Who is using LED grow panels?

HENDO

Shohin
Messages
423
Reaction score
838
Location
Alberta, Canada
USDA Zone
4a
How do you determine the best distance when the height of the trees are not uniform? I imagine just compromising is the best way to go, some of my taller trees will def be close to to the panels at the apex. They are now, and I don’t see any problems with it. Of course I’m only using these for a couple months each year after the leaves pop and it’s too cold for outside, thus eliminating the shuffle.
thanks @keithl @penumbra @Kievnstavick @amcoffeegirl and @Srt8madness and everyone else who took the time to give me advice!
Spider Farmer SF2000 FTW!

I am using mine mostly for developing plants and just let the taller plants get pretty close to the panel, within a couple inches. I wired some sacrifice leaders downward a bit, or otherwise just let them dry out on top somewhat.

It hasn't affected growth much from what I can tell, basically stunts the top a bit and let's the lower sections grow.

For some really low plants I used makeshift stands to raise them up higher.

I may get a second SF2000 and separate taller plants from shorter.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,818
Reaction score
23,439
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Its definitely a challenge if you have really different sized material. Most of my tropicals are relatively small, but there are a few taller ones. The light is most intense in the center of the panel, so you can put shorter things there and species that prefer more light. Then taller things and species that like a bit less light further out from center. You can also use some sort of blocks to put under the pots of shorter trees to raise them up and try to make things more uniform. This also helps in my setup with watering. I put things like gollum jades on blocks so that they do not get water from below when the flood table is filled with water.
Good to know, thanks for that.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,818
Reaction score
23,439
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Spider Farmer SF2000 FTW!

I am using mine mostly for developing plants and just let the taller plants get pretty close to the panel, within a couple inches. I wired some sacrifice leaders downward a bit, or otherwise just let them dry out on top somewhat.

It hasn't affected growth much from what I can tell, basically stunts the top a bit and let's the lower sections grow.

For some really low plants I used makeshift stands to raise them up higher.

I may get a second SF2000 and separate taller plants from shorter.
Cool thanks, I will probably wind up with a total of 4 panels and may adjust what goes where in the layout.
 

RODERLO

Yamadori
Messages
97
Reaction score
137
Location
The Netherlands
USDA Zone
7
Do any of you have a recommendation for a good grow lamp that is acceptable in the living room (in terms of size and looks)?

We moved to a new house in fall and my ficus is now in a north faced window, which is less than ideal but also the only available space for it.
 

Deep Sea Diver

Masterpiece
Messages
4,541
Reaction score
9,545
Location
Bothell, WA
USDA Zone
8b
Hi All

We use Spider Farmer 2000. But the differences over time between the higher end lights isn’t a lot. @Glaucus did a deep div3 on these, but again things are getting refined over the years.

Here is a great all around article on determining distance between lights and plants. Our spiderfarmer is on adjustable chains to change the distance as the plants grow.

Cheers
DSD sends
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,818
Reaction score
23,439
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Hi All

We use Spider Farmer 2000. But the differences over time between the higher end lights isn’t a lot. @Glaucus did a deep div3 on these, but again things are getting refined over the years.

Here is a great all around article on determining distance between lights and plants. Our spiderfarmer is on adjustable chains to change the distance as the plants grow.

Cheers
DSD sends
DSD please attach the link, I’d like to take a look at it… the one I’m taking a look at also has that adjustable option for moving the distance. Thanks!
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,700
Reaction score
11,686
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
I run these.


Very please with how cool they run temperature wise and the light output. I've had them running winters 16hr days for two years with no issues. Adjustable in many ways, no fans needed.
I’ve been threatening to change over to LED from T5 Ho. I don’t see much of a power savings….the LED 240 watts compared to my 4 bulb T5, that are 216 watts. Am I reading this wrong?
 

Cadillactaste

Neagari Gal
Messages
16,362
Reaction score
21,128
Location
NE Ohio: zone 4 (USA) lake microclimate
USDA Zone
5b
I’ve been threatening to change over to LED from T5 Ho. I don’t see much of a power savings….the LED 240 watts compared to my 4 bulb T5, that are 216 watts. Am I reading this wrong?
I have LED lights in my new grow cart inside. My electric bill dropped notably. My husband was glad he had me upgrade. My old one had T bulbs
 

coh

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,782
Reaction score
6,825
Location
Rochester, NY
USDA Zone
6
I have one of the viparspectra units and it seems to be fine (this is the first winter for it). Have a bunch of tropicals and orchids under it and they have done well this winter, some of the higher light orchids have bloomed. I will say though, that I put my BRT under it and might have had it too close to the lights. It dropped _all_ of its leaves very fast and I thought I had killed it. Never had a BRT drop all its foliage like that. Now, it's possible I let it get too dry or maybe it was a combination of dryness and being too close to the lights. I did revive it by putting it in a plastic bag with a heating mat and keeping it warm and wet/humid. Produced a complete new flush of growth after several weeks and now seems OK.

