Reasons To Use LED Grow Lights

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By the time you have made it to this site, you have probably heard a wide range of reasons to pick  LED grow lights over HID grow lights for hydroponic nutrients – some of it is true, some of it is hype, I am sure. The best thing to do is to take both sides of the argument and split the difference. Take some time to research the results from independent testing (especially when comparing the offerings of different LED grow light manufacturers).

Reasons To Use LED Grow Lights


If you choose from among the best LED Grow Lights  on the market, you can look forward to the following benefits:

  • Energy Savings – The first thing that you see when looking at LED grow lights is claims of efficiency. While some claims are overstated, you can expect to see a 40% to 75% decrease in electricity  costs, when you switch from HPS or MH, grow lights
  • Near-Zero Heat Signature – There are entire websites dealing with how to mitigate the overwhelming heat generated by HID grow lights. Because of their advanced architecture, LED grow lights emit very little heat and most come with modest built-in fans to keep the chips cool. No more burned leaves, no more excessive dehydration, and…
  • No Expensive Accessories – Ballasts, reflectors, heat removal systems, fans . . . they all cost money and add up very quickly. On top of that, these items do break down over time and replacement costs cut into your potential profit.  LED grow lights eliminate the need for these things
  • Exceptional Life-Span – With an average lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours, LED grow lights continue to pay for themselves over time. Compare this to HPS grow lights that need to be replaced as often as every 5000 hours and the choice is obvious.
  • Near 100% Efficiency – At best, an HID light is only 35% efficient which means nearly 2/3 of the light produced is totally wasted as heat or as a light that is not used in photosynthesis. With well-researched LED Grow Lights, you can achieve 90% or better efficiency because the light produced falls within the spectra of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). This just means plants can use the light created by LED grow lights directly for photosynthesis.

Who Should Use LED Grow Lights?

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While the reasons to use LED grow lights are numerous, the applications in which LED grow lights really shine are even more so. Users of LED Grow Lights experience great results both in hobby gardens as well as in commercial settings.

Medical Marijuana Growers

Growers of medicinal marijuana on both an individual and commercial level have much to gain from using LED grow lights in their gardens. From an economic standpoint, using LEDs will save the grower in excess of 40% in electricity costs which can translate into massive increases in profit for commercial growers. For individuals, growing with LED is more economical and discreet; no more drawing the attention of neighbours with noisy exhaust fans or raising alarms with the electricity company with spikes in energy consumption. Whether you start from cannabis seeds or from clones, growers can still experience the big yields they are used to getting with HPS lights while enjoying lower costs. Large operations can take advantage of the savings by reducing costs to their customers to increase market share or by increasing profits – all while providing an outstanding final product. Let’s not forget that the quality of LED grown bud can be higher than that grow under HPS. We know that heat degrades THC – degradation is common under HPS. With none of the heat of HPS, cannabis grown under LED grow lights can offer higher THC levels with the same strain.

Sustainable Urban Vertical Farming With LED Grow Lights


I sincerely dislike cities. They are lifeless, soul-sucking monuments to human arrogance that distances ourselves from nature. How 60% or more of Earth’s population can stand living in a city, I may never know but I can tell you that my roots lie in more pastoral settings. You may wonder how I would consider a city such as New York with its 8 million inhabitants lifeless and it comes down to my assertion that life cannot be fostered with concrete and steel – or at least that has been my position for years. Perhaps vertical farming could change my mindset.

We can and should do better at feeding the Earth’s population but it is tough to do when you understand the problems a large scale farm faces from the water supply, toxic runoff from fertilizers and pesticides, and transportation issues. On top of that, thousands of acres of farmland are lost daily due to development or potentially absurd acts of Congress which gives farm owners incentive to turn arable farmland into the forest in the name of carbon sequestration.

Reforesting thousands of acres of farmland may look good on paper but really just swaps one problem for another. This idea is almost as nutty as growing corn to fuel our cars (apropos ethanol) while millions go hungry. Imagine yourself as one of the throngs of starving people around the globe, looking in on America while we burn our glut of food as fuel. Its the kind of thing that would not foster warm-fuzzy feelings.

In an attempt to reconnect ourselves with nature and provide fresh, locally grown produce for an increasingly urban population, urban vertical farms present us with a rare opportunity to use our God-given talents to solve a problem intelligently. The answer to these problems may lie in vertical farming. Vertical farming, especially in urban centres, would allow for the sustainable production of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables for the local population. All farming would take place indoors using a very controlled environment to create optimum growing conditions to ensure the highest yield per acre of growing space. By growing hydroponically, you could reduce water consumption by 75-90% while keeping harmful chemicals out of the public water supply, the environment, and of our food.

The idea is simple enough – create a multi-story high rise in which each level can be dedicated to growing a particular plant . . . such as tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, cucumbers, and more. What you can grow is limited only by economic feasibility – just like any other traditional farm. One of the biggest hurdles right now is coming up with an appropriate design that can match form with function. The most important function a usable design can offer is exposure to plant-growing sunlight.

