Indoor gardening has become more popular with the introduction of various types of grow lights. Depending on need, there are three primary types of grow lights available: high density (HD), metal halide (MH), and high pressure sodium (HPS). All offer a great solution to plant grow lights, but more recently, a fourth kind, LED, has been introduced and offers a more advantageous solution. When choosing which type of grow light to use, there are key factors to consider; weight and size, light spectrum, and cost.
Space and ease of use are often factors when choosing indoor gardening grow lights. Typically, HID, MH, and HPS lights all operate with a ballast, which helps regulate the flow of electrical current. The ballast adds weight to the configuration and can be difficult to manipulate when hanging over the indoor garden. Additionally, some of these light fixtures, like the HPS light, use reflectors to cast a larger span of light again adding weight. These reflectors also require appropriate air flow for cooling purposes. Because the indoor plants need water and other maintenance, there is typically a need to move the light fixtures. A lightweight and easily maneuvered indoor grow light is ideal. LED grow lights, which do not need a ballast, offer a lightweight solution and high-end LED grow lights are made with custom fans making the need for additional external cooling mechanisms obsolete.
Availability of appropriate light spectrum is an integral part for growing plants. At each stage of a plants life, it requires a different light spectrum; blue light for young seedlings, red and orange for mature plants. HPS lights and others offer blue light for the young seedlings needing to grow strong and sturdy stems. Some HPS lights also offer the red light spectrum for the mature plants ready to reproduce. The difficulty is in finding a single light that offers all of the spectra needed. HPS bulbs will have to be changed as the plant matures.
LED grow lights offer simplicity with new technology. With a single fixture, it is possible to produce tri-band spectrum light (red, blue, orange), though most configurations provide just red and blue. Look for innovative features like knobs to alter the spectrum emitted.
At the onset, the purchase price of LED grow lights is more costly than an HPS light, however, there is a substantial savings to be had in operating the different grow lamps. The best LED grow lights use one fourth the electricity to produce the same amount of use-able light as an HPS grow lamp, which can save you money over the life of the grow light.
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To get the best growth and yield from your plants, check out the Tri-Band Illuminator Grow Light below.
