High Watt LEDs are Inefficient

High Watt LEDs are Inefficient

When many growers hear the words “high watt” it implies high light output.  This is because when it comes to traditional plant lighting like HID and fluorescent- the more watts the more light.  This does not carry over into LED grow lighting simply because of the large range of efficiency from one product to another.  LGM LED grow lighting produces more light per watt than any other light source.  Shown here- we are able to power nine LGM550 LED light bars using less electricity than it takes to power one UFO.  In LED grow lighting, high watt means low efficiency.  –AL  http://www.led-grow-master.com

Using Diffusers with LED Grow Lighting

Diffuser placed over LED clusters.

It’s true that an LED grow light doesn’t emit heat so you wouldn’t burn your plants if you placed an array directly on top of the plant canopy.  There are other reasons for the minimum mounting height.  Based on what Science tells us about how plants use light, we know that they require multiple wavelengths (colors of light) to grow properly.  LED designers are able to closely match the absorption peaks for photosynthesis and incorporate these wavelengths into LED grow lighting.  When dealing with multiple wavelengths, the light will need space between the LEDs and the plant canopy for the colors to blend.

Applications that do not have the minimum 12-18″ required for proper blending of the colors have the option of using a diffuser.  The diffuser basically blends the light as it exits the LED clusters; allowing you to place the LEDs as close as you want.  When using a diffuser it’s important to keep in mind that this changes the light distribution and intensity.  The LGM550 LED grow light is designed to emit light in a cone shape with the cone spread being about 45 degrees.  When fitted with a diffuser, there is little light loss from the diffuser itself but the cone spread is now approximately 180 degrees.  We have roughly the same amount of light but a decreased intensity as the light is spread over a larger area.

Microgreens

  Microgreens are young plants, no more than a week or so old, usually with only their first seed leaves developed. The leaves and stems are harvested and served in a mixed salad. Unlike alfalfa and bean sprouts the roots aren’t eaten, not least because microgreens are usually grown in soil. A very wide variety is available, not just common salad plants such as arugula, lettuce and celery, but also red beet, cabbage, basil, endive, purslane, rapini (the edible leaves of an immature white turnip), dill, sorrel, and many others. Nor are microgreens always vegetables: some are flower plants such as chrysanthemums.

Used as a garnish on soups, on crackers, in sandwiches or in salads, Micro Greens are the newest and greatest food in gourmet restaurants – and for good reason! In addition to being tasty and very nutritious, Micro Greens are very easy to grow and can be grown any time of the year – even inside during winter. Harvest when plants are 1″ to 2″ high.  Not all plants need to be presprouted but it is wise to plant the seeds densely to get an impressive harvest.    By planting on a felt pad you will save yourself the trouble of washing the dirt out of your small plants and can even eat the roots. 

LEDs Change Everything

LED Grow Lights at Work

Interested in growing things indoors, but never wanted to mess around with the expense and hassle of grow lights?  Traditional grow lights generate lots of heat and use enormous amounts of electricity, raising your monthly electric bill by noticeable amounts.  But now there is a simpler solution for indoor growing, LED technology!  These LED grow lights stay cool and use only a miniscule amount of energy.

Choose the LGM3 model for leafy plants from seedling to flowering where compact growth is desired.  Looking to really increase your growth?  Choose the LGM550 light bar.  All of the features and benefits of the Professional bar with over a 100% increase in light energy.   The LGM550 promotes the growth and development of all photosynthesizing organisms (plants, algae, bacteria) commonly found in hobby, commercial, and scientific areas of interest.  This is the highest performance LED plant light available in the world.

The LED Grow Master grow bars let home plant growing enthusiasts custom tailor their grow lighting environment.  The low-voltage, light weight, compact, and durable design will mount with a single screw for easy hanging anywhere you would like to grow.

Lower Energy Use

Conventional grow lights consume between 100 watts and 1,000 watts of power to operate. Each LED Grow Master Grow Light uses less-than 9 watts of power. This energy savings becomes more and more important as energy costs continue to rise. On average, LED Grow Master grow lights use 10 times less energy than comparable metallic vapor lights.   One LGM550 LED Gro-Bar used 16-hours per day, at $0.10 per KilowattHour, will cost about $5 per year to operate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that every Kilowatt of energy produces 1.5 lbs of carbon dioxide (CO2). The EPA estimates that for every 7,300 lbs of CO2 prevented is equivalent to planting one acre of trees. Based on these EPA estimates, each 400 watt metallic vapor light replaced by LED Grow Master Grow Lights will yield a savings in energy-produced CO2 equivalent to planting nearly 1/2 acre of trees per year.

