What are Grow Lights?

Grow light is a technique in which lights are used to provide light similar to that produced by the sun. Grow lights are most commonly used in indoor settings or in places where light is scarce for plants to grow. Grow lights are used to provide enough amounts of light energy to plants to promote the process of photosynthesis. The outdoor conditions are replicated in an indoor setting by varying the luminosity of lights and their light spectrum.

The light of the Sun is used by plants to produce chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. Different lights of varied intensities are usually utilized to replicate the same light spectrum as that produced by the Sun. The frequencies and wavelengths of some best led grow lights are thus used to suit the light energy needs of plants under cultivation.

Different ranges of the light spectrum, often chosen for plant cultivation, are based on the type of plant under cultivation and the stage of growth of that plant. In order for plants to grow, gardeners use a variety of lights, including fluorescent, incandescent, high luminosity lamps and LEDs.

The different stages of plant growth require a different type of light spectra. At the beginning of their growing stage, or the vegetative stage, a plant requires light in the blue spectrum, as blue light promotes a greater vegetative response, whereas at the flowering or reproductive stage, a plant requires light in the red and orange spectrum. Metal halide lights are usually used in the vegetative stage, while high pressure sodium lights are used in the reproductive stage.

Different plant varieties have specific light requirements. The specific needs of a plant determine the type of light which is most appropriate for its growth. The lights to be used in an artificial setting must mimic the natural light to which a plant has adapted. Bigger plants need more light than small plants, and if there is not sufficient light provided, in an artificial setting, a plant will not grow.