Are LED grow lights good for flowering?

For the longest time, LED lights had trouble flowering plants.

No longer.

Now, nothing beats the top LED lights for flowering. They have the perfect spectrum and get deep canopy penetration.

But that’s only the best. The rest are far less effective.

That’s why you need to make sure you get one of the few LED bloom grow lights that are actually up to the task. And ideally, ones that don’t cost thousands of dollars.

What are LED Grow Lights For?

LED grow lights are a relatively new horticultural introduction, although NASA has been studying them for decades. Are LED lights better than traditional grow lights? That depends upon the crop on which they are used, as well as economic and energy expenditure factors. 

Just like fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs produce light that is needed by plants. Most plants need light waves of red and blue. The chemicals that control plant growth respond to both colors differently. Phytochromes drive leafy growth and are responsive to red light, while cryptochromes, which control plant light response, are sensitive to blue lights. 

You can get good growth with just one or the other of the color waves, but utilizing both will result in bigger yields and healthier plants with quicker growth. LED lights can be customized to emit long or short light waves as well as certain levels of color to improve plant performance.

Do LED Lights Take Longer To Flower?

You may have heard that one big drawback of LED grow lights is flowering time. They simply take longer to flower.

While that used to be true, it no longer is. At least not for the best flowering LED grow lights.

The majority of LED lights will take longer. That is still true. They often don’t have enough power to bloom, or they simply have an ineffective spectrum.The reason HPS bulbs flower so well is a light spectrum that is heavy in red. It is great for flowering.

But it is not ideal. Adding blue light to that spectrum would improve it and lead to better results.

The LED grow lights I will recommended below have the ideal spectrum. It is close to sunlight, but with additional peaks on read and blue.

The result is faster flowering times and better yields, both in terms of quality and quantity.

LED Lights For Flowering Stage: Summary Of Recommendations

ECO FARM Newest quantum board with daisy chain

ECO Farm LED grow lights utilize the latest in high yielding LEDs technology today-Samsung LM301B diodes, high Energy Efficiency with 2.7 umol/J, delivers powerful light output and uniform canopy penetration to resulting maximum higher yields. Running 50% less power than the HPS or other SMD LEDs or Blurple lamps.

Upgraded series growing lights have a dimming knob and light switch. A single light can be adjusted the light intensity at liberty. Multi-light Connection with unified dimming especially beneficial for large area of indoor growing and commercial planting.

Excellent full spectrum - white, blue, red and IR (3000K, 660nm and IR 760nm and UV 395nm). 3000K diodes providing more reddish light. The 660nm red and IR light is especially useful during bloom, where it speeds up flowering time and boost yields. Turn your seeds into your own supply. And the light looks fairly natural, so it's good for accurately monitoring plant health.

No Fan Noise Free. High Safety performance MEAN WELL Driver, Fair Waterproofing. Update aluminum board is thick and sturdy, doesn't put out a tremendous amount of heat, high-quality protective covers for cables; User-Friendly Packaging. Quality components mean the light lasts longer, but they also save you money.

VIVOSUN VS1000 LED Grow Light

VIVOSUN VS1000 LED grow lights use the latest LED plant light technology including Samsung LM301H Diodes, high-energy efficiency with 2.75 umol/J; Extremely high output but consumes only 100W of electricity, making it more efficient than traditional HID lamps and other plant lamps on the market.

These VS 1000 full-spectrum LEDs deliver optimal light-spectrum coverage—more power for your blooms and maximum PAR output at various distances, with super-bright lights that your plants will love; This LED light increases yield while decreasing costs, especially if you compare it to HPS/CMH combos.

The VS1000 LED has a unique appearance, with power supply and ventilation holes; No fans needed meaning low noise; Ambient heat is very low, so there is no need to worry about burns or damage to your plant; The heat is low enough so you can place the lamp directly above your plants.

The VS1000 LED plant lamp has a dimming knob that makes it adaptable to different growing periods of your plant; It can adapt to the growth needs of plants in different periods. The first choice for beginners and professional growers alike.

Mars Hydro SP 3000 LED Grow Light

The SP-3000 is 42.5 inches long and weighs 14 pounds. Unlike the similar Mars Hydro TSL-2000, this SP-3000 has a heat sink, and it’s also IP65 waterproof. The LEDs are Samsung LM301B plus Osram 660nm red diodes.

The SP-3000 consumes 300 watts of power, It is strong for a 2×4 foot area, and sufficient for a 3×5 foot grow tent.

One great feature that’s been carried over from previous Mars Hydro grow lights is the removable drivers. There haven’t seen this on other brands and it really helps set Mars Hydro apart.

Lot of people reach out about getting grow tent temperatures under control, and being that the drivers produce a lot of the total heat, being able to keep the driver 5 or 6 feet away from the grow light (and outside your tent) really helps. SP-3000 do well.

Are LED Lights Better?

There is not just one difference between LED lights and grow lights. While LED lights require more of a cash layout, they will last more than twice as long as other lights. Additionally, they require less energy, which saves money over time.

Additionally, there is no gas, mercury, lead, breakable filament and the bulbs are tougher and harder to break. As opposed to many other grow lights, LEDs are also cooler and can be situated closer to plants without a chance of burning leaves. Should you use LED lights? The initial cost of your grow light set up and the duration of use can help answer that question.

In short: while most LEDs are still pretty useless, the best LED grow lights are now also the best flowering lights on the market.