Ok heres some good general info i found to follow that some of you may or may not know already about LED's. Remember they can produce UP TO 90% less heat than a typical HID setup, so there are a few good things to know about how to take measure against mold mildew and otherwise way too long in between feedings. This is copy pasted from a website, its all good pertinant information excluding something i will highlight as unconfirmed KEEP ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE OF 70°-80°F (lower temperatures = slower plant
growth) you should also monitor the root zone temperature. When switching from a traditional plant lamp to LED
growing light it may be necessary to add room heat or even a heat mat under your plants. Plants grow slower with
less blooming when their environment temperature falls below 70° F. If gardening without any sunlight- hybrid
systems are recommended for maximum growth rates.
http://www.led-grow-master.com/LEDGardener.html
http://www.led-grow-master.com/LEDGardener.html
LOOK OUT FOR OVERWATERING! (less heat from the light source = less water loss to evaporation) over watering
will slow root development, which will slow and stunt growth. Over watering will also cause nutrient uptake issues (you
are feeding your plant right?). Aeroponic and hydroponic systems will reduce your chances of over watering. Water
plants once, then let them run low on water. This will establish the water usage for your plants when using LED plant
lights versus natural sunlight or traditional grow lights. Maintain this new watering schedule. Keeping the root
medium water saturated, equals no need for plant to develop a larger root system, which equals stomata closure,
slow and stunted growth, and symptoms of over watering. (For indoor growing- using a small amount of high heat
traditional lighting such as metal halide bulbs will help water to evaporate.)
http://www.led-grow-master.com/LEDGardenerFeb3.html
Use a more porous medium, which will provide more oxygen to roots, giving a higher plant metabolism.
In commercial growing, monitor your CO2 levels. LED lights emit a large amount of absorbed light energy, which may
require slight augmentation of CO2 levels (typically 300-500 PPM). Remember that although the LED grow lights
may not appear bright to you- the wavelengths provide an intense light source for your plants.
Start with a lower amount of nutrient (400-600 PPM) or 1/2 the recommended amount. On fruiting plants: reduced
photoperiod, equals plant stress, which equals more flowering.
If your plants are grown indoors, without supplemental light, some plants such as tomatoes may benefit from the
addition of a single GE 60 watt soft-white light placed anywhere in the room with the plants. This provides a boost in
some wavelengths of light which will encourage fruiting. If there is no natural lighting available, LED/HPS (or metal
halide bulbs) in hybrid systems are recommended for some applications.
this bolded section is unconfirmed by me so you may or may not want to disregard this part about a soft white bulb.
Too close will stunt growth, too far will cause stretching. When raising or lowering the LEDs, move them a few
inches at a time and allow time to transition before moving again.
If you’re using the “professional” type LED grow light product, you may have noticed that one or more of the LEDs in
each light cluster appears to not be lit. This is perfectly normal for this advanced product. Light comes in many
wavelengths. Humans can only see a very limited range of light wavelengths. Over 60% of the
light emitted for LEDs in gardening is not visible to the human eye. Plants have a preference for light wavelengths
humans can’t see. Why do most plants look green to us? It’s because the plant is reflecting the wavelengths of white
light (mostly yellow and green light), and absorbing the rest of the light wavelengths.
figuring out the best way to grow with led's period, whatever led u may be using.
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