The Ways To Maximize The Use Of LED Grow Lights
It’s no secret that LEDs are arguably the best lighting option for growing plants. That’s true whether cultivating cannabis or raising fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops like fresh-cut flowers. But, even having invested in some fantastic LED grow lights, that’s far from the end of the story.
Of course, all growers opting for LEDs can rest assured that they’re on the right path, lighting-wise. However, they mustn’t rest on their laurels as a result. Instead, taking a handful of all-important next steps to ensure optimum results is similarly vital.
At their core, these steps involve understanding how to maximize grow light settings. From there, growers can learn how to maximize height growth. Knowing and appreciating how to boost growth, yield levels directly improve. That’s all while reducing the time it takes to reach a point of harvesting to maximize grow light systems’ returns on investment.
With that, what follows is a closer look at five ways to maximize grow light LED usage, starting with the ins and outs of how to maximize the growth of plants from the outset. As we’ll learn, knowing how to bolster growth through proper LED usage is paramount.
Five Tips to Maximize Grow Light LED Usage
Of course, understanding how to maximize the use of LED grow lights begins with buying the right equipment for the job. The Bata Barlight Series, Boardlight Series, and Toplight Series are among today’s most groundbreaking options.
At the same time, most premium, long-lasting, cool-running, and technology-packed LED grow lights will yield favorable results in the right hands. In any case, it’s a good idea to delve into the fundamentals of plant growth at the first opportunity, particularly as it’s affected by light.
1. Understand How to Maximize Growth
First and foremost, it’s vital to understand the fundamentals of plant growth. Light, nutrition, temperature, and more all affect how well plants grow. Appreciating the role that each of these parameters plays is critical. In this instance, the parameter in question is light.
In the simplest sense, lighting dictates how plants behave, whether with or without additional nutrition. Where a plant receives little or no light, it cannot successfully photosynthesize. And when plants don’t photosynthesize, they aren’t converting nutrients from the soil and any supplementary fertilization into the energy needed to grow.
Moreover, plants unable to photosynthesize cannot extract and use the life-giving carbon dioxide they require from the surrounding atmosphere. It’s for these and many other reasons that light is so essential. That’s true of initiating growth at the outset and promoting maximized growth in the longer term.
To learn more specifically about maximizing growth via fertilization, check out North Carolina State University’s four Rs of nutrient management.
2. Tailor Lighting Toward Set Goals
With a better grasp of how to maximize growth via lighting, nutrition, and potential other means, it’s possible to tailor these parameters to achieve one or more particular results. These results typically center around crop height, yield, or the time to harvest.
In this instance, that means focusing on one or more tailored LED grow light setups. For example, when looking at how to maximize height growth, lighting plays an unmistakably crucial role. The source of that light is second only to the quality of output. After all, all artificial lighting is, to one degree or another, designed to replicate the sun’s life-giving rays.
Concerning customizability and tailoring, though, LEDs invariably come out on top, both here and in terms of other benchmark testing. That’s because intensity, spectrum, and photoperiod—all easily tailored with LEDs—are supremely important.
Intensity
Light intensity depends on a grow light’s photon flux density. This intensity or quantity of light is calculated, measured, and adjusted to suit a particular crop and the surrounding growing conditions.
It’s easy to dial up or down the intensity of LEDs to maximize grow light results. Unlike older incandescent bulbs, for example, this ability to tailor intensity levels helps prevent too much or too little light and the subsequent unwanted side effects of either.
Spectrum
While intensity is straightforward to dial in, spectrum is less so. This spectrum—or light color and quality—mimics natural sunlight wavelengths. Shorter wavelengths are more blue, something wholly necessary for successfully cultivating cannabis. Longer waves appear redder and are fundamental in plant growth more generally.
As such, providing the ideal combination of color wavelengths is vital in how to maximize height growth and other factors. In the past, tailoring lighting spectrums meant changing bulbs. But with LEDs, manipulating levels of blue, red, green, and white light is possible with a single unit.
Photoperiod
Alongside intensity and spectrum comes photoperiod or simple lighting time length. For the best results, mimic a given crop’s natural light cycle. It’s imperative to mimic this cycle without fail every 24 hours.
Optimum photoperiods are the most easily maintained with LED lights controlled by one or more built-in or suitable secondary timers. If possible, use a controller to mimic natural sunrises and sunsets rather than instantly turning lights on or off twice daily.
3. Adjust Temperatures Accordingly
In the past, older forms of grow lights have run extremely hot. Thankfully, with LEDs, this is much less of an issue. LED grow lights like those from Bata run cooler and last longer as a result. Running cooler also allows for more appropriately defined temperature levels, particularly among crops that prefer less heat.
Where warmer temperatures are required, increasing warmth is invariably easier and less costly than doing the opposite. It’s just another of the many perks of LED lighting that’s central to why maximizing the use of LED grow lights is now so favorably looked upon.
