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.

Characteristics of Plants Grown Under LEDs

 

LED Grow Master Lighting

LEDs are an entirely new light source.  The light emitted from an LED grow light has very little in common with the light emitted from a HPS or fluorescent.  Because of these inherent differences, plants grown under LEDs will have different growth characteristics.  LED plants will exhibit compact growth.  The quality wavelengths emitted from properly made LED grow lights are able to satisfy the plant’s light requirements and eliminate the need to “stretch” toward the lights.

 

LED plants will show no signs of heat stress.  Too much heat in your environment causes the roots to stop growing, flowers to wilt prematurely, “sun spots” occur, leaves droop, and reduction in chlorophyl may leave white or brown foliage.  Plants may survive for years in this stunted state but ultimately they will die.  This issue becomes extremely problematic when growing in small areas under light sources that are sometimes 1500 degrees F.  Take the rose for example.  Spotting and edge burning are commonplace under the sun and traditional white light sources.  Miniature roses have been grown under LEDs with blooms that were picture perfect and unblemished with some varieties having flowers that lasted for months without change.

There are other positive differences that you may notice such as increased symmetry and deeper colors in your foliage.  All of these changes are brought about by the unique blend of wavelengths incorporated into a well made LED grow light.  These are growth characteristics that were previously not possible.  LEDs not only grow plants- they grow them better.

Calling All Pioneers

LED Succulents

     A Pioneer blazes the trail for those who will follow behind.  Pioneers give us new things to do and new ways of doing things we already do.  They are ingenious, and full of the will to discover.  As Galileo once said “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

     I’m seeking pioneers.  While SolarOasis patented the first LED grow light almost 10 years ago, the method is still in it’s infancy.  LEDs are different from HPS and fluorescent lighting in almost every way.  What many people don’t realize is that most of the supplies that we find for the indoor garden have been designed with the idea that plants will be receiving radiant heat from their light source.  This heat is associated with fire and shock risks as well as lead and mercury dangers inherent in glass bulbs.    We are now able to eliminate the heat and utilize a safe, durable option which opens the door to entirely new parameters of design in the garden. 

      I’m looking for pioneers of new mediums designed for porosity to help prevent over watering when the heat is eliminated.   I’m looking for pioneers of space, to grow in places that were once inaccessible or unpractical using traditional lighting like shipping crates or underground gardens.   I’m looking for pioneers in measurement as there is currently no handheld device to properly measure the output of LEDs in relation to plant growth.  Almost every aspect of the garden could be reinvented to become more efficient now that we have access to LEDs.

       With the variety of plants and methods of growing used on the planet today, all LED gardeners are pioneers.  We advance the technique every time we plant a new variety or try a new method.  It is estimated that there are over 300,000 different plant species on earth.  You could be the fjrst to grow your species under LEDs.  Take pictures and gather data.  Help blaze the trail and hold yourself to your rightful place in history as a pioneer in LED gardening.

The Best LED Grow Lights

LGM1 microgreens

All LED grow lights are not created equal.  Among the LEDs marketed as grow lights, LED Grow Master Global chose SolarOasis technology because it was the most efficient,  spectrally rich LED plant light source available at the time.    Almost a decade later-  SolarOasis continues to set the standard for LED plant lighting.   We are now able to offer 6 versions including terrestrial and aquaria models.

Today we will look at the most basic model- the LGM1 LED grow light.  This is the standard model that is recommended for veg and leafy greens such as lettuce that is not expected/desired to bloom.  These LED grow lights are designed for maximum performance at the manufacturer’s recommended hanging height of 12-14″.  This applies to  one-three standard bars hung alone.    When LGM plant lighting is placed in a multi-bar array (4 or more LGM1 on a SunMount) the light from each cluster blends and intensifies the light emitted.  When used as a multi-bar array, the LGM1 needs to be 24″ x 30″ away from the tops or sides of your plants.  This concept of proper placement is very important to the health of your plants.  Unlike HID lighting, light emitting diodes have built in reflectors that prevent the light from scattering throughout the area.  The grow lights must be mounted within the parameters in order to properly blend the different wavelengths needed by your plants.

While our LGM3 and LGM5 are the more advanced models designed to support growth and development through all cycles of growth, if you are just growing microgreens or the sort-  the LGM1 is the most affordable and runs on the smallest electrical draw (a mere 6 watts.)   Our LED grow light is rated for 100,000 hours.  Thrifty shoppers will find that the energy savings and long lifetime of LGM  lighting makes them the most affordable,  long-term LED option on the planet.  For more information about the LGM1 you can visit our website @    www.led-grow-master.com/LGM1.html

Check back next week and I will fill you in on why the LGM3 is equally (if not more) great than the LGM1!