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Yes. Regular LED lights can help plants grow. But regular LED lights are not as effective as LED full spectrum lighting designed specifically for this purpose.
Are you going to carry out your indoor gardening if you want to explore this issue?
Regular lights do not have enough light output or power to help plants bloom and do not have the optimal spectrum needed for plant growth. Overall, they do not ensure that plants will thrive.
In this article, we will talk to you in detail about whether ordinary LED lights help plants grow and how are grow lights different from regular lights. Whether you are new to indoor gardening or new to full spectrum LED lighting, come on in and discuss it together.
Can You Put Grow Lights in A Regular Lamp?
I saw someone ask an interesting question on Reddit and wondered if you had such doubts.
She said there is not enough sunlight in her house. And she wants to replace the normal bulb of her floor lamp with a special full spectrum lighting and wonders if this is possible. If it works out, she won’t need to buy a whole new set of light fixtures, saving some money while staying out of the way.
There was a similar question posted on Facebook. She asked if it was possible to simply put a grow light in her overhead light accessories.
When an enthusiast replied that the distance between the plant and the light was too far, the poster replied, “But the sun is really far away. Maybe She is stuck at a dead end. Full spectrum lamps are the “sun” that belongs to the plant, and the “sun” we are facing is a big nuclear reactor.
Truth be told, replacing grow lights for indoor herbs in regular fixtures or replacing them in overhead fittings is not worth it. Why?
- The full spectrum lighting is mounted in the overhead light, making the light too far away from the plants. It cannot have any real meaningful impact on the plants.
- Both floor and overhead lights are used for daily lighting for human activities. If the best full spectrum grow light is used as daily lighting, it can have certain bad effects on human eyes or skin.
- Some bulbs require adapters to plug into the bulb.
- In general, it is best to wear a pair of sunglasses when handling activities such as pruning and collecting plants under multiple plant lights.
- Install the plant light in the right place to play its role effectively.
Grow Lights VS Regular Lights
Perhaps those concepts of the spectrum and light intensity terminology are difficult for you to understand. To put it in the most popular way, LED grow lights are stronger than regular LED lights.
Spectrum
The color of the light is an important consideration. By color, we do not mean the color of light that you can see. The color of light refers to the color spectrum covered by light.
Regular and LED lights are designed for general lighting purposes, to illuminate a room or to provide task lighting for specific activities. These lights emit only a broad spectrum suitable for human vision and do not necessarily provide the optimal spectrum for plant growth.
The full spectrum lighting is specifically designed for indoor plant growth, the “sun” for plants. It mimics the sun to provide the natural spectrum that plants need to grow and thrive.
The LED full spectrum does not only emit white or yellowish light but includes red and blue light. These two types of light are the two most important wavelengths for photosynthesis. Have you ever seen some plant lights emitting a harsh purple light? This is because such plant lights only have red light and blue spectrum.
Each type of light has a specific meaning, and each light is helpful for plant growth, whether it is blue, red, green or yellow light.
Lighting Intensity
Regular lights typically provide a range of light suitable for human vision, including visible light and some infrared and ultraviolet radiation. However, these lights are not optimized for plant growth and may not provide the specific wavelengths of light that plants need to carry out photosynthesis and other processes.
Full spectrum LED lighting is designed to provide the specific wavelengths of light that plants need to photosynthesize, grow and bloom. They typically include red and blue LEDs, the colors that are most effective for plants to absorb photosynthesis. Green light and white light are also included to provide more natural light.
Full spectrum lighting provides higher light intensities than regular light because plants need more light or stronger light for photosynthesis and other metabolic processes.
The intensity of light required will vary from species to species and growth stage to growth stage, and now, professional LED horticulture lighting suppliers produce LED grow light with adjustable spectrum according to what is needed. And this is what regular lights cannot do.
Is it impossible to imagine in your mind exactly how strong the light is to carry out photosynthesis? You can try going to a nearby grow store or LED grow lights wholesale distributors and let the owner show you the lights. You feel with your own eyes that the light intensity of the plant light is different from that of our daily lighting.
Possible Problems with Regular LED Lights
Why are LED lights not the best choice for indoor growing? Here are a few reasons that may help you understand better.
Need More Light
1. Slow down the growth of plants
You know roughly the growth pattern of your houseplants. If your plants are not meeting growth standards, then lack of light is the first area of care you should be thinking about.
Even though standard LED lights won’t accelerate growth as much as they would with LED grow lights, there may be some growth. However, if your plants are barely germinating, then you need to replace your regular plant lights with full spectrum lighting.
2. Unusual Leaf Colors
You know what color the leaves of houseplants are supposed to be, so you have to be alert when you see any color other than these. These new leaves are not growing as healthy as they should because they don’t have the right amount of light.
3. Leggy
Leggy is the classic expression of lack of light. No leaves and no flowers. For the uninitiated indoor gardener, it may be confused with growth.
Need Less Light
1. Leaves Turn Brown
Just as pale green and yellow foliage is a cause for concern. If you notice the leaves of your houseplants turning brown, it is the leaves telling you that it is dehydrating. It is not suitable for further exposure to strong light conditions.
2. Sagging or Falling Off
Does your tall houseplant suddenly look limp? Maybe the leaves are falling off left and right. This is because your plant has become too weak to sustain itself under bright LED lighting. Please promptly adjust and reduce the light intensity, replenish water, and your plant should straighten up over time.
Why Do You Need A Grow Light?
Put Your Plants in A Dark Corner
A dim corner in your living room stimulates you to want to add plants to it. The lack of light is really not suitable for plants, so why not give it full spectrum led light bulbs that will benefit the plants and liven up your indoor environment at the same time?
You Live in A Low-Light House
Some houses don’t have as much light but are suitable for low-light plants. Low-light plants don’t mean it doesn’t need light, and you still need that one to grow light designed for plants.
Stay Away from Cold Winters
Indoor plants suffer in the winter, regardless of the region. With specific grow lights, the lights emit enough light to keep plants alive.
While LED full spectrum lighting is more expensive than other lights, they typically last longer and use less energy. It doesn’t make much of an impact on your energy bill. Importantly, they emit more warmth than regular LED lights, which can help plants survive the winter.
Conclusion
Overall, while regular lights can be used for indoor plant growth, they are not as effective as grow lights specifically designed for this purpose. It is best to use a full spectrum led grow light bar to ensure that your plants thrive in all stages of growth.
Light is an essential requirement for any plant to thrive. When plants are in a situation where there is not enough natural light, you must provide effective wavelengths through artificial lighting.
Indoor gardens can be just as stress-relieving as outdoor gardens, provided you invest in the right tools. Choosing the right lights will not only make your plants happier but will also reduce your daily maintenance costs.
If you’re serious about indoor gardening, investing in quality grow lights can make a big difference in the health and productivity of your plants. Continue reading our post for an in-depth look at how do grow lights affect plant growth. Hopefully, your full spectrum lighting will provide you with a long-term happy growing garden.