Longer Bulb Life

Based on data published by the manufacturers of components used in the LED grow light, the expected LED Grow Master bulb life is 100,000 hours. This is ten to fifty times longer than typical glass grow light bulb life expectations. Replacing glass bulbs every year adds a lot to the expense of a growing system.  Now you won’t be changing expensive bulbs every year.

LEDs change everything.

Carbon Cycle in Your Garden

Indoor gardening

We learn about the Carbon Cycle in Elementary school so when I talk to clients I’ve found the topic of CO2 often gets washed into the “yeah, yeah, I know” category.  But what many people don’t realize is that extra lighting provided to your indoor garden may be going to waste without it.  Plants use the light energy to combine carbon dioxide and water, which it turns to sugars to form carbohydrates, and then mixes with the nutrients in order to increase biomass.  This means that you can pump your garden full of LED grow lights, water, and nutrients but if the CO2 isn’t available to put this process in motion the plants can’t use any of it.

The number one limiting factor in efficient photosynthesis is carbon dioxide.  What this means is- although plants need light, nutrients, and water; it is the make-up of our air that is holding the majority of plants from reaching their full potential.  For centuries we have grown our food in fields where we had little choice but to accept the level of carbon dioxide in the air.  By placing compost around the plants we were able to reap some of the benefits of enhancing CO2 concentrations but there was no way to trap the CO2.  As more and more growers choose to control their environment, it has become more practical to increase ambient levels of carbon dioxide.

Plants need CO2 much in the same way that we need oxygen.  We can maintain ambient levels through proper ventilation but plants are able to utilize much more than nature provides.  The average air we breathe is 300-400 ppm.  Plants will stop growing at 150 ppm.  In a closed growing environment this level is quickly reached as the concentration is constantly depleted by the process of photosynthesis.  Researchers studying the effects of CO2 on plants have found that under otherwise optimal conditions- we can gain a 40% increase in yield by simply raising the CO2 level to 700-1600 ppm.

So how do you do it?  There are CO2 sensor kits that range from $20 and up to gauge the concentration of CO2 in a room.  It is important to know the level of CO2 before you start adjusting.  Levels of 20,000 ppm will make humans pass out and 2500 ppm is enough to give you a headache.  Ventilation should protect against these high concentrations but better safe then sorry.  The most common method of boosting CO2 you use already if you are spending time with your plants.  Our breath contains 35,000 to 50,000 ppm of CO2.

There are many affordable methods of adding CO2 if you aren’t always there to breathe.  Small areas could simply utilize a compost bucket with a gas valve.  You can create your own CO2 by mixing sugar, water, and yeast.  Either of these methods will need a low level oscillating fan to circulate the CO2 which naturally sinks to the ground.  If you are willing to invest, there are some great injectors and generators available in most hydro shops.  In closing, don’t overlook the CO2 levels in your garden.  Plants won’t grow without it.

Kids Gardening With LEDs

Basil LEDs Only

Having problems getting the attention of your kids?  Try plugging in LGM LED lighting.  Kids are mesmerized by the “disco ball” like light.   My favorite reaction came from a 7 year old girl who immediately dropped to the ground and curled up into a little ball on the floor.  I was mystified until she piped up, “I’m a seed.”  She wanted me to make her grow.

LED plant lights provide a safe option for introducing gardening to children at home or in the classroom.  The low-wattage design allows for a light source without shock, burn, or fire risks.  LGM lighting contains no lead, mercury, or glass parts.  As a teaching tool, the LED lighting has great potential.

LGM LED plant lights are compact, durable, scalable, and light weight.  Bars can be mounted easily over tables, desks, or bookshelves to provide a platform to teach children about photosynthesis, evaporation, propagation, biodiversity, decomposition, and a wide variety of other topics.    Gardening helps children gain hands-on, real world experience while creating a beautiful space to connect them to their school or home.   The kids will grow in more ways than one.

A Solar LED Light

Solar Powered Lighting

There are few things we can count on in the world today, but one of them is that the sun will come up every morning providing a source of energy.  The sun is about 93 million miles away but it creates enough energy every minute to meet all of our energy needs.   While it is not necessary to power your LED light with solar power- it is easy.  You don’t even need to understand it.  Here is the information you need to relay to the local solar supply store as it relates to a LGM LED light:

The numbers per bar are: 400 mA if powered by 24VDC direct, drawing 9.6 watts.  When working with photovoltaic/battery setups, it is infinitely desirable to not use a power converter.  Typical PV/battery setups are for homes which need 120 vac power. They design the setup to have PV panels, batteries, and a power inverter to change the 12-24VDC panel voltage to 120VAC house voltage.  The inverter has at best a 60-70% efficiency meaning that you lose up to 40% of the power from your PV panels.   An LED light from LED Grow Master runs on 24VDC.  A power regulator is needed, because PV panels output from 22 volts in the shade, up to 70 volts in full sun.  The voltage coming into the LED light must be regulated to no higher than 24.7VDC.