Previously had an onyx grow light (also LED) and that worked well for a number of years but the LEDs finally started failing last year. Before that I mainly used metal halide which was fine except for the massive amount of heat produced.
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,580
Reaction score
11,922
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
I’ve been threatening to change over to LED from T5 Ho. I don’t see much of a power savings….the LED 240 watts compared to my 4 bulb T5, that are 216 watts. Am I reading this wrong?
Yea the watts stated isn't the power usage.
LEDs typically use a lot less power than equivalent florescent tubes. I think the wattage refers to the fixture compatibility.

I just bought some 4 foot t8 equivalent tubes to replace the florescent tubes I use currently. They state they are 32 watt equivalent which matches the florescent tubes and fixtures I have.

The nice thing about these is you can select the color spectrum the bulb delivers. I can put them on 6500K daylight which matches my current tubes.
 

Kievnstavick

Shohin
Messages
423
Reaction score
901
Location
Kitsap County, Washington State, USA
USDA Zone
8b
Thats funny, my schefflera are doing the best out of anything. P afra do ok and I get the bougainvillea to flower in there. BRT definitely is unhappy. Have one buttonwood that does fine. Last year fukien tea did really great in the tent, this year it is barely surviving. Im curious how close do you keep your panel above your trees? Best I could find online was around 20-24 inches for weed plants, but obviously this is different. I do get some leaf burn pretty quickly if I am not watering alot at this height, especially early in winter while things are adjusting to the tent.

My schefflera is 3 inches away at the closest, but averages more around 8 inches away. The light is at 75% power (I can't remember if that is max or not) as there are a lot shorter plants that I am lighting with the same panel. It is open to my garage ambient air, so the temperatures at night hover around 58 degrees F.

My other two panels have a spacing of 7 inches from the tops of my other plants expect one adventurous monkey-ear that is less then an inch from the panel. I'm probably going to cut it back tonight. That panel started 18 inches away from the plants.

I haven't gotten leaf burn on my plants. My main tent maintains 85 degrees F during the day with an exhaust fan to achieve that. Last year it would reach 107 degrees someday, and I would have to leave it open. This heating is all achieved from the panels themselves with heat mats to keep the root zone warm during the night and to evaporate waste water.
 

Kievnstavick

Shohin
Messages
423
Reaction score
901
Location
Kitsap County, Washington State, USA
USDA Zone
8b
How do you determine the best distance when the height of the trees are not uniform? I imagine just compromising is the best way to go, some of my taller trees will def be close to to the panels at the apex. They are now, and I don’t see any problems with it. Of course I’m only using these for a couple months each year after the leaves pop and it’s too cold for outside, thus eliminating the shuffle.

I just base it off of my tallest tree. My units came with adjustable height rigging, but with my current set-up I don't use it. I instead just change the shelf height to approximately to right height. You will probably want to keep the plants at least a couple inches away. The light intensity might be too high (that close) and the heat output might cook the leaves a little bit too much.

I guess the biggest difference for us will be general usage. I tend to give my tropical plants a moderate pruning and repotting when I put them into the grow tent for the first time since they will be dropping their leaves anyways in protest. For other people who read this and grow tropicals: I do this process to give myself the maximum amount of growth potential during the summer as my summers are pretty temperate.
 

Deep Sea Diver

Masterpiece
Messages
4,541
Reaction score
9,545
Location
Bothell, WA
USDA Zone
8b
DSD please attach the link, I’d like to take a look at it… the one I’m taking a look at also has that adjustable option for moving the distance. Thanks!

Dang! So sorry! Forgot to hit save link again. Then went outside to see we have more weeds then grass this year!

https://www.spider-farmer.com/how-far-should-i-hang-grow-light-from-plants/

I’ll take an image when I get a chance to break free. Otherwise it’s a simple rig, easy to set up. Bet you could rig something even better.

cheers
DSD sends
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,700
Reaction score
11,686
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
Yea the watts stated isn't the power usage.
LEDs typically use a lot less power than equivalent florescent tubes. I think the wattage refers to the fixture compatibility.

I just bought some 4 foot t8 equivalent tubes to replace the florescent tubes I use currently. They state they are 32 watt equivalent which matches the florescent tubes and fixtures I have.

The nice thing about these is you can select the color spectrum the bulb delivers. I can put them on 6500K daylight which matches my current tubes.
If you look at the sorting menu bar at the top it says “average power draw” not equivalent lighting. The P2000 is 240 watts. ???????