Without a viable light source, there is no farming. Until now, there have been no economically viable means to grow plants indoors using 100% artificial lighting, but that is changing because of LED grow lights. Depending on the design of the structure, LEDs can be used as the primary source of lighting or just to supplement natural lighting. As the cost of LEDs drops, interest in the technology is increasing. Earlier this year, McGill University in Canada partnered with GE and the Canadian government on a $1.3 million project to develop LED grow to light for commercial greenhouses. The goal is to reduce business operating costs while increasing crop yield, something that is completely feasible with LEDs.

With food prices rising and likely to remain unstable for years and increasing population, the pressure to feed people could mean further deforestation if traditional farming methods are pursued. Using LED grow lights in a commercial setting can reduce costs as they require only about 35-50% of the operating power of CFL or HID lighting. In addition, crop loss due to excessive heat is no longer an issue as LED lights run warm to the touch. This also means that cooling costs will be greatly reduced or eliminated depending on your climate. In addition, by growing indoors using hydroponics, you can reduce water consumption by as much as 90% over traditional farming in open fields or in greenhouses.

US based company TruLite LED has developed commercial and greenhouse LED grow lights to help large operations increase their profit by reducing costs and boosting yield. Whether using LED grow lights as supplemental lighting in greenhouses or as the only light source in indoor gardening installations, TruLite’s products work with a range of plants from herbs & lettuce to fruits & veggies, and even cannabis.

If you are looking for information about lighting for your greenhouse project, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always happy to consult with new people to help their venture get off the ground or to assist in retrofitting an existing operation with LED grow lights.

Algae Production For Biofuel, Food, & Pharmaceuticals

The battle for a renewable and sustainable energy source has been raging for decades with little progress, until now. Research has shown that algae are capable of producing 10 to 20 times more gallons of biodiesel per acre than any other known source. In addition to supplying fuel on a large scale, algae can be cultivated by small-scale farmers to off-set increasing fuel costs on family farms. As another benefit, the byproduct of rendering oil from algae is a high protein and carbohydrate solid that can be used as animal feed and pharmaceutical supplements or further processed into ethanol.

Crisis Gardening & Off Grid Applications

With each era that passes there groups of people who are determined to not only survive but thrive in the perilous times in which we live. Having a crisis garden is one easy way to ensure you and your family have enough food to weather tough times. Let’s face it, crisis gardens are quickly becoming the Victory Garden of the new millennium. However, depending on your geography, you may not have the luxury of a long growing season or you may wish to keep your crisis garden more private. With LED grow lights, it is now possible to extend your growing season or grow completely indoors if desired.

General Hobby Gardening

Gardening enthusiasts have something to be excited about because LED grows lights enable you to enjoy your hobby year-round regardless of the weather. From growing fresh herbs and produce for cooking, starting plant seedlings in the spring for transplant, to more exotic pursuits such as growing bulbs, bromeliads, tropical plants, and even orchids, LED grow lights are up to the task. The intensity and coverage area of the best LED grow lights on the market makes it possible to grow any plant from basic lettuce to light-intensive plants such as watermelons, carnivorous plants, and cactus.

LED Grow Lights – The New Standard

After several years of research and releasing new, improved models, LED grow lights have established a firm foot hold in the grow light market, proving themselves as much more than a fad gadget. Current iterations of LED grow lights can go head-to-head against their HID counterparts, matching and exceeding the yields and grow quality.

Choosing The Best LED Grow Lights

When deciding on the right LED grow lights for you, please take some time to look at as much information as you can. What I have found is that those that are most vocal in their grow light’s abilities are the ones to stay away from. When you find a company that lets its product stand on its merits and abilities instead of hype about uber-penetration and 400% yield increase, that is the company to go with.

Essential Guide To Plant Grow Lights

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As a newbie to indoor gardening, it may be intimidating as there is much to learn. The primary consideration one has to make is in the choice and implementation of grow lights for your plants.

No light = no plants. . .  yeah, I know. DUH! You already knew that.

Well here is why: plants need light for photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, plants are able to convert light into glucose & oxygen which is used for growth. Be careful in your choice of grow lights as your gardening success depends on it.  Choose wisely and you will enjoy massive growth and increased yields.  The wrong choice and you will end up with spindly plants incapable of flowering and fruiting.

With no less than 5 types of plant grow lights on the market, your decision has never been more important.  You must not only take into account initial cost to buy grow lights but any ongoing costs such as bulb replacement, additional supplies (reflectors, ballasts, duct work), and most importantly, electric costs.

High-intensity discharge lights (HID) is a category of grow lights that include metal halide and high-pressure sodium. HID lights produce light that produces light in a fairly narrow portion of the spectrum, each more suitable to a specific stage of plant growth.  Metal halide lights produce light in the blue spectrum (great for vegetative growth) while high-pressure sodium bulbs emit light in the yellow-red spectrum (great for flowering and fruiting). Ideally, you would use them simultaneously throughout the plant’s life while altering the exposure to blue or red/yellow spectrum to encourage stage-appropriate growth.  If a plant does not get the correct spectrum of light at the right time, you will end up with long, leggy plants incapable of flowering or fruiting – and this is whether they are grown hydroponically or in soil.

