Many growers are turning to optic LED grow lights as they look for ways to improve plant growth and yields in their indoor farms.
Additionally, they need lights that consume less electrical energy while providing sufficient light spectrums.
If you fall in this group, you may have come across the excellent optic LED grow lights. Surely, they have a tremendous reputation among growers and researchers for their excellent reliability.
But are they all the same? Is quality guaranteed? Well, read on to find out as we delve into the world of optic LED grow lights and what to consider before purchasing.
Defining Optic LED Grow Lights
(Growing seeds under UV optic LED grow lights)
Optic LED grow light is artificial light that provides appropriate light spectrums to plants in indoor gardens. You can control the photoperiod, intensity, or even light cycles with the optic LEDs to match specific plant needs.
Additionally, researchers use them to study the impact of different light properties on plant quality. For instance, they can know the wavelengths that promote seeding, vegetative growth, flowering, and fruiting.
Benefits of Optic LED Grow Lights
Optic LED grows lights are beneficial in indoor gardens for the following reasons:
- Energy efficiency – Optic LED grow lights convert more than 90 percent of electrical energy to usable light spectrum for your plants. Generally, they have a higher efficiency than high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide lights.
- Spectrum customization – The lights allow growers to customize the light spectrum to meet a plant’s specific needs. Additionally, doing so allows one to sustain plants at different growth stages within a single farm.
- Targeted light output – Growers using optic LED grow light regulate the intensity and photoperiods to ensure their plants get precise light for photosynthesis.
- Longevity – Optic LED grow lights last between 50,000 and 100,000 when you maintain them well. As much as the upfront installation cost may be higher than that of traditional lights, you are bound to spend less on maintenance and replacement.
- Better heat management – Optic LED grow light produce the least heat among all artificial light sources for indoor gardens. Consequently, you won’t need to install massive heat management systems to dissipate the heat.
- Dimming and Instant On/Off capability – When your plants need specific photoperiods, installing an optic LED grow light is better. Some have dimming capabilities, while the majority will turn on or off at the flipping of a switch.
Application of Optic LED Grow Lights
(A biotechnologist inspecting vegetables in a hydroponics farm)
Generally, optic LED grow lights have multiple applications that vary according to plant species, growth stage, and environmental factors.
For instance, you may need certain optic lights if you need to tweak a plant’s growth to produce certain aromas and flavors. Here are the applications of optic LED grow lights.
Indoor Plant Cultivation
One popular application of optic LED grow lights is to provide artificial lighting for indoor plant cultivation.
If you’ve been to an indoor medicinal marijuana farm, you may have seen how varying light durations and intensity determines yield quality.
Additionally, growers use them to grow plants in areas experiencing insufficient sunlight for optimal plant growth.
Commercial Crop Production
Commercial growers use optic LED grow lights for all-year-round crop production. Typically, florists add artificial lights in their greenhouses to supplement sunlight during winters or cloudy seasons.
Moreover, the fact that they control light spectrum and photoperiod means they can accelerate plant growth to meet market demands.
Hydroponics and Vertical Farming
Hydroponic farms grow plants without soil or access to natural sunlight. Therefore, LED lights provide the appropriate sunlight for photosynthesis.
Furthermore, vertical farms stack plants over each other in layers, meaning that some will block the natural sunlight.
To overcome this, growers place optic LED lights under each stack to illuminate the plants underneath.
Supplement Lighting
If you feel that your plants are getting weaker due to insufficient sunlight, you are better off including optic LEDs as supplement lighting.
They will provide the surplus intensity and extend photoperiods to ensure consistent lighting conditions for your plants.
Home and Personal Gardens
Home gardeners and plant hobbyists prefer optic LED lights as they avail them greater control over their plants’ performance and growth.
For instance, they avail the ability to extend a plant’s growing season as well as cultivate a wide range of plants.
Considerations While Purchasing Optic LED Grow lights
(An outside view of a greenhouse with rd Optic LED grow lights)
When designing an indoor garden, you must consider many things to ensure you achieve the desired plant performance and yield.
Generally, most growers design their farms with proper vertical and horizontal spacing between plants and the optic LED grow lights.
Additionally, they factor in how to provide appropriate light spectrums for their plants. Here, we are looking at all you must consider when purchasing LED grow lights.
Light Spectrum
The light spectrum is the most important consideration when purchasing optic LED grow lights. The reason is that different plant growth stages require unique wavelengths that promote growth.
For instance, blue light wavelengths promote growth, whereas red light spectrums promote flowering and budding.
If you don’t want to buy several lights for each plant growth stage, you are better off going with full-spectrum LED lights. They emit a white light that mimics that of the sun.
Energy-efficiency
Optic LED grow lights are more energy efficient than most traditional lighting systems growers use to grow their plants.
Specifically, they gain such an advantage from the fact that LEDs don’t need a burning tungsten filament to produce light.
In fact, all it takes is electrical current activating electrons within the diodes, emitting light in the form of photons.
Heat Management
(A greenhouse ventilator for heat dissipation)
Heat management is very important, especially if you don’t plan on adding cooling systems and fans to your indoor farm.
As much as the LEDs produce a fraction of heat energy compared to incandescent lights, a sizeable number can produce much heat.
For example, high-intensity LEDs produce heat on the backside, which, when poorly dissipated, hinders proper plant growth.
Spectral Coverage
When purchasing optic LED grow lights consider their coverage, as some light has weak spectrum distribution.
Consequently, they supply a good-quality (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) PPFD at the center, which fades toward the edges.
Therefore, purchase optic LED grows lights with relatively uniform PPFD distribution, such as quantum board LEDs.
Light Intensity
Look at the product specification for the Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) value. It specifies the intensity of an optic LED grow light.
Moreover, different plants have unique light intensities making certain lights suitable for some plants and not others.
FAQs
How does optic LED grow lights compare with traditional lighting?
Optic LED grows light is, in most regards, better than traditional light sources. They are more durable, consume less electrical power, produce less heat, and last longer.
Additionally, they offer a more precise spectral control that goes a long way to improve plant performance and growth.
In terms of environmental friendliness, they don’t contain harmful substances like mercury that are present in some traditional lights.
Are optic LED grow light durable?
Yes. Optic LED grows light is durable, with most lasting more than 60,000 hours under proper maintenance. More specifically, LEDs will only lose their quality once their light output falls below 70 percent.
Now compare that with incandescent bulbs that last an average of 1,000 hours. Moreover, the light will no longer function when the filament burns out.
At what height should you hang optic grow lights?
The height at which you can hang your optic LED growth lights depends on your plants’ specific requirements as well as plant response.
Moreover, there are many different LED grow lights in the market, so we shouldn’t generalize the height to hang them.
Therefore, refer to the manufacturer guidelines for the specific optic LED growth lights you use. If not, the general height of around 24 to 36 inches is a good starting point.
Conclusion
The build quality of an optic LED grow light contributes to its performance and longevity.
When you purchase lights with a good reputation, you will surely get the performance the manufacturer promises.
Additionally, LED grows lights are long-lasting, with premium-quality ones lasting over 100,000 hours.
And, it’s better if they come with long warranties as that indicates a manufacturer’s confidence in their product.