When it comes to indoor farming, you should maintain a specific grow light distance for the best yields. This is a common mistake for newbies. The truth is – if you don’t give your plants the right amount of light, they won’t grow to full potential.
An LED grow light distance chart can help you monitor the light level for your plants. Unlike the traditional fixtures, LEDs come with more lighting output. However, the light requirement varies from one stage to another.
So how far should you place the LED lights from plants? Since there’s no one-answer-fits-all solution, there are a couple of details to put into consideration. Some LEDs reflect light downwards, while others allow for individual adjustment. That said, the best distance to place the lights is to follow the recommendation of the manufacturer.
Another important consideration is determining the Daily Light Integral (DLI). If you don’t give your indoor plants the required light, they will die or wither. The distance is also determined by the PPF you want to achieve. In this post, we’ll discuss the led grow light distance chart in different stages of plant growth.
Table of Contents
DIFFERENT SIZES LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
A key concern for indoor farmers is deciding how far to set up the grow lights from the plants. If you’re not careful, the ramifications can be catastrophic. Placing the lights too far away can make the plants weak. Similarly, if you hang the lights too close, the plants could burn off.
The perfect distance between LED lights and your plants will depend on the growth stage and wattage. For the best results, a general rule of thumb is to place the lights 12-30 inches above the plants. If you choose the powerful 800W LED grow light, the plants should be 30 inches away from the light.
Difference stages need different distances. To make things easier, you should invest in an LED light with dimmable features. If in doubt, you should confirm the beam angle, chip’s power, and lenses. Such details can help you decide on the correct height to set the fixture.
Besides that, the growth stage will determine the distance between the plants. For instance, the seedling phase requires that you place the LEDs far away from the plants. Not to mention, different plants need varying light intensity.
During the vegetative stage, plants start to turn green so a full spectrum can be a great option. While the lighting should be similar to that of the seedling stage, you should aim for a higher intensity. This means that you should move the lights closer to the plants. And because LED lights feature a low light infrared signature, the fixtures should be close to each other.
The flowering stage requires a high light intensity, so plants will slowly adapt from the vegetative stage. To adjust the light, you ought to lower the fixture to achieve the manufacturer’s recommended height.
Since LED lights help the plants go through the photosynthesis process, it’s the best way to convert sunlight to glucose. Here is how you should place the LEDs while focusing on the various wattages.
3 to 5W LEDs – the lights should be 20 inches away from the plants
10 W LEDs –place the lights 21 inches from the plants
250-400W – place the lights 15-30 inches from the plants
450-550W – place the lights 20 inches from the plants
600W – ensure the lights are 28 inches away
900-1000W – place the lights 36-46 inches from the plants
Most manufacturers provide the recommend hanging light, so you should follow their instructions. You can start with the distance stated in the manual and keep an eye on any signs of discoloration of plants. If the plants are okay, you can move the lights a bit closer. But you should back off during the blooming and flowering stages. At the end of this guide, you’ll have a general idea of how to find the best height to hang your grow light.
300 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
The recommended height for the 300W LED grow light is 12-20 inches. During the germination stage, you should place the lights 26-32 inches above the plants. If you invest in a fixture that offers full-spectrum lighting, you can supply your plants with something that mimics the natural sunlight.
Unlike the traditional MH/HPS light, you should aim for a height (vegetative stage) of 24 inches. For the flowering stage, the fixture should be 18 inches above the plants. During the germination phase, the recommended hanging height is 26-32 inches above the plants. Keep in mind that you should light your plants up to 10 hours a day.
600 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
A 600W led should be placed 30-38 inches from the top of your plants. When you first introduce the lights to your plants, you should maintain a distance of 3-4 feet. Growers can adjust the light during the growth stages. For optimal results, you should understand the universal standard as most manufacturers use LED lights in different ways.
If the LED light is dimmable, you can adjust the intensity to suit different growth stages. During the vegetative stage, some plants need half the light they used during bloom. But you can always increase the intensity to meet the height recommended by manufacturers in bloom. During the vegetative stage, you should hang the light twice the height in bloom.
During the seedling stage, you should place the lights far from the plants. The recommended hanging distance is 26-32 feet – up to 10 hours a day.
In the young vegetative stage, you should place the lights 24-28 inches above the plants. The recommended lighting time is 12 hours a day. For the vegetative stage, the hanging distance should be 16-24 inches above the plants. You may want to supply the plants with lighting up to 18 hours a day.
During the flowering and fruiting phase, you should hang the lights 14-18 hours a day.
The exact distance for the LED grow light will depend on many factors. If you use a 600W fixture, you can choose a spectrum that suits you best.
