they are in operation, and they also do not have a filament, which you find in incandescent light bulbs, so they often have a longer productive life because of this.
It’s a well known fact that hydroponics gardening requires grow lights. Choosing a powerful grow lamp to light the plants properly in order for photosynthesis to occur and for the plants to grow and thrive is the key to success. Lighting is crucial to every kind of indoor gardening situation, because without adequate light, the plants will be stunted and not grow to their full potential. LED grow lights can be used to good effect in an indoor plant growing situation.
LED refers to light-emitting diode. A diode has two terminals, and it allows current to flow in one direction and not in another. It is a simple semiconductor.
Photons are units of light. Atoms contain photons, and it is the photons that produce light. They produce light when electrons move around and change positions. Electrical current, in an LED lamp, flows across the diode, and when this happens, it causes a change in the movement of the electrons. The positively-charged electrons will move in the opposite direction from the negatively-charged electrons. A semiconductor is made more conductive to electrical flow when free electrons are added to the conductor material, creating negatively charged areas, or when they are taken away, leaving gaps in the chain, and positively charged areas. Electrical current flows over these areas, and it causes the electrons to move. The side effect of all this movement is the production of light.
The color of the light emitted by these types of grow lamps is based on the size of the gap in the electron chain. The gap size affects the frequency of the photon, and this is why it has an impact on the color of the light produced. Low-frequency light produced by an LED light is used to light remote controls for one of many common examples, because it it infrared light.
If you are growing plants indoors, then the color of the light that your grow light emits is quite vital to your plants’ health. Young plants at the seedling stage require blue light in order to grow properly. Mature plants, such as a flowering or fruiting plants, require red and orange light in order to get the plants to produce the flowers and fruit that you want. All of this is dependent on the light that you use with your plants. LED lamps come in a wide variety of colors, so it is easy to get the exact grow lamps you need in order to get the results you want from your indoor plants.
The advantage to using LED lights is that they do not get hot as they are in operation, and they also do not have a filament, which you find in incandescent light bulbs, so they often have a longer productive life because of this.
Are Mh and Hps Grow Lights Done for
Susan Slobac asked:
When it comes to grow light solutions, it seems as if there are as many choices as there are varieties of plants for your garden. The two main grow lights, Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) are High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights used in hydroponic gardening. Metal Halide grow lights are generally used during a plant’s growing cycle – i.e., when it is not blooming or bearing fruit. HPS lights are used during a plant’s fruiting/blooming phase. There are two sub-types of HPS lighting: one is enhanced for the blue spectrum, which is better for fruiting, and the other is red spectrum enhanced, which specific benefits flowering. In addition, there are mercury-vapor lamps, which are similar to modern streetlights, and fluorescent grow lights.
All indoor grow lights make use of what is known as a ballast system. With MH and HPS lights, these are remote, meaning that an external box is required in order to house an electronic pre-heating system, which in turn runs the lamp itself.
Historically, all types of HID grow lights have a useful life of approximately 1 – 1-1/2 years. Although they will usually operate beyond this time, their luminescence is compromised – meaning that they will produce substantially less light, yet continue to consume the same amount of electricity.
With the advent of LED grow lights, are HPS and MH lights obsolete?
LED stands for “Light-Emitting Diode.” LED lights have actually been around for a long time – some people who built models of spacecraft from popular science fiction may recall the old “grain-o-wheat” bulbs used to illuminate them. LED lights have also been used in calculators, digital displays and movement sensors (your new cordless optical mouse probably has a motion-sensing LED device).
Unlike most traditional types of glow lights – each of which have its own specific application – LED grow lights can be tuned to specific wavelengths according to the needs of the particular plant. LED grow lights are also much more efficient, using only a fraction of the energy required even by fluorescent lights while providing much greater luminescence.
The best part of LED grow lights is their durability. Unlike MH or HPS lights which usually must be replaced after 18 months, LED lamps are built to function for up to 100,000 hours – nearly twelve years with normal usage averaging 18 hours per day.
Another feature of LED grow lights that make them superior to other types is the substantially lower amount of hear produced. Unlike other types of grow lights, LEDs are cool burning. This means that less heat is produced to affect the plant, nor will an elaborate ventilation system be required in order to carry away excess heat.
The drawback of LED grow lights is their relative expense; they require a greater initial investment than most other types of grow lights. However, because of their efficiency and durability, they quickly pay for themselves in terms of long-term energy savings.
When it comes to grow light solutions, it seems as if there are as many choices as there are varieties of plants for your garden. The two main grow lights, Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) are High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights used in hydroponic gardening. Metal Halide grow lights are generally used during a plant’s growing cycle – i.e., when it is not blooming or bearing fruit. HPS lights are used during a plant’s fruiting/blooming phase. There are two sub-types of HPS lighting: one is enhanced for the blue spectrum, which is better for fruiting, and the other is red spectrum enhanced, which specific benefits flowering. In addition, there are mercury-vapor lamps, which are similar to modern streetlights, and fluorescent grow lights.
All indoor grow lights make use of what is known as a ballast system. With MH and HPS lights, these are remote, meaning that an external box is required in order to house an electronic pre-heating system, which in turn runs the lamp itself.
Historically, all types of HID grow lights have a useful life of approximately 1 – 1-1/2 years. Although they will usually operate beyond this time, their luminescence is compromised – meaning that they will produce substantially less light, yet continue to consume the same amount of electricity.
With the advent of LED grow lights, are HPS and MH lights obsolete?
LED stands for “Light-Emitting Diode.” LED lights have actually been around for a long time – some people who built models of spacecraft from popular science fiction may recall the old “grain-o-wheat” bulbs used to illuminate them. LED lights have also been used in calculators, digital displays and movement sensors (your new cordless optical mouse probably has a motion-sensing LED device).
