Can I Use Any Blue and Red Led Light To Grow Plants?
Are you interested in starting your very own indoor garden?
Maybe you want to transition a garden inside for the winter, or you don’t have your own dedicated garden space in your home. Luckily, with the right tools, indoor growing can really flourish whether you just want to enjoy some beautiful flowers or try growing your own food.
When it comes to growing plants indoors, you are able to utilize LED lights to assist in the process.
There are two main LED colors that help with indoor plant growth:
Red and blue.
But can you just use any blue and red LED lights to grow plants?
Excellent question! In this article, we’ll be discussing the ins and outs of the best LED lights to grow plants with.
Let’s go!
The Color Light Plants Need to Grow
Of course, plants grow the best in sunlight.
That’s because they are receiving all of the colors of the rainbow, even though it is what we perceive as white light.
The three major colors of this light are red, blue, and green.
You may be thinking, wouldn’t green light be the most effective for plants? This would seem intuitive since plants are largely green. However, since green is the color we see on plants, this actually means that they are absorbing very little green light.
The primary colors they are absorbing are blue and red light. This has led many people to the conclusion that blue and red led lights are the best for indoor plant growth.
Plants are able to utilize both red and blue light to grow.
LED Versus Fluorescent Lights
One thing to consider when growing plants indoors is the type of lights that you will use.
Traditionally, fluorescent lights have been used to grow indoor plants. However, this is starting to shift.
LED lights are considered the grow light of the future.
The acronym LED stands for light-emitting diode, which refers to how the lights work. They are effective for a variety of reasons:
- They emit very little heat
- They come in a variety of different colors
- They are inexpensive
- They are more environmentally friendly
- They are durable
This makes them perfect for setting-up close to plants and is the reason that they have taken the stage when it comes to indoor lights for growing plants.
Why Red and Blue LED Lights Help Plants Grow
Plants need light to survive, and their needs are actually quite specific.
To best grow, plants need photons within a certain level of radiation.
When looking at the color spectrum, you will find that red and blue are on opposite sides of it. This will play an enormous role in helping plants grow indoors.
Blue light mostly helps in the beginning stages where strong roots start to take hold and leaves to facilitate photosynthesis.
You will be able to reap the benefits of this fundamental strength later on since your plant will be able to sustain tons of flowering and fruit.
That’s where the red LED lights come in. The red LED light helps in the later stage where your plant will actually flower (depending on the plant species.) However, it also plays a part in the early stage right along with the blue LED light by assisting with germination, bulb development, and root growth.
So, when discussing which LED light is better for your plants, there is really no debate.
They are both essential to indoor plant growth.
How Long Should I Use Grow Lights for My Indoor Plants?
When using indoor grow lights, you will want to make sure you have the lights on for the correct number of hours per day.
This will range depending on what you’re growing, however, the common range is about 12-16 hours a day. Of the different plants and vegetables, flowering plants will need the higher end of the range per day.
This is a good rule of thumb to follow, and you should be mindful to give your plants complete darkness for approximately 8 hours per day.
Selecting Lights For Your Indoor Plants
There are a few different setups that you can proceed with if you are growing plants indoors.
Whether it’s vegetables or beautiful flowers, you will want to have a set-up that works for the space you are in and will be able to maximize your indoor garden.
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing your grow lights:
Skip the Window Treatment: When you are growing plants indoors, it is a common mistake to just attempt to put the plants near the window. However, through a window, plants are unable to get the sunlight that they need.
The Size of Your Space: You will want to have a dedicated space for your indoor plants. Make sure you have total control of the light in this room, and that it is free from any distractions or possible disruptions, (like kids or plants!)
If you can, avoid high-traffic areas in your home like the kitchen, dining room, or bedroom. Great places for an indoor garden would be an office, the garage (if it is temperature-controlled), or in a pinch— a guest bedroom.
The size of your space and the number of plants you want to grow will determine the layout of your garden.
A great tip is to make this placement adjustable so that throughout the year you can adjust for more or fewer plants seamlessly.
The Structure Your Plants Are On: In order to grow your plants indoors, you will need a structure to place the plants on. The floor does not work well, as it is too low to the ground for pruning and can be difficult to hang the lights around.
A table, a bookshelf, or an etagere are all excellent options for you to put your indoor garden on because they are large, inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to maneuver.
When plotting out your plants, make sure to give yourself plenty of room so that you can easily prune your plants throughout their growth.
How Can Your Plants Best Simulate Natural Light: The last step is to simulate your growing lights to be as similar to sunlight as you can.
That means that you will want your plants to be fully exposed to the light and that the growing light should be hanging over the plants if at all possible.
Consider Purchasing a Gorilla Grow Tent: Purchasing an added tool such as the Gorilla Grow Tent can elevate your indoor garden. This will give your plants the proper heat and air exhaustion they need to thrive.
Can You Use Just Any Blue and Red LED Lights to Grow Plants?
If this is one of your first seasons of growing plants, you may be wondering if just regular blue and red LED lights will do the trick for your indoor plants.
The truth is that while a blue and red LED light combination may help with the growth of your plants, you would be much better off purchasing specialized grow lights that offer the full-color spectrum.
Many of these options are affordable and will stand the test of time.
Since LED grow lights offer full-spectrum, they also offer the right intensity of green light that plants need to thrive.
As we mentioned earlier, this is not widely absorbed by plants.
However, it is still an essential element in growing your flowers or vegetables indoors. Green led light can penetrate into the tops of leaves on a plant or on the bottom leaves, which is difficult for the other lights to penetrate.
Specialized LED grow lights offer a wide range of sizes so that it can fit into your designated indoor garden space. They are designed to emit low heat and a lifetime that lives for up to 5 times the life of normal LED bulbs, (over 50,000 hours!)
In addition, some specialized LED grow lights come with timers to turn on and off so that you never have to worry if your plants are getting the correct amount of light throughout the day.
If you want to get serious about growing an indoor garden, then specialized LED grow lights are going to transform your game.
The Best Blue and Red LED Light To Grow Plants Indoors
Now you know all of the facts you need to know to choose the very best lights for indoor plants.
The more you know, the better your harvest will be! Utilizing proper grow lights can allow you to plant a garden all year long and continue mastering your craft.
Now you know the reason blue and red led light is so powerful to plants, how to select the best lights for your indoor garden, and the highest quality lights for you.
No matter the size of your plot or the different plants you are growing, make sure to peruse our products at Grow Supply Shop. We have the best lights to offer to make sure your indoor plants thrive!
If you have any questions about growing plants indoors, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to discuss the best growing tools for you!
