Advantages and disadvantages of LED grow lights
Everything in this world has advantages and disadvantages and with LED lighting systems it is exactly the same. Stay that in our online grow shop we tell you all the pros and cons of growing with LED panels.
Advantages of LED growing
Let’s start with the good stuff! With the advantages of growing cannabis with LED lighting, which are not few compared to other lighting systems
Saving energy
Perhaps this is one of the advantages that will lead you to buy an LED system for your crop, it is one of the most important, because due to the increase in the price of light, many cannabis growers have stopped growing indoors and many others have decided to switch to LED cultivation, as this type of bulbs consume much less and that is described in a lower electricity bill.
Less heat
LED systems emit much less heat than conventional lighting kits, therefore allowing us to grow more crops throughout the year, as we can grow in summer or in areas where the temperature is higher.
More security
Many LED panels have integrated a passive cooling system with no moving parts. As there are no fans to extract the hot air, we still save on power and gain in safety.
Compared to the old magnetic transformers, those conventional transformers were a real danger and more than one of them caught fire. LED panels have built-in safety systems and it is almost impossible for that to happen.
Less irrigation water and less fertiliser
Because LED lighting systems produce less heat, our plants evaporate and absorb less water, as the soil will remain moist for longer. We will reduce the number of watering times, so we will also save on water.
By reducing the amount of water, we also reduce the amount of fertiliser we use. This saves both water and fertiliser, as less fertiliser is used. By using less fertiliser, we reduce the accumulation of nutrients, producing less salts in the roots and reducing nutrient blockage.
More production and quality
With the new LED systems there has been an increase in quality with regard to manufacturing materials, LED types, light spectrum, light intensity, etc. Thanks to these improvements, our plants absorb more and better light, thus achieving more production with more beautiful and quality flowers.
Longer lifetime
Another advantage is that an LED system can last a minimum of 50,000 hours of use, this translates into about 8 years, but there are LED systems that can last up to 10 years without needing to be changed and without losing light output. With conventional HPS lighting kits we have to change lamps every 2 or 3 crops because they lose a lot of light output and by losing lumens, we lose production.
With LED panels it will not be necessary to replace any of the components due to wear and tear, so we will save at least 8 years of buying bulbs and changing ballasts.
Easy installation
These lighting systems come wired and ready to be connected directly to the current, you do not need to know how to make cable connections, just plug it into the mains.
Disadvantages of LED growing
Now that we have explained the advantages of growing with LED bulbs, let’s move on to the disadvantages or disadvantages of growing with these types of lamps.
Price of LED systems
One of the disadvantages or disadvantages that prevents many growers from switching to LEDs is the high price of these lighting systems. We are talking about high quality materials and a long life span, so the investment is worth it, but it is not affordable for everyone.
Cheap LED grow systems
As we have just seen, there are different types of systems, varying in price and quality. Usually we come across customers who have decided to get a cheap LED system, but the quality or yield of their crop has not been the best. Cheap LED or Chinese LED models often produce inferior results, because the light spectrum and light intensity is too low to produce cannabis plants in the best conditions. That’s why we recommend to look at the characteristics of each LED system and find out what you really need. Haven’t you seen our blog “Characteristics to consider about LED lights”?
Low temperature and high humidity
An advantage can also be a disadvantage, by producing little heat our plant will not open all of its stomata, which are responsible for the plant to breathe and perform photosynthesis. As a result, the plant absorbs less water and consequently less nutrients.
If we live in cold areas, it will be necessary to use a heating system to increase the temperature of the indoor crop, if and when necessary.
Humidity is one of the most important parameters to take into account when growing cannabis indoors, as less heat increases humidity. If we have a low temperature we will increase the risk that humidity will increase, and we may suffer from fungus in our crop, climatic stress, among others. If this happens, it can be solved by installing a dehumidifier.
Irrigation water
If the temperature of our crop is below the parameters, and the humidity has risen, we will have to be very careful with the water supply. One of the advantages was that our plants would receive less water, so if we are used to growing with an HPS lighting system for example, watering should be more constant than with an LED grow panel. An LED system needs less water, so we have to be careful not to overwater, otherwise we might drown them.
Light colour
The colour of the light benefits the growth of our plant, but it can also offer less defence against some types of insect pests. For this reason we always recommend the use of preventives.
Now that we have seen some of the advantages and disadvantages of LED systems, we should think about whether the advantages are enough to buy an LED system or not. At Themariashop we believe that as technology advances, the leap in quality it makes is enormous, and we strongly recommend growing cannabis with LEDs, taking into account the many advantages they offer, the few disadvantages and the easy solutions they present.
If you have decided to buy LED systems, but you don’t know which LED system you need for your crop, we recommend you to take a look at “How to know which LED system I need for my growing area“.
Pros and cons of LED grow lights
| PROS | CONS |
| We save on electricity (between 50 and 60% less). | The price of an LED system is higher than any other lighting system. |
| It can be grown in summer or in areas with high temperatures. | In cold spaces we will need the help of a heater to maintain the optimum temperature. |
| More safety (less risk of fire). | Higher moisture content, higher risk of fungal diseases. |
| More productive and better quality plants. | Lower nutrient intake, higher possibility of deficiencies. |
| LED panels have a longer lifetime than other lighting systems. | Increased possibility of pests. |
| LED panels are very easy to install. |
Here are some of the best-selling LED systems from our online shop:
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