When it comes to growing indoor plants, LED grow lights are becoming more and more popular. This is mainly because they produce more powerful light while using less energy. Also LED lights can be counted on to last longer than any other light, like fluorescent lights. You can also be able to choose several different colors to imitate the sunlight. Below is the process on how to use led grow lights. Follow the steps:
Table of Contents
Steps of Using Led Grow Lights
Step 1:
Hang the lights above the plants. The heights should be adjusted to prevent the lights from getting into contact with the plants which may distract their upward growth.
For the early vegetative stage, fit the light about 300mm above the plant to provide inter-nodes and to ensure the lowest inter-nodal length.
At the vegetative stage, you can now increase the distance between the plants and the light to between 300-600 mm. Those plants that have a lot of leaves requires the light to be a little bit lower to enhance the glow on reaching on the lower branches of those plants. Also, if those plants require higher light levels, then the LEDs can be kept 300 mm above, and for lower light levels, then the LEDs can be 600 mm above.
On the flowering and budding stage, you can maintain a height between 300-600 mm from the canopy. Though in many cases 400 mm is the favorable height above the canopy.
Step 2:
Change your watering. If you have just introduced the LED, then watering may lead to the rise of some problems.
Watering guides are based mostly on HPS (high-pressure sodium) lighting. During this process, evaporation tends to occur, and that’s why watering should be necessary. When it comes to LED grow lights watering or feeding is not the issue. In turn, watering may cause danger to plants.
Step 3:
Feeding the plants is then necessary but not the way you want. In the presence of LED grow lights, there has a specification of feeding the plants.
Plants need to be fed 30% of HPS lighting feeding. When plants are growing under LED lighting, add Cal-Mag.
Evaporation has reduced in a hydroponic system, and so you must provide less topping of the nutrient.
Step 4:
Additional heat needs to be supplied during winter to enhance and boost the growth of the plants. In the growing area, the temperature is much less compared to that of HPS lighting. So, this might cause some problems in winter and so you should on checking on the plants if you are using the LED grow lights.
Special Tips
Install multiple units
Targeted light output can be created using LED grow lights which is possible by using optics, to help in checking and spotlighting a particular section of the grow and maybe repeat for each section. Plants should be under conservation whenever multiple sections are implemented as this will maximize light distribution and hence save on money. In case you ask, a qualified company can plan everything and as well help you.
Define light cycles
For a crop’s biological life, the life cycle is crucial. Growers can manipulate it through increasing or decreasing the light hours. In the case of greenhouse growers, they can do this by using dark curtains and enhance on extra lighting. Eighteen hours of daylight is necessary for flowers per day in the vegetative stage. On the other hand, vegetative crops will tend to grow well at 17-18 hours of lights per day.
Temperature
In most cases, then appreciated optimal temperature is usually 78F and the carbon dioxide level about 360PPM. The root zone temperature should regularly be monitored. For air temperature that is higher than 85F, requires a more cooling dark period’s air temperature.
Nutrients
Nutrients concentration gets higher in the drier regions as the temperature rises, which can lead to the creation of toxic levels in the root zone. So, nutrients concentration is supposed to be reduced by 25-39%.
Light
For flowering, the sufficient light level is 400 and 700 moles/m-2s. Over the canopy, the light gets distributed evenly. Lighting is directional as well as in LEDs grow lights, and so it should be checked as light near to 10″ leads to bleaching. SCROG and SOG are techniques which in turn helps in developing a depth in the flower canopy of about 12″ -16″ and most of the sites will get the light.
Any flower that gets lower than this level, pruning should be done by the end of the second week and by the fourth week, all large fun leaves get removed to allow light penetration. Light should access consistently.
Safety Measures When Using Led Grow Lights
- When working with equipment in a greenhouse, wear eye protection to avoid exposure of UV (ultraviolet rays) as some of those lights can emit them.
- For any duration of time working in the LED grow light, you should protect your skin as the exposure can lead to triggering of the cancerous tissues.
- Keep fixtures and the cords away from the irrigation system.
- increase the distance between the LED light and surface in case the surface gets too hot. 2 to 3 feet difference between the top of the plants and lights should be okay for a low wattage system while the high wattage system requires about 4 to 6 feet.
- In case you prefer to use fluorescent bulbs, you should choose the ones that don’t contain any toxic coatings.
- To minimize the danger of toxic material, such as mercury, you should be able to install the lights properly.
As the climate keeps changing, growing plants nowadays is a great job. And so, you can contribute to protecting the environment by keeping the environment greener. Therefore, having an idea in overall growth is so much crucial.
So, the production will hamper if the crops produced before have to go through a change. After a great understanding of this, LED grow light is the best option to invest on. For now, most people may not be using it appropriately, but surely soon it will become the most used. Using LEDs can save you money and strength.