We know that indoor grow lights all seek to do the same thing – mimic the light of the sun – but how exactly does LED lighting benefit plants far better than the other, more entrenched luminaries out there? This is a, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” question with many important answers.
Ditch the Heat
LED lighting, like VividGro’s GroBar, is cool to the touch, making much of the equipment and utility cost considered standard to indoor agriculture unneeded. Humidity is easier to control because bulb heat doesn’t evaporate water, HVAC system use is sharply reduced, ceilings can be lower and rack mounting is easier for stacked growing configurations. The bulbs themselves can be mounted closer together and closer to the canopy, providing even light distribution and increased production. Plants can even grow right into the lights and past them without suffering damage.
Ride the Wavelength
Let’s talk about light wavelengths. LEDs offer wavelengths that can be isolated, so growers can have greater control over spectrum combinations. Unlike most fluorescent and HID bulbs, LED bulbs can be used from sprouts or clones through the vegetative stage. Due to the strength of the light, plants shifted to a flowering bulb don’t suffer leaf bleaching or shock the way they can with non-LED lights.
Safety is Key
A major concern for any business is safety, and especially so in agriculture. LED lights win there, as well: anyone who has had a fluorescent bulb shatter in their hand while simply screwing in a bulb knows that they are delicate things. Cased in plastic instead of glass, dropping an LED bulb won’t result in shattered glass and toxic substances like mercury and lead in your plants, soil and workspace floor. Don’t use them to reenact Star Wars scenes, but in regular use, they hold up well.
Eliminate Downtime
Of course, plants need consistently available light. Sections of the grow space that are under-lit because the ballast is out again won’t be productive. LED lights contain an internal driver instead of a ballast and last for years, instead of months. In fact, VividGro’s GroBar carries a 3-year warranty. What T5 does that? Your plants will thrive under consistently available light.
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