Unlike most traditional types of glow lights – each of which have its own specific application – LED grow lights can be tuned to specific wavelengths according to the needs of the particular plant. LED grow lights are also much more efficient, using only a fraction of the energy required even by fluorescent lights while providing much greater luminescence.
The best part of LED grow lights is their durability. Unlike MH or HPS lights which usually must be replaced after 18 months, LED lamps are built to function for up to 100,000 hours – nearly twelve years with normal usage averaging 18 hours per day.
Another feature of LED grow lights that make them superior to other types is the substantially lower amount of hear produced. Unlike other types of grow lights, LEDs are cool burning. This means that less heat is produced to affect the plant, nor will an elaborate ventilation system be required in order to carry away excess heat.
The drawback of LED grow lights is their relative expense; they require a greater initial investment than most other types of grow lights. However, because of their efficiency and durability, they quickly pay for themselves in terms of long-term energy savings.
What Makes a Good Grow Light
Susan Slobac asked:
A good grow light is one that provides the correct amount and type of light for the plant being grown as well as its stage of development. Plants of course use light as an energy source, which it converts into chemical energy by means of photosynthesis. The amount that a plant grows and provides is directly dependent on the amount of light available to it.
Because light is so important to plant health (upon which everything else depends!), the purchase of grow lights requires a bit of thought and consideration. Fluorescent grow lights are very efficient and cool compared with incandescent bulbs, which are not a particularly good choice because of the heat generated. Fluorescent lights provide full spectrum light, which many indoor gardeners think to be a good thing. However, the fact is that plants do not use the full spectrum at all times.
Metal halide bulbs are a type of grow light that is useful for a plant during its growth stage – when the stem, branches and leaves are developing. During this stage, the plant uses primarily blue spectrum light. On the other hand, a plant which is producing flowers and/or fruit needs light on the red end of the spectrum. High pressure sodium, or HPS are generally a better choice when the plant reaches this stage.
The problem with both MH and LPS lighting is that both produce considerable heat, requiring the use of fans to keep the plant and/or the soil from overheating.
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have been around since the early 1920s, but have only recently been used in hydroponic gardening as grow lights. This type of grow light has many advantages over fluorescent and metal vapor lights, and no real downsides other than the initial expense. While they do cost more in the beginning, LEDs are considerably cheaper in the long run because of their long life span (average life is about 100,000 hours, compared to an average 15,000 hours for other types) and energy efficiency (energy consumption is about 10 to 20% of comparable fluorescents and metal vapor lamps). In addition, LEDs are cooler, thus eliminating the need for fans and elaborate ventilation systems.
Regardless of the type of grow light used, certain accessories may be necessary in order to maximize plant growth and production. For example, a reflector increases light intensity, maximizing available light while at the same time eliminating any “hot spots.”
Ballasts are devices that provide power to the grow lights. A fluorescent light fixture has a built-in ballast, but other types – including metal vapor and LED types – require an external, or “remote” ballast. Again, its worthwhile to spend some extra money here; new digital ballasts produced domestically are superior to imports from China or old-fashioned magnetic coil types. Although they are more expensive, they will extend bulb life. Better quality digital ballasts also have numerous built-in safety features as well, such as the ability to detect short circuits and defective bulbs.
A good grow light is one that provides the correct amount and type of light for the plant being grown as well as its stage of development. Plants of course use light as an energy source, which it converts into chemical energy by means of photosynthesis. The amount that a plant grows and provides is directly dependent on the amount of light available to it.
Because light is so important to plant health (upon which everything else depends!), the purchase of grow lights requires a bit of thought and consideration. Fluorescent grow lights are very efficient and cool compared with incandescent bulbs, which are not a particularly good choice because of the heat generated. Fluorescent lights provide full spectrum light, which many indoor gardeners think to be a good thing. However, the fact is that plants do not use the full spectrum at all times.
Metal halide bulbs are a type of grow light that is useful for a plant during its growth stage – when the stem, branches and leaves are developing. During this stage, the plant uses primarily blue spectrum light. On the other hand, a plant which is producing flowers and/or fruit needs light on the red end of the spectrum. High pressure sodium, or HPS are generally a better choice when the plant reaches this stage.
The problem with both MH and LPS lighting is that both produce considerable heat, requiring the use of fans to keep the plant and/or the soil from overheating.
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have been around since the early 1920s, but have only recently been used in hydroponic gardening as grow lights. This type of grow light has many advantages over fluorescent and metal vapor lights, and no real downsides other than the initial expense. While they do cost more in the beginning, LEDs are considerably cheaper in the long run because of their long life span (average life is about 100,000 hours, compared to an average 15,000 hours for other types) and energy efficiency (energy consumption is about 10 to 20% of comparable fluorescents and metal vapor lamps). In addition, LEDs are cooler, thus eliminating the need for fans and elaborate ventilation systems.
Regardless of the type of grow light used, certain accessories may be necessary in order to maximize plant growth and production. For example, a reflector increases light intensity, maximizing available light while at the same time eliminating any “hot spots.”
Ballasts are devices that provide power to the grow lights. A fluorescent light fixture has a built-in ballast, but other types – including metal vapor and LED types – require an external, or “remote” ballast. Again, its worthwhile to spend some extra money here; new digital ballasts produced domestically are superior to imports from China or old-fashioned magnetic coil types. Although they are more expensive, they will extend bulb life. Better quality digital ballasts also have numerous built-in safety features as well, such as the ability to detect short circuits and defective bulbs.