If you plan to grow plants inside your house (or you are a beginner), there is a great chance that you may want to know what type of lights are good to use as grow lights, so you can be sure that your plant grows properly.
Growing indoor plants is a serious task, and it’s not a joke, especially when you need a high-quality product, or just want your plant to look good and to be beautiful.
Since our school days, we all know that in order to grow properly, one plant needs good soil, water, and sunlight. When we grow our plants at home, there is no enough sunlight to help them grow, so you may need to add some artificial light, that has is similar to the sunlight.
Sometimes, those special lights are expensive and you may want to find some cheaper alternative to help you grow your plants. Probably, the first idea that comes to your mind are the ordinary LED lights. So, can you use them for your plants? First, you need to know what is an LED light?
What you need to know about LED lights?
LED is short for Light-Emitting Diode which is a semiconductor light source. When the current flow through the diode, it emits light. There is also a wide range of colors, that depends on the energy that makes those electrons flow.
A combination of a lot of LEDs, connected together with a ribbon-like material or some other form is called an LED light. People nowadays use white LED lights to light their homes, because they are cheaper and more economical than the standard light bulbs.
These LED lights will help you light your indoor plants, never mind if they need low or high light. This type of lighting is especially good when you grow plants that you use to treat some medical conditions, such as aloe vera, medical cannabis, thyme, witch hazel, and many others.
But, first, you need to know if your plant needs incandescent light or fluorescent light. That will help you choose exactly what you need.
Can you use LED lights to grow house cannabis?
The answer, of course, is “yes”, but as we previously mentioned, you need to make a research so you can find which type of LED lights will have the best performance for your homegrown medical cannabis.
Many people grow their own cannabis to make homemade CBD oil, which is used in alternative treatments for a few types of cancer. In order to the plant to grow properly and give the right amount of oil, you will need a high quality LED light.
That means that you will have to buy LED light that produces greater yields (that is how their light emission is named), for example, a 200W LED light.
Also, when it comes to the color, you will need those who are blue or purple (or something in between), for healthier growth and high-quality leaves. You should avoid red ones, also orange and yellow LED lights.
But, the lighting is not the only one factor that will bring you a high-quality product. You should choose the soil carefully and water them regularly. If you have more than one plant, you will also need more lights so they have enough light to grow.
Why choose LED lights for house cannabis?
There are some researches that show that the right chosen LED light will give you the maximum of the amount you need. You can also choose an adjustable LED light, so you will always give your plant what it needs.
The most important thing is that these lights are cheap, economical and easy to use. If you have more money, you may choose some of the special growing options, for example cob-style LED lights, panels, or spider-web type.
How to know if my houseplants need additional artificial light?
Again, as we already said, before you take some plant to your home, you need all of the available information for their successful growth. There some plants that need light all day, others that need only the daylight, but there are also the plants that don’t need light at all and you wouldn’t need to move them near the window.
The most popular indoor plants that need low light are: English and Algerian ivy; the ZZ plant; the Snake plant; the beautiful plant named Pothos, with shiny big leaves; and Dieffenbachia.
But if you decide to grow succulents, geraniums or cactus, you need to know that they may not need a lot of water, but is crucial for them to be near the light all the time, naturally preferably, and artificial in the night.
What should I need to remember about LED lights and growing plants?
Depending on the plant you want to grow, you need to calculate how many Watts you will need, so the plant can take enough light and grow properly. But, that also depends on the type of the plant, so, before you invest in this type of lighting, you must make research online or ask the experts in this field.
Remember, you can’t use any LED light to grow any plant if you care about the plant’s quality. Using regular LED lights won’t ensure that your plant will be healthy, so you need to find the right color and frequency that fits the best.
The good thing is that the LED light supports the plant during all the stages of growth, uses less energy and provides great power at the same time.
Different LED lights will provide different results, especially for cannabis. The green and yellow will make the plant grow tall, the blue and purple colored will make the leaves fresh and compact, and the red light is important for the flowering phase.
So, if you need it for cannabis, you will get the most of it by changing and adjusting the lighting. For those plants that are not so complicated, even the white or yellowish type will help.
Always be careful about colors, light placement, and of course, don’t use the cheapest option, so you can be sure that you spent your money smart and wisely.
