{"id":11653,"date":"2022-07-04T06:27:44","date_gmt":"2022-07-04T06:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.housejunkie.co.uk\/?p=11653"},"modified":"2023-01-10T03:36:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T03:36:05","slug":"how-grow-lights-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homesguide.co.uk\/how-grow-lights-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How Grow Lights Work: Do You Need Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you want to embark on growing plants inside of your home? In this article, we talk about how lights work and how they can affect plant growth. We’ll also discuss some of the pros and cons of\u00a0LED grow lights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why Do Plants Need Light in the First Place?<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=40WOcf8Hrys<\/p>\n

Before we look into what LED grow lights are and how they work, let’s first consider the benefits of light in the first place. Why exactly do plants need light to grow? Well, everything needs the energy to grow. Humans get that from food, and plants get their energy from light through photosynthesis. So without being exposed to light, plants won’t be able to grow and will die.<\/p>\n

However, this doesn’t mean that any lights work for growing plants. Instead, we refer to plants as requiring a light spectrum, as they are affected by the colour of light on this spectrum. For example, fluorescent grow lights contain blue light, which helps give your plant the light it needs. However, halogen and incandescent options provide red light, which isn’t beneficial to your plants’ development.<\/p>\n

So, when plants experience low light levels or don’t get enough light, they can encounter several problems. These often include changes such as the stems becoming stretched out (because the plant is trying to reach light), the leaves turning yellow, and you might discover brown edges on the leaves. In addition, the leaves might dry up altogether.<\/p>\n

What Are LED Grow Lights?<\/h2>\n

LED grow lights are bulbs with LED chips that produce the spectrum of light<\/strong> that plants need to grow. They’re available in various sizes, shapes, and power levels, where the quality of the LED chips determines the bulb’s effectiveness. But, before you purchase any grow lights for your indoor plants, you must be aware of the type and colour of lighting your plants needs.<\/p>\n

To break it down, let’s look at what LEDs are and what they do. LEDs are small components comprised of different types of semiconductor material. When the voltage is added to the LED, the electrical current starts flowing, releasing energy in light.<\/p>\n

How Does LED Grow Lights Effect Plant Growth?<\/h2>\n

LED lights can have a host of influencing factors in a plant’s development and flower formation cycle<\/strong>. For example, by adding colours to the light spectrum, you can influence different types of growth, such as leafy lettuce or juicy tomatoes. In particular, common lights include blue and red. However, you can purchase LED lights that contain a large spectrum of colours, which might not always be beneficial for plant growth but can promote plant health and reduce any browning or drying leaves.<\/p>\n

The Pros and Cons of Using LED Grow Lights<\/h2>\n

For you to have a complete understanding of why one should\u00a0use LED grow lights\u00a0and in which situations they may not be necessary, here are some insights into the pros and cons of light-emitting diodes.<\/p>\n

Pros<\/h3>\n

Here are the pros of using LED lights at home.<\/p>\n

Cool Temperatures<\/h4>\n

One great benefit of LED grow lights is that they don’t emit a large amount of heat like other lighting systems. This means that the lights won’t negatively affect the temperature in your room, so you needn’t place your plants in an isolated room purely because of the lights’ potential temperature release.<\/p>\n

Full-Spectrum LED<\/h4>\n

Full-spectrum LED lights provide a large range of colours from the bulb to give you all the light that your plants need for optimal growth. Additionally, most full-spectrum LED grow lights produce the exact amount of light required for each plant growth stage. As a result, a full-spectrum light system can be more beneficial than direct sunlight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Environmentally Friendly<\/h4>\n

Unlike high-intensity discharge (HID) lights<\/strong>, LED grow lights are 100% recyclable and don’t contain any toxic substances, such as mercury.<\/p>\n

Target Wavelength<\/h4>\n

LED grow lights allow you to give plants the exact amount of light it needs for photosynthesis<\/strong>, as you can regulate the wavelengths of light. With LED lights, you can provide your plants with all the light they need to grow efficiently.<\/p>\n

Healthy Plants<\/h4>\n
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#Chilli<\/a> plants seem to be loving my #LED<\/a> grow lights. So far they are looking healthy and growing steadily. These plants were sown on 28th December \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\ude0e\ud83d\udc9a\ud83c\udf36\ud83c\udf31 https:\/\/t.co\/sxiZK6If6R<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nzROEw3dYy<\/a><\/p>\n

— Veggie Chronicles UK (@VegChroniclesUK) January 30, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n