Why are LED grow lights purple? 420 Guide for Beginners
All light sources contain a spectrum of colors within it – some light sources contain some of the colors, some contain all. Sunlight contains all spectrum colors and because of that feeds plants with all information they need. Additionally, because of the presence of all spectrum colors, it appears color-free to human eyes.
When constructing an LED lamp, we can decide which color LED chips to place inside depending on what kind of response we want to achieve from plants. For instance, if we want plants to grow tall, we will increase the amount of far-red, yellow, orange and green chips inside the luminaire. If we want plants to be compact, we will put more blue or UV colored chips. Why do plants respond in those ways to those particular colors is a broad topic that could be covered in a separate post. Either way, these kinds of responses are encoded in plants’ DNA and when designing LED lamps, we can count on plants responding the way nature has designed them to.
LED grow lights for marijuana have multiple diodes that each emit a single color of light. Some have only white diodes, while others have diodes in various different colors. It is the combination of those colors that creates the light we see.
Fixtures that emit a purple light contain a large amount of red and blue diodes. The smaller the ratio of red to blue, the more purple the light looks. The larger the ratio, the more pink it appears.
Since red wavelengths are the most important for plant growth and plants like a ratio of around 5 to 1 of red to blue light, most LED grow lights actually contain more red than blue diodes. This means that their light is actually more pinkish than purplish. It is the “blurple” light I mentioned above.
Blue is for Veg, Red is for Flower
This myth originates from the ritual of switching between Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs when transitioning from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage of growth. Growers use MH because it has blue light which is needed to prevent stretching. HPS bulbs have more yellow/orange light, which is important for rapid growth during flowering. Neither of these bulbs is designed for plant growth, but each is more suitable for a certain stage of plant growth than the other.
Since growers are in the habit of switching bulbs between veg and flower, LED companies provide two spectrum modes to increase marketability. Usually, the veg mode is almost 80 percent blue light. Studies show that giving your plants mostly blue light during veg is wasting the potential of your harvest. Your plants will grow slower, create smaller leaves, and won’t be prepared to grow big for the final yield.
Advanced Platinum P900 LED Grow Light
This is one of the most powerful lamps in the market and is perfect for serious growers. It is expensive, although, more affordable than the Kind K5 XL1000. Let’s quickly check the pros and cons of this product.
Pros:
Cons:
Advanced Platinum 380/855W LED Grow Light
Buying into LED is a big investment regardless of energy savings so we’ve researched all the best LED grow lights on the market and created this LED lights for-the-money list. All the picks in our list have been tested so that we could provide accurate and qualified picks for the best LED’s on the market today.
We’ve also included buying considerations which explain all the terminology and what you should look for in a grow Light. All of the Best LED grow lights that we have reviewed are suitable for indoor grow tent kits.
Quality LED grow lights are the best solution we have today for growing plants indoors. They are more efficient that traditional forms of light, meaning they produce more output, while using less electricity and producing less heat.
They also last much longer. You won’t have to change bulbs for at least 5 years, and often over 10.
When constructing an LED lamp, we can decide which color LED chips to place inside depending on what kind of response we want to achieve from plants. For instance, if we want plants to grow tall, we will increase the amount of far-red, yellow, orange and green chips inside the luminaire. If we want plants to be compact, we will put more blue or UV colored chips. Why do plants respond in those ways to those particular colors is a broad topic that could be covered in a separate post. Either way, these kinds of responses are encoded in plants’ DNA and when designing LED lamps, we can count on plants responding the way nature has designed them to.
LED grow lights for marijuana have multiple diodes that each emit a single color of light. Some have only white diodes, while others have diodes in various different colors. It is the combination of those colors that creates the light we see.
Fixtures that emit a purple light contain a large amount of red and blue diodes. The smaller the ratio of red to blue, the more purple the light looks. The larger the ratio, the more pink it appears.
Since red wavelengths are the most important for plant growth and plants like a ratio of around 5 to 1 of red to blue light, most LED grow lights actually contain more red than blue diodes. This means that their light is actually more pinkish than purplish. It is the “blurple” light I mentioned above.
Blue is for Veg, Red is for Flower
This myth originates from the ritual of switching between Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs when transitioning from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage of growth. Growers use MH because it has blue light which is needed to prevent stretching. HPS bulbs have more yellow/orange light, which is important for rapid growth during flowering. Neither of these bulbs is designed for plant growth, but each is more suitable for a certain stage of plant growth than the other.
Since growers are in the habit of switching bulbs between veg and flower, LED companies provide two spectrum modes to increase marketability. Usually, the veg mode is almost 80 percent blue light. Studies show that giving your plants mostly blue light during veg is wasting the potential of your harvest. Your plants will grow slower, create smaller leaves, and won’t be prepared to grow big for the final yield.
Advanced Platinum P900 LED Grow Light
This is one of the most powerful lamps in the market and is perfect for serious growers. It is expensive, although, more affordable than the Kind K5 XL1000. Let’s quickly check the pros and cons of this product.
Pros:
- Amazing full spectrum for better yields and healthier plants. The description says it all, because its 12-band spectrum will make your plants grow faster, healthier and more beautiful
- Quiet and efficient cooling system. It will not make noise at all and keep your lamp running cool
- Supreme power. Be aware that this grow light is packed with serious power, so, you will have to adjust it, but in return, it will make your plants grow in record time and with amazing results
Cons:
- Expensive
- So powerful you need to regulate it with some plants
Advanced Platinum 380/855W LED Grow Light
Buying into LED is a big investment regardless of energy savings so we’ve researched all the best LED grow lights on the market and created this LED lights for-the-money list. All the picks in our list have been tested so that we could provide accurate and qualified picks for the best LED’s on the market today.
We’ve also included buying considerations which explain all the terminology and what you should look for in a grow Light. All of the Best LED grow lights that we have reviewed are suitable for indoor grow tent kits.
Quality LED grow lights are the best solution we have today for growing plants indoors. They are more efficient that traditional forms of light, meaning they produce more output, while using less electricity and producing less heat.
They also last much longer. You won’t have to change bulbs for at least 5 years, and often over 10.
Comments
Post a Comment