Unless you have a greenhouse or an unlimited number of south-facing windows, LED Grow Light are your best bet for reliably providing the right light to your plants year-round. Though nothing is better than real sunlight, Plant light allow you to trick plants into believing they're getting the real thing.
People also ask
Can too much LED light kill a plant?
Yes, too much light from any source will harm your plants, albeit it will be incredibly hard for the light to kill the plant alone. You will notice obvious signs of this when the plants are damaged. Signs of too much LED light will include whitening of the leaf tips on just the upper leaves. As this proceeds the plant leaves will become crisp and burned. Another indicator of too much light is the buds may start to bleach white towards the top. If you observe these symptoms increase your light by 12 inches and it should cure your issue. Just remember, plants grow up, therefore raise your light up as the plants grow vertically.
Should I run my grow lights at night? Can I leave my grow lights on 24 hours/day?
Turning on lights for a portion of the night may hasten plant growth and blossom. Light cycles are denoted as X/Y, where X represents on and Y represents off. Normal cycles range from 12/12 to 18/6. You may program a light timer to switch the grow light or lights on and off at certain periods. However, do not keep grow lights on continuously. Continuous light will dry plants, limiting their development and potentially causing their demise.
Do LED lights take longer to flower than CMH lights?
Full-spectrum LED and CMH lighting are equally effective for blooming. The duration of blooming relies on a variety of parameters, including the number of hours of sunshine, the temperature, the relative humidity, and the light spectrum that bathes the plants. CMH (ceramic metal halide) or newer full-spectrum LED fixtures will provide better flowering than older "purple" LEDs with just blue and red producing diodes. Both CMH and full-spectrum LEDs simulate sunshine, thus they emit wavelengths that are beneficial for photosynthesis, such as blue, red, green, and yellow.
Many modern, high-quality LEDs offer spectrum adjustment, however, LEDs with a lesser price tag often do not. Adjust the spectrum to give plants much more red and some bluer for blossoming under LED lighting. Sometimes, adjustable LED lamps have predetermined values for growth and blooming.
Although effective for blooming, CMH grows lights do not provide spectrum adjustment. Consider temporarily replacing the CMH bulb with an HPS (high-pressure sodium) bulb that is compatible with your CMH fixture in order to provide red light during blooming. It will increase orange and red pigmentation and hasten to bud and blooming.