900 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
The distance of LED to the top of the plant should be 36-42 inches. During the flowering stage, you can adjust the fixture to 18-24 inches.
Unlike MH and HPS lights, the perfect distance for 900W LED light is 24-30 inches above the plants – germination phase. During the seedling stage, you should lower the lights to 24 inches. And depending on the type of plant you grow, you can maintain a distance of 18-24 inches in bloom and vegetative stages.
1000 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
A 1000W LED grow light can cover an area of 7 square feet. For most brands, you should hang it at least 15 inches. But irrespective of the types of plants you grow, the fixture should not be higher than 30 inches above the plants. Unlike the traditional LED lights, you can adjust the light intensity.
During the flowering stage, most manufacturers will recommend that you set up the grow light 25 inches high. In the vegetative stage, you should hang the light 30 inches above the plant canopy. Of course, a majority of 1000W fixtures require that you hang the light 39 inches during the seedling stage.
1200 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
You should hang the LED lights 30-36 inches above the plants during the vegetative stage and 18-24 inches during bloom. Modern 1200W LEDs come with 15W triple chips that appear brighter than the traditional double chip LEDs. The new technology is engineered to optimize light output. And the overall result is a unit that mimics the natural sunshine while using less power.
For the vegetative channel, plants utilize the wavelength range of 370 to 750 nm – the peak response to blue light. Once you set the light 24 inches above the canopy, you should allow the lights to run for 12 hours a day.
During the bloom stage, plants use the 620 to 670nm wavelength. Therefore, you should hang the lights 18-24 inches above the plants. Again, the lights should run for 15-18 hours a day. During the flowering and fruiting stages, you should maintain a hanging height of 24-32 inches. But to optimize the results, you may want to leave bloom and vegetative switches on.
1500 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
Growers should hang 1500W LED lights 30-36 inches above the plants during the vegetative stages and 24-30 inches during the flowering stage. The leading brands recommend that you hang the lights lower during the vegetative stage. For the vegetative and flowering stage, you should lower the light to 24 inches.
A 1500W LED light is suitable for all growth stages, including bloom and fruiting stages. For succulent plants, the recommended hanging distance is 24 to 48 inches.
2000 WATT LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART
A super bright 2000W led can be appropriate during the vegetative phase – you should place the grow lights 26-30 inches above the plants.
Some LEDs come with blue light that enables the plants to have a peak light response. Stronger concentrations encourage the development of roots and sprouting. If your LED has a vegetative channel, you should place the lights 24-32 inches above the canopy. Make sure the fixture is turned on at least 12 hours a day.
The bloom channel (red) comes in handy during the fruiting stages. At this stage, the LEDs impact plant growth in several ways to increase production. This prevents the breakdown of chlorophyll. For the best results, we suggest that you hang the plants 18-24 inches above the plants.
For those LEDs that come with a vegetative channel, you should place the LED light 20 inches above the canopy.
LED GROW LIGHT DISTANCE CHART SEEDLINGS
Anyone who has ever tried indoor farming knows that proper lighting is critical for plants growth.
Seedling is a delicate stage where plants require special care. And depending on the size of your grow area, you should place your LED light 12-36 inches above the plants. Once the seeds develop a root system and sprout, you can move the lights a little closer.
But again, the distance will depend on the wattage. When you place the light further, the intensity goes lower. This prevents the seedlings from drying out. The seedlings that are hungry for more light will grow taller. But here is the thing – some don’t require light to grow from the soil. You may have to turn on your grow lights once they sprout.
Freshly sprouted vegetables tend to grow lengthy fast. Therefore, you should turn the lights on for a few days. The seedling light will depend on the plants you grow – lettuce, tomatoes, pepper tomatoes, and orchid. With this in mind, you should adjust the fixture regularly to ensure the light is always over the top. The leaves should never touch the lights during this delicate stage.
Some growers may be tempted to put the lights closer to promote faster growth, but this is a mistake.
If you’re using trays during the seedling stage, you should rotate them regularly to ensure the light reaches all the corners. That’s not all, you should enquire the time-specific light plants need hardening during this phase. The amount that gets to your plants is critical, so you should follow the correct pattern. If you don’t do this, your seedlings will suffer when you move them to the seedbed.
Plants require different lights during specific growth stages. While the recommended LED light placement is 24-36 inches, this will depend on several factors. During the vegetative stage, you should place the lights 12-24 inches above the canopy. However, during the flowering stage, there’s less demand for light. And that’s why you should hang the lights 18-24 inches above the plants. You don’t have to change the height during the flowering stage.
The brighter the lights, the higher you should hang them. If you hang them too low, you risk your plants from `light burn’. Sometimes, the plants may look dark due to excessive lighting. If in doubt, always follow the distance recommended by the manufacturer.