Every grower has his own skills for planting. However, there are many newbies who have just started with LED grow lights. They still don't know much about the needs of LED grow lights, and don't know how to deal with them. Today, I will share with you the planting skills when using LED grow lights.
1. Install evenly distributed
Measure the floor area. Multiply the length by the width to get the square meters of the planting area. You can make the right choice based on how much power to provide per square meter, that is, how many LED grow lights are installed per square meter. In this way, each lamp can be evenly distributed, so that the outer edge will receive strong light, so that the light will be more uniform, and the growth of plants will be more effective.
2. Illumination distance
The lighting distance of LED grow lights is very important. You should adjust the points for different plants at different stages, and you must also unify the distance to make the light even more uniform. If the distance is not well controlled, it may harm the growth of plants. The general recommendation is that the germination stage distance: 60 cm, the seedling stage distance: 75 cm, the growth stage distance: 45 cm, and the flowering stage distance: 30 cm.
3. Lighting time
The lighting time of LED grow lights is mainly determined according to plants, which are divided into two types, positive plants and negative plants. Positive plants are more light-loving, and the lighting time can be longer when supplementing the light, usually 18/6 (on/off) or 20/4 (on/off). For negative plants, the lighting time is normal, usually 12/12 (on/off).
4. Dimming level
The dimming of LED grow lights can make plants grow better at each stage, the general germination rate: 30%; seedlings: 50%-75%; growth: 75%-100%; flowering: 100%. Give plants the best growth status.
5. Humidity, temperature
Photosynthesis and transpiration rate are directly affected by temperature, humidity and airflow. Find the best temperature and humidity for your plants between 75*-85*F and 50%-70% humidity, and have sufficient airflow to replenish carbon dioxide.
Maximize the advantages of LED grow lights
Compared with HID and HPS lights, LED grow lights provide a highly efficient directional light source with less heat output. The growers found that they had to adjust the planting operation. The following tips will help you maximize the advantages of using LED grow lights.
1. Monitor the planting environment temperature
Planting operations using HID lights require a high level of cold air circulation to prevent dehydration of plants. It is found that the planting environment is much cooler than when using HID lights when switching to LED grow lights. That's because the LED grow light directly converts electrical energy into light energy, and the LED grow light almost supplements what generates heat. When using LED grow lights, pay attention to the planting environment temperature, which will affect the growth and development of plants to maintain a better growth state of plants.
2. Avoid overwatering the plants
Since HID lamps generate a lot of heat and infrared rays, heat and infrared rays will cause water to evaporate and loss, so it is necessary to frequently replenish water for plants. LED grow light is a low-output lighting source that does not produce light in the infrared spectrum. So plants and soil tend to retain moisture.
3. Automation
In nature, light provides a rhythm for plants, which defines the period of growth, flowering and dormancy. In order to achieve optimal plant growth, plant cultivation needs to simulate these light cycles. To provide the plants with appropriate light demand, that is, to automatically set the time for the supplementary light of the LED grow light. Plants need 18 hours of light during the vegetative phase, and reducing the light to 12 hours per day triggers flowering.
4. Adjust the spectrum
Plants need different light at each stage of development, and they also need different spectra at different stages. Therefore, LED grow lights need to adjust the spectrum, and most plants need to be exposed to light in the blue, white-red, and far-red spectrum. Dark green leafy plants need to be exposed to all blue wavelengths to thrive, and exposing flowering plants to light in the far red range will reduce flowering time, which means less waiting time before harvesting crops.
5. Installation height
The light utilization rate of LED grow lights is as high as 80%, while it is 10% when using HID lights. why? Because the installation height of the LED grow light can be adjusted, the light can be better supplemented at every stage from germination to flowering, and with the aid of some reflective materials of the optical lens, the light utilization rate of the LED grow light can be higher.
6. Light distribution
By installing multiple LED grow lights, evenly distributing and distributing the installation positions, the LED grow lights maximize the light distribution, and the overall light is uniform, giving the plants the required spectrum at each stage, so that the plants can grow better.
If you also want your LED grow light planting to achieve such an effect, you can try to follow these suggestions, and you will find that you will soon realize a positive return on your investment.
