Providing Insufficient Grow Lighting
When installing LED lighting, it is important to consider the lighting requirements of the crop being grown. These requirements become even more important the higher the number of plants per space and the number of commercial grow lights setups to be installed. The light luminosity or intensity should be considered when selecting the LED light for the operation. A common 200W LED light is sufficient for a yield of around 100 grams. After ensuring that the operation has enough lamps installed for the crop needs, keeping balance of the lighting is highly important to maintaining healthy crops that maximize yields. If an operator finds that the light is not sufficient for their operation, a simple fix is in store. By adding LED lights and balancing them throughout a grow area, the increased light source will supplement the natural light allowing for photosynthesis to occur. It is important to note that reference should be made to manufacturer recommendations and crop specific needs when installing greenhouse grow lights for lighting requirements.
Selecting the Wrong Light Spectrum
When plants grow, they require different spectrums of light at each stage of development and growth Failing to meet these requirements means that plants will not grow to their full potential and essentially starve after not receiving the correct color of light. Understanding the process of photosynthesis will aid in the understanding of the light spectrums and the plant’s needs as they change.
Overheating Plants
Unlike us when we get too hot at night, plants can’t just throw the covers off to cool down. Plants can become overheated which leads to stress of the plant. Signs that a plant is being overheated is wilting and burning of the leaves that are the closest to the light source. LED lights give off very little heat, however, they can still burn a plant when placed too close to the leaves. A grower should reference the manufacturer’s recommendations for light height in comparison to the plants during installation of the lights. If plant becomes burned, they can be saved if the damage is caught early. Early signs of leaf burning from too much heat are thin lines along the leaf margins. If the leaves begin to curl up, the plants may be too close to the light source. Ventilation can help mitigate the issue through cooling the plant, however, be sure to keep close eyes on the plants for signs of early stress.
Setting Lights at the Wrong Distance
In conjunction to plant grow lights being too close to the leaves, lights can be too far from the plants to do them any good. A grower needs to find the ‘goldilocks’ zone for the plants to truly benefit from the led grow lights samsung without damage to the plants. The issues in lighting often lie in not having enough lights or having too many in one space. Even though there is not magical measurement for exactly where to place lights, the recommended placement is 12 to 18 inches away from the plants during all stages of growth and development. A grower should adjust the heights of lights as plants grow.
Forgetting to Adjust the Lights
Things happen. A grower has a lot of things on their mind during the growing season, which stands to reason why forgetting to adjust the lights makes the list for one of the top ten most common mistakes in LED plant growing. Setting a schedule and following the needs of the plants as they grow will ensure proper light settings for growth. Adjustments should be made to the height of weed grow lights as well as the color settings when applicable.