beginner ' s corner
The artificial light source is the main energy driving plant growth within an indoor garden . Although every indoor garden is different , they all have one thing in common : there is a limited amount of light energy . Some larger indoor gardens may have tens of thousands of watts of artificial light , while smaller gardens may only have a couple hundred watts . Regardless of the amount of light energy that is found in the garden , a grower should do their best to efficiently use that light energy . After all , the more efficiently a grower uses artificial light , the more productive the garden will be . When discussing efficient lighting systems and set-ups for an indoor garden , it only makes sense to discuss horticultural LEDs .
LEDS FOR HEIGHTENED EFFICIENCY Since the inception of LEDs as a horticultural light source , growers have been tempted by promises of heightened efficiency and better return on investment . Although not all LED lighting systems are equal , they do , in general , offer some major benefits to indoor horticulturists . LEDs are comprised of individual diodes ( solid state devices that actually emit light ). These individual diodes can produce specific light wavelengths . In other words , each diode can produce a specific color in the light spectrum . This opens up a world of customizable spectral outputs for horticultural lighting systems . The ability to customize LED lighting fixtures is probably the largest advantage for indoor horticulturists . Our knowledge of plant physiology has shown us that plants have a heightened photosynthetic response to particular light wavelengths . LED lighting systems are capable of producing exclusively , or a higher amount of these particular wavelengths , which means the light energy is more useable for the plants . This in itself increases the efficiency of LED lighting compared with other horticultural light sources . Another major efficiency factor associated with LEDs is temperature . In general , LED lighting systems produce less heat than HID or fluorescent lighting systems . For most indoor horticulturists , heat is unwanted and many counter-measures , such as air conditioners or fans , are implemented to remove the excess heat . Since LEDs naturally produce less heat , they automatically require less cooling equipment and this reduces the overall operational costs of the garden .
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Although not all LED lighting systems are equal , they do , in general , offer some major benefits to indoor horticulturists .”
106 grow cycle