As a lover of plants, you may know that plants thrive in bright conditions. This usually means placing your plant in rooms that receive a lot of daily sunlight. In fact, receiving light is crucial for allowing your plants to photosynthesise.
However, it is not always possible to give our plants the light they deserve, whether you live in a house that receives little light or it is winter in your country.
Fortunately, there are ways to give artificial light to plants. The trick is to use LED lights for house plants. In fact, there are LED lights made specifically to grow plants. This article will highlight some of the best LED plant lights, and then dive into an in-depth guide on how to use LED lights to grow plants. Let’s get started!
Best LED Lights for Plants
VOGEK LED Growing Light
If you want the best of the best when it comes to LED lighting for plants, the Vogek wins every time. This product gives a full-spectrum light for indoor plants to grow and thrive. What’s great is that this light can be timed to 3, 6, or 12 hours, which allows you to easily control the amount of light your plant gets on a daily basis.
It also comes with a total of 10 brightness settings, which can be control with the press of a button. Simply bend the gooseneck to move the light into the perfect position, without being forced to relocate your plants.
Sunblaster Indoor Grow Garden
Here we have a countertop LED light for plants. It allows you to arrange a variety of small plants onto a small tray that is positioned under an LED light. As such, this is the best LED light for small plants.
The product doubles as a self-watering device too, as the base acts like a water reservoir. The absorbent cloth works to draw water into the bottom of the seed tray. Of course, you don’t have to use this watering feature.
The product comes with two Sun Blaster Nanotech T5 reflectors for ultimate brightness. This can be adjusted to your heart’s content, well, up to 18” above the canopy.
Feit Electric Adjustable Spectrum
If you want to keep things simple, you can always purchase some LED strips for plants. The Feit LED strips allow you to swap between three colors, which are blue, red, and white. The different colors are for using at different stages of your plant’s life cycle.
The strips give 1,300 lumens at full brightness, which is enough light for almost all house plants. These lights are housed inside a tough plastic that measures 24 x 5 x 1.75”. You have the choice to either mount the LED stripes to a wall or just leave it to hang.
Can you grow plants with LED lights?
Yes, you can use LED lights to grow plants. However, it is not something that you need to do, well, unless your plants are placed in your basement. Here are the most common reasons to use LED lights for plants:
Winter – It’s no secret that house plants suffer during the winter conditions. It is not only colder, but the sun is not out for long at all. Your plant should be okay during winter, but using LED lights for plants during winter can give an extra layer of security.
Dark room – You may want to keep your plant in a room that doesn’t receive a lot of natural light. We all have corners of our houses that are shaded and don’t receive the same amount of light as others. This is a prime reason to use LED grow lights for house plants.
Growth boost – Now, there is a chance that your plants aren’t thriving like you thought they would. If so, you may want to try using LED lights for house plant growth and health. They are a great tool for making your plants happier.
LED grow lights Vs LED lights?
The difference between LED grow lights and LED lights is that grow lights produce a wavelength that mimics the sun’s rays. As such, grow lights are the most efficient lights for growing plants. The electromagnetic waves are effective for causing photosynthesis.
Are grow lights better than LED lights for growing plants?
There isn’t too much research into the comparison between the two types of light, but grow lights are used in various ‘plant growing’ industries. With that in mind, LED lighting is still an effective way to allow your plants to photosynthesise and grow.
If you have a dark house or you want to give your plants a boost in the winter, then an LED light will work well. Well, the LD light will work to keep your plant alive, but it is unlikely to ignite a sudden boost in growth or allow your plant to thrive to its full potential.
Can any light bulb grow plants?
This isn’t a simple answer, as it depends on the type of plant that we are talking about. Most light bulbs will work to keep your house plant alive, but they won’t allow every plant to grow. Basically, normal lights aren’t as good as LED grow lights for growing plants.
You may have to use a normal light for an extra boost of light in winter time, if you live in a dark house, or you just want to maintain the size of the plant instead of grow it larger.
Benefits of using LED lights for plants
- Simply put, LED lights work well in allow plants to grow
- They aren’t expensive
- LED lights are safe to use
Disadvantages of using LED lights for plants
- The lights need to be placed directly on top of the plants
- They work well, but aren’t as good as sunlight
Do I need LED lights to grow house plants?
You do not need LED lights to grow plants in your house, especially if you live in a house that receives a lot of natural light. Only get LED lights if you notice your plants suffering from lack of light.
Verdict
So, that concludes are article on how to use LED lights for plants. LED grow lights are an effective way to grow house plants in areas that don’t receive a lot of natural light. They aren’t always necessary, but they can be a plant-saver if you notice your plant suffering from lack of light.
Personally, I use grow lights on my plants during winter. I live in the UK, so we don’t get a lot of sun at the best of times. Using LED lights allows my plants to receive the light they need to do photosynthesis.
