indoor dwc garden, led question

9 years ago

hello yall, im new to hydroponics. and i was wondering if some one could answer my questions

im looking into making this system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3imrVkIUhg&list=UUU0VgNVC0KzHpiz026V-RHQ

im looking into this guy http://www.ebay.com/itm/GREAT-YIELD-300W-LED-Grow-Light-Full-Spectrum-Panel-For-Medical-Flower-Plants-/301310620119?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item46278331d7

or would this light be a better choice? http://www.ebay.com/itm/52-Inch-300w-LED-light-Bar-FLOOD-SPOT-COMBO-25000-lumen-300-Watts-/331312342548?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d23c12614&vxp=mtr

i will be growing -dinosaur kale, russian kale, strawberries, swiss chard, watercress, pak choi, rapini broccoli, spinach, mustard and collard greens, turnip and rhubarb.

I want an LED because of its lower cost to run power it. so here are my questions, i hope you can help me and thank you in advance!

we have some crazy winter weather and id like to have my garden with me indoors! =]

1) is 300 watts enough?
2) if so, how many square feet does it cover? 3x3 ft?
3) do i need a full spectrum
4) if not should it be blue and red?
5) would an only white LED light source work?
6) or does it matter how man lumens the light is?
7) at what height distance is best for LEDS?
8) is HPS a better choice and if so, is it cheaper than LED's/month in electricity bills?

- if i do a 3x3 DWC set up, i would run 36 holes, spaced 6 inches apart. i know some of these plants require more water and might hog it, so ill be running a batch of veggies that are closest and most equal to one another

Thank you once again!

This post was edited by oldmikey on Tue, Sep 16, 14 at 6:46

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Comments (4)

ajames54
9 years ago
Lots of questions there...and there are lots of varying opinions on the LEDs...

I bought a 180 watt (I know, not real watts) 9 band (or seven depending on how you measure bands) and have been happy with it. In an ebb and flow system I've been growing growing lettuce, kale, arugula, celery, jalapenos and even dwarf tomatoes. I have recently decided to expand for the winter and have ordered two of the 300 watt panels you link to (they arrived last Friday).

So while I am by no means an expert I'll try and answer your questions based on my limited experience...

1&2) a 300 Watt panel should be enough to cover 3'X3', I cover 2.5X2.5 with my 180 W UFO lamp. I plan to cover 4'X3' with the new 300s.

3 ) Need? No, there are no LEDs that produce a true "full spectrum" they each produce a narrow band of coloured light (wavelength) and manufacturers put a number of different bands together to create a "full spectrum". (Think of it like windows 8 bit colour from an LED and 16 million colours from Daylight.)

Not all wavelengths are needed by plants but the more of the wavelengths they do need the better.

here is a link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthetically_active_radiation

4) Just Red and Blue? Not for best results,There are 4-6 different "bands" or wavelengths commonly used to give Red and Blue, which is why LED lights have the eye burning Fuchsia colour.

5) From what I understand Plain white LEDs are basically Blue LEDs with a filter coating, they may be white to your eye but not to plants.

6) Yes and No... there is a definition an wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumen_%28unit%29

If I read it correctly the measurement is so specific in its scope that using it to compare dissimilar sources is meaningless. It also includes in the measurement the sensitivity of the human eye to different wavelengths... I guess If you are comparing two CFL bulbs or even two sources of room light It would have some use but I don't think you can use it to accurately compare different types of grow light without using a LOT more info and some significant math.

7) My 180W is 20" over my grow table, the Lettuce etc does fine at that height, when the peppers or tomatoes get within 4 inches the leaves start to bleach. I am hoping to get away with 24+" with the new ones since I'm hoping not to have to prune as much.

8) I've never used HPS but all the sources I read said LED was much cheaper to operate but cost a lot at start up. I used to use grow type Compact Fluorescent Lights and was reasonably pleased with the results, but wanted to expand. I looked at making my own LED panels but at 33 cents a "Watt" these cheap LEDs out of china are competitive with CFLs on price, are Much cheaper than I could build myself and for me at least producing great results.
oldmikey
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh wow ao much information. Thank you for the help.

One last question, when im looking for a light source to grow my plants, what exactly should I be lookiny for? Watts, lummens, spectrum? Etc..

Thanks once again!
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LED's have been used for quite some time now and work very well IF they are used in a complimentary manner. Packing 1000 lights together as close as possible and then hanging that light above a plant is not as useful as spreading that 1000 lights out over broader area at a much closer distance. See linked news article here. I find the cost of food purchased also has the hidden cost of what was done to that food by the producer in order to get it to me. Potato's can be purchased rather inexpensively but are doused with chemicals that I would rather get away from at any cost. Unlike an outdoor garden that requires preserving to extend your food supply into the winter I can grow a much smaller amount continuously with out the need to preserve as much food for as long. Light placement has been my latest concern. Placing a light above a horizontal growing surface is an inefficient use of space. I can see 20 head of lettuce being grown vertically in less square footage as 4 head grown horizontally. When planing how to use the space in my basement this becomes very important. The Use of artificial lighting as efficiently as possible is also a major concern. Providing light to as many plants as possible per light is an absolute requirement. Hydroponics has proven to be extremely flexible for plant placement. I am still working on making my vertical growing stands for leafy vegetables and the vine plants are not yet tall enough to give visuals for what I am wanting the garden to look like but I am excited for the opportunity to share my ideas with like minded people. Thanks for the responses so far Brad
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cole_robbie
9 years ago
Given what you're growing, you'd do better with a metal halide bulb. They come in all sizes.

There is no perfect measure of light in regard to plant growth; each one has weaknesses. Watts is irrelevant if the spectrum is wrong, which is why halogen shop lights don't work. LEDs have a very targeted spectrum, but with the current technology, their output is weak. I have seen some nice LED rigs, but they were custom built by electronics engineers in their spare time and not the junk that is sold as grow lights. You need a lot of LEDs to do much, and then cooling quickly becomes an issue.

HID lights, which are metal halide and HPS, are each imperfect/inefficient in regard to spectrum, but they are extremely powerful. They are like sawed-off shotguns - most of what they shoot out will miss, but they still do a lot of damage.

LEDs are the future, but they just aren't there yet, at least with what is commercially available.
oldmikey
Original Author
9 years ago
How many kilowatts do the metal halide bulbs use more to its equivalent led light?

indoor dwc garden, led question

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