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Increase Weight with Advanced LED Plant Lighting Technology

Posted on 05/02/2015.
Not all LED lighting systems are the same, so it's important to do some comparison shopping before investing in a system that gives less-than-spectacular results.
While LED technology has been around for a while, some manufacturers are using outdated components that simply can't deliver the performance of state-of-the-art LEDs. Older diodes don't have the wattage needed for successful grow operations. High-power white LEDs are available but the spectrum these put out isn't ideal for plants.
While the right LED technology costs more, the increased yields more than offset the price difference.
To increase the performance of your setup, and make your investment even more profitable, we recommend:
- First, take advantage of the low heat output of LEDs by moving the fixtures closer to your plants. Because light intensity changes greatly with distance (a function of the inverse square law), moving lights even slightly closer will deliver extra energy to your plants. And compared to other light sources, LEDs burn much cooler, greatly reducing the risk of heat damage. All of our Black Dog LED plant lights have a recommended hanging height which can be found on the bottom of each product page.
- Second, leverage the light you have by growing your plants in a highly reflective room or tent, often referred to as light containment. That way, more of the light you're paying for will be directed back at your plants instead of being absorbed by dark walls. You can do this by lining the grow area with rolls of plastic sheeting coated with a white reflective surface on one side. A simpler option, although not quite as effective, is to simply paint your grow room surfaces with flat white paint.
- A third option, but one that requires some safety considerations, is to add carbon dioxide to the grow room atmosphere. Plants "breathe" CO2 and "exhale" oxygen, just the opposite of humans. Increasing the amount of CO2 available to plants helps them grow. To accomplish this you can use a CO2 generator although they introduce a flame to your grow room so there are safety concerns. A CO2 tank and regulator can also be the most effective and efficient way to bring up your CO2 levels. There are also a number of bags on the market that produce CO2 using organic material with fungal spores which can also help raise the levels of CO2 but not as high as you can get with tanks or burners.
HOWEVER, as the CO2 flows into the room, it displaces oxygen, creating a suffocation hazard for people and pets. NEVER use this technique around children or pets and always post safety warnings at grow area entrances.
LED grow lights are the clear choice for serious growers of indoor vegetation of nearly any type. For 5 years Black Dog LED has set the standard for high-power LED grow lights, combining performance, design and innovation unmatched in the indoor garden industry. We are a 100% research-based company whose mission is to design the best indoor plant grow lights, outperforming all other types of HID, induction, plasma, fluorescent and LED grow lighting.
All Black Dog LED lights come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty and 90-day money-back guarantee, so why waste your time and money on outdated technology when you can have industry-leading Black Dog LED grow lights and grow room accessories today? Simply purchase directly from our website or use our store locator to find a Black Dog LED dealer near you.
2 thoughts on “Increase Weight with Advanced LED Plant Lighting Technology”
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I live in Mi. , retired and thinking about growing some med. marijuana. I grew a long time ago , 40 some years ago. I know little about indoor growing. I have been inquiring at a few local grow shops and i have not found any that talk up LEDs. They seem to want to stick with the HDI and such ??? Any way i can grow up to 12 plants , but don't ave that kind of money to fork out, especially when its new to me and i cannot afford to fail . Maybe 2 or 3 plants to get the feel for it.. Any advice, litrature, help , i would apreciate .. Thanks, Mike ..
Hello!
Most hydroponics shops don't recommend LED grow lights because they've never seen a LED grow light that actually works. Almost all of the LED grow lights on the market are grossly exaggerating what they can do, so when people try them out they get disappointing results-- which makes people think that LED grow lights don't work.
We offer a 90-day money-back guarantee on any one of our lights for that reason- you can get a light, try it out for yourself for a full flowering cycle, and see for yourself just how well LED grow lights can work if they're done correctly!
For 2-3 plants you can always start with our smallest light, the PhytoMAX 200. It covers a 2.5'x2.5' area for flowering, which is enough for 2-3 plants as long as you don't let them get huge. We generally recommend flipping the plants into flower when they are 12-18" tall so they will finish up at 3-4.5 feet tall (depending on strain); at that size 2-3 plants will fit in a 2.5'x2.5' area.
We also have 4 other sizes of lights, going all the way up to our PhytoMAX 1000, which will cover a 5.5'x5.5' area for flower.
For more general information and advice, we have more information available on these 2 web pages:
Maximizing Yield with LED Grow Lights
Expert Growing Tips