IMG_1954.png
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,580
Reaction score
11,922
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
If you look at the sorting menu bar at the top it says “average power draw” not equivalent lighting. The P2000 is 240 watts. ???????

View attachment 534927
In this case, I think it does refer to power usage.

It's all very confusing.

I do know LED equivalent bulbs do not use the same amount of power.

Found this online

What Is Wattage in Terms of Lightbulbs?​

Lightbulb wattage measures the amount of energy a lightbulb uses every hour. Therefore, a higher wattage lightbulb requires more electricity. However, lightbulb wattage doesn't necessarily correlate with brightness.
For example, some modern lightbulbs have a low wattage but are relatively bright because they use energy efficiently. Meanwhile, old-school incandescent lightbulbs use a lot of energy but aren't particularly bright because they emit a lot of that energy as heat, making them a popular choice as heat lamps.
When considering lightbulb brightness, it's more helpful to look at the lumen rating than the wattage. Lumens measure how much light a bulb emits.
To help consumers understand bulb brightness, many manufacturers print two wattage ratings on their products. For example, an LED lightbulb may be labeled as "60 watts (uses 10 watts).” This means the bulb produces the same brightness as a regular 60-watt incandescent bulb, but it only uses 10 watts of energy.
You only need to worry about how many watts a bulb actually uses when you're choosing a safe wattage for your fixture.

How Do I Know What Wattage Lightbulb to Use For...​

Buying a lightbulb used to be a simple matter, but things aren't as straightforward nowadays. Different modern light fittings require different lightbulb wattages. Below, you can find out what watt lightbulb to use for various household light fixtures.

… A Lamp?​

You should check the label on the lamp to find out what lightbulb wattage to use. Most lamps can accommodate a maximum of 60 watts, and you shouldn't exceed the maximum wattage. However, you can use a lower wattage lightbulb than the stated maximum, even if it's brighter than average. Safety ratings refer to maximum lightbulb power, which, as we mentioned, doesn't always correspond to brightness.

… A Ceiling Light Fixture or Recessed Lights?​

You can usually find the maximum lightbulb wattage for a ceiling light or recessed lights by checking the labels on the bulb sockets. For fixtures with a single bulb, you can use a lightbulb of any wattage up to the safety limit.
If your fixture has multiple bulbs, it may have a combined maximum wattage limit. This means that you should ensure the total wattage of all bulbs used doesn't exceed the stated limit.

… Other Appliances That Take Lightbulbs?​

The required wattage for an appliance depends on the make, type and model. Many refrigerators and ovens take a 40-watt bulb, but this varies by manufacturer. You should defer to the manufacturer's instructions when selecting an appliance lightbulb. Avoid exceeding the safety limit.

What Is the Standard Lightbulb Wattage?​

The most common maximum wattage for domestic light fixtures is 60 watts. However, appliances with lightbulbs are more likely to have a lower maximum wattage limit.

What Can Happen If You Use the Wrong Wattage?​

Exceeding your fixture's maximum lightbulb wattage limit is called “overlamping.” Overlamping is potentially dangerous because it can cause the fixture to overheat, melting the plastic components and increasing the risk of an electrical fire. Overheating can also cause serious and permanent damage to your fixture.
Light fixtures with enclosed bulbs — such as lamps with a glass case — are at a higher risk of overheating than unenclosed lights. Therefore, you should be particularly careful not to overlamp enclosed fixtures.
If you accidentally overlamp a light fixture, you may notice a burning smell or see signs of scorching or melting around the bulb socket. In this situation, you should switch the light off immediately and turn the electricity off at the main. Allow the fixture to cool before taking a closer look for signs of burning. Damage caused by overheating could make your fixture unsafe to use, so you should get it checked by an electrician before changing the lightbulb and using it again.
It's perfectly safe to use a lower lightbulb wattage than your fixture's maximum. Lower-wattage lightbulbs are better for the environment because they consume less energy. There's a common misconception that using a lower lightbulb wattage means compromising brightness, but many modern lightbulbs can produce a lot of light on minimal energy. For example, a 10-watt LED lightbulb could provide the same brightness as a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb.
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,580
Reaction score
11,922
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
Anyone know if the Spider Farmer lights have any kind of safety or safety testing rating like UL listing?
The thing that concerns me about these lights made in China is that they do not have very stringent product safety protocols if any at all.
 

keithl

Yamadori
Messages
58
Reaction score
75
Location
Chicago
USDA Zone
5b
Anyone know if the Spider Farmer lights have any kind of safety or safety testing rating like UL listing?
The thing that concerns me about these lights made in China is that they do not have very stringent product safety protocols if any at all.
Looks like they do have safety ratings. Found this:

Certified LED Grow Lights Our LED grow lights meet strict standards for performance and safety, certified with CE, RoHS, ETL, and UL listings

Found it here: https://www.spider-farmer.com/about-us/
 

Tums

Shohin
Messages
398
Reaction score
384
Location
Woburn, MA, USA
USDA Zone
6a
Most of my lights are from Mars hydro, viparspectra (have some of the p2000s mentioned above), and Monios-L (seems l like they make similar products to Barrina). I also bought this light meter https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Meter-LX1330B-Digital-Illuminance-Light/dp/B005A0ETXY/ but you can get phone apps that use your camera sensor and do an ok job.

