LED Grow Light Kits for Hydroponics - Are They the Best Choice?

By Charlie Pearson

Understanding and Using LED Grow Light Kits for Hydroponics

Nowadays LED grow light kits are the go-to option for hydroponic gardening. They are energy-efficient and versatile and offer a lot of advantages over other types of grow lights, such as metal halide (MH) or high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights. They used to be a bit costly, but as technology develops, LEDs are becoming more and more affordable.

The Advantages of LED Grow Light Kits

LED grow lights are one of the newest types of lighting, and continued advancements in technology have made LED grow light kits better and more affordable than ever before. While LED grow light kits can be a bit more expensive than other types of hydroponic lighting, they offer a lot of benefits, which I'll cover below:

LED grow lights offer the best energy-efficiency out of all types of grow lights and their lifespan is much longer than MH or HPS lights. Unlike other types of grow lights, LED grow lights do not lose efficiency over time and have a lifespan of around 50,000 hours, while MH lights typically have a lifespan of 6,000-15,000 hours, and HPS lights' lifespan is around 24,000 hours. So, while the initial expense when buying an LED grow light kit can be higher, you will save money on electricity bills and your LED grow light kit will serve you much longer than MH or HPS lights.

LED grow lights generate far less heat than MH or HPS lights, which makes them good for small growing spaces, and it means that you won't have to worry about cooling as much.

LED grow lights are more versatile because they can emit different spectrums of light. Plants need different light spectrums at different growth stages, and some LED grow light kits can provide different light spectrums. You can purchase RGB or multi-colour LED grow light kits, and they can provide any spectrum of light by "mixing" the primary colours. This means you can use the same LED grow light at different growth stages, so you won't need to switch bulbs during the plants' growth.

LED grow light kits come in different shapes, sizes, and wattage, which makes them suitable for nearly any hydroponic garden. Low power tube style lights are great for starting seeds and the beginning stages of growing seedlings, as well as growing leafy greens. Some LED grow light kits can be mounted vertically to surround a vertical garden. Higher wattage LED grow light kits are great for taller plants. LEDs provide high power and intensity of light, which helps the light to penetrate further past the top layer of leaves and reach the lower areas of plants.

Wattage

The grow light wattage required for your hydroponic garden depends on the intensity of your light. If you have a higher wattage fixture, you can put the light further away from your plant, so it will then cover a larger area.

A rule of thumb is to have 25-50 watts per square foot of grow space. This means a 1000-watt LED grow light kit can cover 20-40 square feet. The efficiency of your lighting system is the key to increasing the wattage. LED grow light kits are the most efficient type of grow lights, and a 500-watt LED light can provide as much light as a 1000-watt MH or HPS light.