All plants require light for photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, which allows them to grow, bloom and produce seed. The productivity and quality of crops and plants rely heavily on the rate of photosynthesis. LED grow lights can provide key wavelengths to plants, encouraging these processes.
Grow lights work in two main ways: supplementing natural daylight, or replacing natural daylight.
Using the technologies available, beneficial forms of light can be delivered to target plants, exactly where and when it is required. A key benefit that grow lights enables is increased control over the timings and quality of plants. Further benefits include:
- Grow lights offer growers the potential to increase crop yields. By increasing production rates and providing more beneficial wavelengths to plants, the quality and quantity of yield can be increased. Allowing growers to profit more.
- Using grow lights means that growers can create a controlled environment and increase their plants growing window. In this way, plants can continue growing and developing outside of natural daylight hours. This means that production can be increased and prolonged during winter months. Allowing for plant growth in settings that would have previously been unobtainable.
- Similarly, a controlled environment enables growers to not only grow out of season but also to get ahead of seasons. For example, by utilising the winter months to begin producing spring seedlings. By starting this process early, the seedlings will mature faster and be stronger at the time of planting out in spring.
- With grow lights, even the most unlikely space can be used for growing. No longer are growers limited by land space and environment. Plants can be stacked on shelves in vertical farms, or implemented in urban gardens and green walls.
- Indoor growing helps to reduce some of the negative environmental impacts of farming such as persistent use of pesticides. Pesticides have been previously linked to declines of some insects, birds, and other wildlife. Furthermore, pesticide exposure can cause several chronic diseases in humans. By growing in controlled environments, the requirements for such chemicals are lessened.
- The increased capabilities enabled by LED grow lights, paired with the lessened environmental restrictions mean that the distance food travels to reach your plate is reduced. In this way, environmental damage can also be lessened as transportation distances and emissions can be reduced.
So why use LED?
LED technology provides a more energy-efficient method of illuminating plants. Not only do LED grow lights consume less energy than traditional HPS lights, but they also produce less heat as a by-product. The heat they do produce is safely and efficiently dispersed by a heatsink. Thus, LED grow lights can be considered a lower fire risk and there is a reduced chance of accidental injuries. Moreover, LEDs have very long lifetimes. Traditional HPS lamps deteriorate more quickly and so need replacing more frequently. Whereas LED grow lights will last for a minimum of 5 years, if not much longer.
LED grow lights provide a wide and even coverage of light output. The uniform coverage is achieved by how the LEDs are positioned and pointed. The light emitted is then often intensified and dispersed further by an optic.
There are many reasonably priced options available today, suitable for all applications. Learn more about them from Intelligent Horticultural Solutions here.