NFT and LEDs

NFT and LEDs

One of the most promising advancements in sustainable agriculture over the last few years has come from pairing an old technology to a new technology.   Nutrient Film Technique dates back at least as far as Babylon and LED grow lights are still considered the newcomers to plant lighting.    The combination of the two is opening doors for year round production using a fraction of the resources consumed in traditional farming.

NFT  is uniquely simple.  The system involves a shallow film of nutrient solution (nutrient and aerated water) constantly recirculating past the roots of the plants.  NFT is very easy to operate.  You need not be an expert in any skill, gardening or otherwise, to obtain the benefits.   NFT systems greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to bring plants to maturity and make it easier to obtain greater yields than are expected using traditional methods.  NFT eliminates the wetting and drying cycle because roots never dry out.  Other advantages that contribute to the increased yields  are constant access to nutrients and oxygen; and eliminating the root disease and weeds typical in soil grown plants.

The most efficient LED light source available is the LGM540.  Designed by SolarOasis, the LGM540 LED plant light is designed to run on alternative energy sources and requires less than 1/10th of the electricity consumed by traditional lighting with a lifetime that is 10-20 times longer.  The LGM540 is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful lifetime.  The NFT uses approximately 1/10th of the water, 1/3 of the space, a fraction of the minerals, and creates little or no waste to contaminate the environment.   It is easy to see that the pairing of these technologies puts us much closer to the ultimate goal of sustainability. –AL

Mounting Height of LED Grow Lights

 

LED grow lights

We have developed general guidelines to follow when hanging the LED grow lights.  For instance, a single LGM540 should be mounted 28-18″ from the top or sides of the plant canopy to maximize your coverage.   One of the few common characteristics of  both LEDs and traditional lighting is that they both basically follow the Inverse Square Law for light intensity.  The light intensity decreases as the square of the distance from the light.  For example, an LGM540 grow light at 36″ will have approximately 1/4 of the light intensity as the same light at 18″; this is a large range of light intensity that enables growers to adjust for the needs of different plants.  Because 100% of the light emitted is being used by your plants (as opposed to 10% of the light from traditional light sources) there is a danger of giving your plants too much light.

 

Hanging the light bar further away will increase your coverage area but decrease the intensity.  The exact mounting height that will satisfy your plant’s light requirement can only be judged by observing your plant’s reaction to the light.  Changes in light intensity should be gradual.  A plant that naturally grows in the deep shade of the rainforest will likely suffer if an LGM540 is placed at 20″ over the plant canopy without a diffuser.  A plant that naturally grows in the bright sunlight may thrive at 20″.  Like all light sources, the bars should be raised as the plants grow to maintain the optimal distance.

Remember, plants generally survive periods of low light but too much light may cause permanent damage.  Starting your LED grow lights out at the maximum distance recommended is a good start and then watch for signs to determine if the bars should be lowered.  If there is not another light source and the plants are leaning away from the LEDs; it could be a sign that the plants are getting too much light.  Not enough light will cause leaves to turn yellow but too much light will bleach the leaves.  If the light bar needs to be closer you may see reduced leaf size and longer internodal lengths.  If upward growth stops- the lights should likely be raised.   Once you have determined a distance that is promoting the vigorous growth you are looking for you can assume this is the optimal mounting height. -Angela

Vertically Stacked Planting Beds

Multi-tier Hydroponics

Using LED grow lights as a plant growing light source reduces the distance between the planting bed and the lights, allowing more efficient use of the available growing chamber  volume.  Using LED grow lights as the plant light source, it is possible to employ up to three or more vertical layers of planting beds in the area now being used by each single planting bed.  This option effectively triples the potential of biomass production in a plot.

The low heat output of LED lighting makes this possible.  HID lighting operates at temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit which is why adding an additional layer to a grow chamber utilizing this light would make the heat unmanageable.  LGM LED grow lights operate at less than 15 degrees above ambient temperatures so they will not overheat or burn plants and people.

Farmland is shrinking and the number of people to feed is growing.  Why not turn that wasted four feet at the top of your grow space into a second crop?  The technology is here and you know what they say- “Waste not, want not.”–AL