4. Optimize Year-Round Lighting Schedules
With LEDs installed, it can be easy to overlook the importance of seasonal variation in the lighting requirements of different plants. It’s a cardinal factor in greenhouse settings. Growers are increasingly turning to the benefits of LED lighting even when growing crops under glass.
That’s because supplemental lighting can significantly boost growth rates. That’s partly because greenhouse glass filters out some of the best qualities of the sun’s rays. Furthermore, growers can seamlessly account for shorter winter days with greenhouse grow lights.
The result is consistent year-round plant growth – an approach that can also be used to excellent effect when growing entirely indoors. By optimizing the light on offer throughout the year, peak results are achievable from one season to the next.
5. Don’t Forget Other Essentials
And last but by no means least, don’t forget the other essentials. While lighting is all-important, other factors like food and water still play a crucial part in maximizing plant growth. Temperatures should already be accounted for based on how to maximize grow light usage using LEDs. With that, next look to tailor fertilization and irrigation provisions applying the same principles.
However, we mustn’t forget that this will be for nothing without optimized lighting. Therefore, look to tailor lighting at the outset, with a view to adjusting and manipulating other levels thereafter.
As one example, growing microgreens indoors requires a specific approach to lighting. Depending on the method used, appropriate temperature levels and water requirements are then calculable based on how to maximize growth in the present and future.
Bata LED Grow Lights
Bata manufactures a comprehensive range of cutting-edge LED grow lights. Alongside the Barlight Series, Boardlight Series, and Toplight Series, these include the Bata Interlight Series, UFO Series, Seedling Light Series, and T8 LED Tube Series. Founded in 2017 after almost a decade of research and study, Bata is now a leader in the global supply of LED grow lights.
The company represents a high-tech enterprise with extensive in-house product manufacturing, research, and development facilities. Over 100 unique Bata LED grow light products are backed by exceptional logistics, production, sales, after-sales, and customer service.
Elsewhere, Bata remains firmly committed to innovation and an overarching vision for growers worldwide. The result is improved productivity, more intelligent crop growth, and a commitment to developing lifelong relationships with all clients.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maximizing LED Grow Lights
How Many Hours Should LED Grow Lights Be On?
As covered above, photoperiod—or how long LED grow lights must be turned on—should mimic a crop’s natural light cycle. The time of the year, watering schedules, and fertilization levels may further help determine this light cycle.
As a rule, most flowering plants, vegetables, and more require between 12 and 16 hours of light daily. Flowering plants prefer the top end of this range, while vegetable crops may be happy with just 12 hours of light in the same period. Either way, all plants must receive a minimum of eight hours of darkness in every 24-hour window for maximum health.
What’s the Best Distance for LED Grow Light?
This is a common question and with good reason. Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for the simple reason that optimum distances depend on the output of a given grow light. As a rule of thumb, a typical 1,000-watt grow light may be as far away from a plant as 48 inches while still achieving optimum results. At down to 500 watts, this distance falls closer to 30 inches.
This distance reduces further for smaller home-focused options like the 100-watt Bata UFO – great for growing in more confined spaces.
Can I Use LED Grow Lights for Seedlings?
Absolutely. As soon as seedlings have sprouted, LEDs are an ideal way to grant them the life-supporting light required to grow into thriving adult plants. Wherever possible, utilize an optimized lighting spectrum and gentle intensity to foster early growth. This approach is most easily tackled with a dedicated seedling light like the SYM Series.
What Percentage Should My LED Grow Lights Be?
Aim to tailor light intensity geared toward a particular crop, the surrounding growing conditions, and the growth stage of any plants. Ideal light percentages vary, even among the same and similar crops. Intensity levels also depend on the height at which LED grow lights are positioned.
In most cases, it’s best to follow a manufacturer’s guidelines first and foremost. Then, adjust according to the growth stage of a particular crop and the desired results. For example, how to maximize height growth versus favoring overall yields.
How to Maximize Growth With LEDs: Key Takeaways
Thankfully, maximizing the growth of plant crops ranging from cannabis to freshly cut flowers has never been more straightforward than with the advent of modern LED grow lights. Whether using the likes of Bata’s Barlight Series or another similarly cutting-edge solution, ensure the following from the outset:
- Understand how to maximize growth
- Tailor lighting toward set goals
- Adjust temperatures accordingly
- Optimize year-round lighting schedules
- Don’t forget other essentials
On tailoring lighting toward set goals, also aim to maintain a robust understanding of light intensity, spectrum, and photoperiod. That’s as they correlate to how to maximize height growth, how to maximize growth all year round, and how to maximize grow light parameters across the board, thus ensuring impressive yields in the long term.
At Bata, we’re dedicated to the innovation of LED grow lights. Our team of engineers is driving the future of lighting technology for use in all growing environments. Bata promises powerful, energy-efficient, and cost-effective products designed to support growers worldwide in reaching their maximum production goals. Contact us today to learn more.
