LEDs Are Perfect for Indoor Gardening: Here Are 3 Reasons Why

Thinking of starting an indoor garden or farm in your very own [city] home? Perhaps you already have a garden, but want to find ways to reduce your electricity consumption from all the lights you’re using?

In any case, the best solution is to switch over to LED light bulbs.

For many years, the popular lighting solution among most urban growers is the incandescent light bulb. They’re cheap, easy to find, and generate a quality of light that’s ideal for growing plants. But they’re grossly inefficient, generating light as a byproduct of heat instead of the other way around.

In contrast, a LED light bulb is vastly superior when it comes to efficiency, converting almost all of the electricity it uses into light. But that’s not at all. In this guide, we take a closer look at 3 more reasons why LEDs are the perfect grow lights for your indoor garden.

LEDs Are Cheap to Operate and Maintain

When using artificial lights for your indoor grow, you’d want to make sure that your lighting system is simple and functions smoothly. Energy consumption is where many growers often find a nasty surprise waiting for them when they get their utility bill. But again, with LEDs using up to 90 percent less electricity than a standard incandescent bulb, this is no longer an issue.

Another important factor is longevity. Once again, LEDs shine in this area, lasting well beyond 15,000 hours. That means fewer replacements and fewer instances of having to go to your nearest Home Depot to buy new bulbs.

When it comes to grow lighting, you really just want your bulbs to work so you can focus on the more pressing maintenance issues of your grow.

LEDs Are Effective

Another reason to switch to LED grow lights has to do with just how effective they are in improving your yield and plant growth, especially when it comes to specific crops. For starters, LED grow lights are exceptionally effective in helping leafy greens, such as lettuce and cabbage, grow quickly and stay healthy. If you’re growing produce commercially, LEDs can improve your product quality and help make your entire supply chain more efficient.

They’re Less Likely to Be a Fire Hazard

With indoor gardening, your grow lights basically act like the sun, providing nourishing UV light your crops need to grow.

One of the major concerns about this setup is that you generally need several lights to provide enough UV light for proper plant growth. The larger your grow, the more lights you will need.

The danger lies in having so many lights generating high levels of heat—a serious problem with incandescent light bulbs. When you have that many incandescent bulbs working in an enclosed space, you need to make sure your air conditioners are functioning properly to keep the garden cool.

The good news is that LEDs generate very little heat, which means they’re safe to use in large quantities and can even be left on for extended periods. In fact, the common challenge faced by growers using LEDs is making sure the ambient temperature around their garden is warm enough for the plants.

So there you have it—three simple reasons to switch over to LED grow lights. If you’re still not sure whether LEDs are for your indoor garden, talk to an urban gardening specialist for professional advice on the matter.