Edit: I use my lights to grow my tropicals, succulents, and orchids over the winter, generally without much natural light. I can provide some "benchmarks" that I shoot for but not sure whether that's relevant to your use case.
 

Glaucus

Chumono
Messages
978
Reaction score
1,802
Location
Netherlands
USDA Zone
7b
I refer to the MiGro Youtube channel. The guy tests many of these LED panels.
But you say you want to put it inside a greenhouse. So outdoors I presume. And it is also a larger space. I think you would need a bar style LED. Not a board style one.
And you'd need to check the IP rating. Like an IP67 rated piece of electronics would be able to deal with both dust and direct water jets aka rain or even submersion in water.
Those codes are generally available for A brand LED lights. But they aren't all outdoor rated. In fact, most I believe you can't just hang outside in the rain without a roof.

It is also more complicated because you already have natural light and your goal is to add, or lengthen the day. Which has to be compatible with your temperatures. When you artificially control the day length, there is the risk that your plants get confused and out of sync with the seasons.
I believe there are timers you can use that automatically adjust each day to the day length, though.

The channel I mentioned has a very recent video on 5x5 lights. There was quite a bit of innovation and competition the last few years. Now the market is more mature and competition mainly on price is slowly starting.

With a greenhouse you probably want a light that is lower in efficiency and not an expensive very efficient light. Because you are going to run it at lower power and use less electricity anyway.
So it seems that if your greenhouse is indeed a standard size Grow Light Sciences ProGrow model may be quite good. But check if the IP 65 rating is good enough for outdoors inside a greenhouse.

Another channel, LED Grow Light Depot is just as good.
For smaller indoor lights

[edit] Hmm he doesn't actually test the lights himself so maybe not as good of a video.

It all depends on what area you need to cover and how much you want to spend.
 
Last edited:

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,818
Reaction score
23,439
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
I refer to the MiGro Youtube channel. The guy tests many of these LED panels.
But you say you want to put it inside a greenhouse. So outdoors I presume. And it is also a larger space. I think you would need a bar style LED. Not a board style one.
And you'd need to check the IP rating. Like an IP67 rated piece of electronics would be able to deal with both dust and direct water jets aka rain or even submersion in water.
Those codes are generally available for A brand LED lights. But they aren't all outdoor rated. In fact, most I believe you can't just hang outside in the rain without a roof.

It is also more complicated because you already have natural light and your goal is to add, or lengthen the day. Which has to be compatible with your temperatures. When you artificially control the day length, there is the risk that your plants get confused and out of sync with the seasons.
I believe there are timers you can use that automatically adjust each day to the day length, though.

The channel I mentioned has a very recent video on 5x5 lights. There was quite a bit of innovation and competition the last few years. Now the market is more mature and competition mainly on price is slowly starting.

With a greenhouse you probably want a light that is lower in efficiency and not an expensive very efficient light. Because you are going to run it at lower power and use less electricity anyway.
So it seems that if your greenhouse is indeed a standard size Grow Light Sciences ProGrow model may be quite good. But check if the IP 65 rating is good enough for outdoors inside a greenhouse.

Another channel, LED Grow Light Depot is just as good.
For smaller indoor lights

[edit] Hmm he doesn't actually test the lights himself so maybe not as good of a video.

It all depends on what area you need to cover and how much you want to spend.
Thanks very much for this detailed answer. I have what I call a greenhouse, but it is fully roofed and the siding (except for a few windows and sliding glass doors) is actually a wood structure with solexx panels for walls. This allows diffused light in, but not actually like a greenhouse would. The function for this is overwintering and for keeping in the spring so as not to move in and out with the whims of the freezes. It is a cold house storage for the most part. I have equipped it with heat mats, lighting and ventilation as well as an overhead infrared heater. I also only do hand watering in there, so there isn't a watering system to worry about wetting the lighting panels. So I'm sorry if I mislead you with that name. I'll take a look at the Youtube thing, it may help me out. Hopefully these panels won't mind getting cold out there, my Hydrofarm units don't care, and I do keep the temps just above freezing in any event. At least heat won't be an issue when I'm using them.
 
Top Bottom