grow lights on trial
from the lamp, which is the main reason they are
paired with reflectors. If the light from the HID side
is not controlled, it can add to the light received by
the plants on the LED side. This can be prevented
by placing a physical barrier around both sides of
the grow space, but these barriers will also alter air
flow, which could benefit one side over the other,
depending on the room’s configuration.
When LED and HID lights
are hung side-by-side in the
same space, the LED side can
end up acting as a heat sink
for the HID side because it
runs cooler.
Environmental Conditions
Environmental conditions also affect the outcome of
a trial. Take temperature, for example. HID lamps
can harm plants in hot conditions. Plants that are
too hot have a difficult time transpiring enough to
keep themselves cool, resulting in reduced harvests.
Thus, indoor gardens illuminated with HID grow
lights always include equipment to ventilate excess
heat out of the grow space, and may also include
air conditioning to counteract the excess heat
generated by HID lamps.
Active venting and cooling processes can spell
trouble for LEDs as well. Because LED grow lights
do not create excess heat, the heat remediation
necessary for HID grow lights can cause the LED
side to be too cool, which can stunt the plants and
suppress yields. Even worse, LED-grown plants can
really suffer in cold, wet climates. Without extra heat
to keep humidity in check, molds, which are tough
to identify under the pinkish glow of many LED
grow lights, can thrive.
100
Maximum Yield USA | April 2015