LED Light Terminology You Need to Know Alright, let's talk LED grow lights! If you're new to indoor gardening, the jargon surrounding these little lamps can be a bit intimidating. But fear not, my green-thumbed friend! Here are 10 terms to help you unders

LED Light Terminology You Need to Know

Alright, let's talk LED grow lights! If you're new to indoor gardening, the jargon surrounding these little lamps can be a bit intimidating. But fear not, my green-thumbed friend! Here are 10 terms to help you understand what all the fuss is about:

  1. PAR - Photosynthetically Active Radiation. This stands for Photosynthetically Active Radiation, which is just a fancy way of saying the wavelengths of light that plants need for photosynthesis. When shopping for LED grow lights, you'll often see PAR values listed as a way to measure the light's effectiveness for plant growth. The higher the PAR value, the more light in the useful range for plant growth the light produces.

  2. Wattage - The amount of power used by the LED grow light. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the light. However, it's important to note that wattage alone does not tell you everything you need to know about a grow light's performance.

  3. Spectrum - This refers to the different colors of light emitted by the LED grow light. Plants have different preferences when it comes to color, so it's important to find a light that they'll love.

  4. Footprint - This is the area of coverage of an LED grow light and tells you how much space the grow light can effectively cover which is determined by a number of factors, including the wattage, spectrum, and design of the light

  5. Lumens - A measure of the total amount of visible light emitted by a grow light. However, lumens alone are not a reliable way to measure a grow light's performance, as plants do not use all wavelengths of light equally.

  6. Efficiency - The amount of light produced by the LED grow light relative to the amount of energy it consumes. A more efficient grow light will produce more light per watt of energy consumed, which can help to lower your energy bills.

  7. COB - Chip on Board. This refers to a type of LED technology that allows for high power output and excellent efficiency. COB LED grow lights are a popular choice among indoor gardeners.

  8. PPFD - Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density. This is a fancy way of saying how much plant food (i.e. PAR) reaches a specific area. It's an important metric to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of a grow light.

  9. μmol - Micro-moles. This is a unit of measurement for the amount of photons that are emitted from a grow light. It's another important metric to consider when choosing an LED grow light. Think of it as the light's calorie count.

  10. CRI - Color Rendering Index. This measures how accurately a grow light displays colors compared to natural sunlight. While not as crucial for plant growth as some of the other terms on this list, CRI can be important if you also want to appreciate the appearance of your plants.

Now that you're armed with some LED grow light knowledge, you'll be a savvy shopper in no time. Here at Grow Tents Depot we are always happy to help you find the perfect light for your indoor grow - please don't hesitate to reach out. Until then, happy growing!

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