Indoor plants don’t have the access to the Sun that they need. Special indoor lighting is easy to make use of, but gardeners aren’t all familiar with the type of lighting that comes via LED lights. Light emitting diodes, so they are called, are much more efficient than conventional lights.
The purpose of the light-emitting diode is to give the plants the light necessary for photosynthesis. Not all LED lights are suited for all plants, however. Different light colors will emit different wavelengths. You can fine-tune the way you grow your plants by using different lighting for different stages in the plant’s life- from seed to a mature plant.
It’s true that the energy consumption of an LED is quite small- and that little heat is given off through its high efficiency. You will save a lot of money on your energy bill, but if you go through a cold Winter you may have to spend a bit more on heating. LED lighting doesn’t emit much heat, and won’t do a great job on keeping plants warm. Some type of heating will have to be implemented.
In addition to the lack of heat an LED will give off, and the problems you will face in cold situations, you will have to make plans to counteract the effect of less evaporation. Normally you would water a plant vigorously in the Summer to make up for the evaporation. While indoors and with little heat emitted, you will not have to water a plant so much. Take care that you are not watering the plant too much, for fear of damaging it beyond repair.
In an enclosed room you run the risk of suffocating your plant. It’s known that plants do give off a good deal of oxygen- but they also need oxygen for cell respiration. And since an LED will give off carbon dioxide, the CO2 levels in the indoor atmosphere can reach a critical level. Proper ventilation will need to be installed if you want to keep your plants healthy. There are meters available that can tell you just how much CO2 is in the air, and whether there is cause to worry or not.
LED lighting doesn’t always seem like it is enough to the human eye- but you can rest easy knowing that plants don’t need a bright light, but rather a certain constant wavelength of light. Even if it appears as if the lighting situation is a bit too dark, the plants are probably just fine. Look online to see how much light your specific plants need, so you can avoid any mistakes in hindering the plant’s growth.
Closing Comments
Gardening is so much easier when you have the power of the LED on hand. Look at gardening manuals that reference LED hydroponics to get more familiar with the basics. Such manuals will also steer you clear of common mistakes that will keep you safe from harm when first starting out.
Learn more about LED plant grow lights and LED Grow Lights.