To say it a different way, the spectrum of light that a bulb emits is important because plants thrive under different wavelengths depending on their stage of growth. When growing lettuce, for example, you need to use the blue light given off by metal halide grow lights to induce thick, stocky vegetative growth.  Otherwise, your lettuce will look thin and anemic. In another example, for mature tomato plants to produce flowers and fruit then you need to introduce light from the red/orange spectrum after you have sufficient vegetative growth.

At My Hydroponic Gardening, we have great daily deals on grow lights that can include FREE shipping – just be sure to take a look through the item description below.

Metal Halide Grow Lights – great for vegetative growth.

High-Pressure Sodium Grow Lights – necessary for flowering and fruiting.

MH & HPS Sets – the best of both worlds at a discount over buying separately.

Commercial Greenhouses See 35% Increase In Revenue With TruLite LED Grow Lights

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My Hydroponic Gardening Industries, LLC is at it again, introducing their line of commercial LED grow lights through My Hydroponic Gardening, known for bringing innovative products to the commercial greenhouse marketplace, is positioned to permanently alter how produce is grown on a large scale while showing grow operation owners how to increase revenue by 35% or more.

My Hydroponic Gardening LED products can help greenhouse growers in one of two ways. The most common installation incorporates lighting units in outdoor greenhouses as supplemental lighting. As supplemental lighting, LED grow lights allow growers to extend the season by being able to start earlier and run later in the year. Early and late season growing can be tricky because the sun offers less intensity and growers experience fewer daylight hours which reduces crop yield. TruLite LED systems can be connected to timers and light sensors to turn on automatically at a particular time of day or in reduced light conditions. This means that growers can give their crops all of the light they need every day without worrying about inclement weather that blocks out the sun. Growers in places like Seattle, Washington who average less than 50% sunny days can enjoy the same number of sunny days as in parts of California at 75% or more.

My Hydroponic Gardening LED grows lights are also used as the primary lighting source when no natural light is possible. When growing inside warehouses, vertical farms, or even in converted shipping containers, proper lighting is critical to plant life. TruLite’s products are specially tuned for growing indoors – anything from lettuce and herbs to fruits and vegetables – covering all cycles of growth from seed to fruiting. High-intensity diodes are used, incorporating precise wavelengths that correspond to peaks in the absorption spectra of photosynthetic pigments necessary for plant growth.

With the properly tuned wavelengths in My Hydroponic Gardening’s products, growers can see a savings of 35% or more in electricity costs if currently using HID lighting like metal halide or high-pressure sodium. Much of the energy consumed by HID lights are not useable by plants and is just lost as heat which needs venting, adding to overhead. LED grow lights run cool and require little to no venting which reduces operating costs.


About TruLite Industries, LLC

My Hydroponic Gardening Industries, LLC is a technology firm specializing in efficient horticultural products and operates in the business to business and business to consumer markets. My Hydroponic Gardening sells directly through its website, myhydroponicgardening.com and through approved distributors and retailers. To browse all available products, including the TLM200 which is specifically engineers for growing row crops, visit the website. For sales or distribution inquiries, please call (08) 8266 0539.

Get A Head Start In The Garden By Growing Plants Under Grow Lights

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In lean times, people have looked to ways to provide for their families, and one of those ways was through growing some of their own food. The “Victory Garden” came into being during World War II and times of food rationing. Today many people are looking for easy ways to grow delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs, and this can be done through indoor gardening.

There are gardening methods, such as hydroponics, which require no soil at all in order to grow wonderful foods, as well as aeroponics, which allows plants to grow in the air. With any of these indoor gardening systems, you will need appropriate grow lights in order for the plants to grow and thrive. Plants need light in order to perform photosynthesis, whereby the plant converts light to energy for itself.

This energy is what causes the plant to grow, mature and reproduce. The key to good photosynthesis in indoor gardening situations is having ample grow lights available to all plants. Without grow bulbs, growing plants will struggle to reach the little light available, and will grow spindly and weak stems, if they grow at all. There are many different types of grow lights available, and what you will use depends on the kinds of plants you are growing, in which stage of growth they are, and your budget. Young seedlings require to grow lights that are in the blue temperature range, which helps the little plants to grow. Mature plants that you wish to flower and set fruit require grow bulbs in the red and orange light spectrum. You also need very bright light for indoor gardening, because you are trying to imitate natural sunlight. Many gardeners choose LED to grow lights for indoor growing. LED Grow Lights are easily suited to any colour spectrum you need. These powerful grow lights also produce much less heat than standard grow bulbs, eliminating the need for fans and cooling systems.

LED grow lights also consume less electricity than non-LED grow lights do, saving you money over time in energy costs. LED grow lights are also much lighter in weight than standard lighting fixtures, which makes them easier to hang over your plants, and they do not require extra equipment such as ballasts in order to operate properly. You can learn more about LED grow lights, other types of indoor gardening lights such as HID lamps, metal halide lamps, high-pressure sodium bulbs and all other types of lighting equipment including digital ballasts, light movers, reflectors and hangers suitable for indoor gardening by looking here – LED grow light.