A led grow light is a special lighting bulb used to provide light energy for plants in an indoor enclosure. The led lights try to mimic the rays from the sun by emitting rays or visible and invisible wavelengths, that is UV and infrared rays to the plants.
For plants to survive, they need light energy which is naturally gotten from the sun. At their different stages f growth, these plants require a fraction of colors from the sun rays for regular functions. However, for some reason, some plants cannot have access to sun rays all the time of the year due to weather and climate. For people in these areas where sunlight is almost non-existent, grow tents are the best available options to use.
Led lights allow you to provide your plants with the exact light spectrum that they need at every stage of their growth cycle. Also, it offers the plants the highest quality of light possible while consuming only a little amount of electricity. To cap it all, this light emits only a little amount of energy. Therefore, you do not have to waste time and money buying any expensive equipment to cool your grow tenth.
Led lights are extremely useful and beneficial to grow tent plants. However, you will only see the benefits of the Led lights when you choose the right number of LED Watts for 4×4 grow tent.
Therefore, in this article, we will show you just the number of LED watts for 4×4 tent.
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How many LED Watts do you need for a 4×4 grow tent?
Against what you must have heard, there are no actual figures as to the number of LED Watts for 4×4 grow tent. That is because led lights these days are energy efficient and sometimes it is difficult to tell the number of watts they supply from the pack of the light. Also, the number you need largely depends on several factors. These factors are as follows:
The type of plant
First, you must know that all plants are not the same. As a result, different plants have different light requirements. Generally speaking, the more light your plants have access to, the better they are.
Some plants however need more light while some others require only a little amount of light. That means, there can be situations when your plant will no longer require more light. After prolonged exposure, a situation known as a light saturation point may occur when there is too much light. If you expose your plant to too much light (beyond its saturation point), it may suffer from poor growth.
For example, plants like tomatoes, peppers, etc. need a lot of light to thrive. Therefore, if you have such plants in your 4×4 tent, you will need to invest in as many bulbs as you can to meet their light requirements.
On the other hand, there are plants like basil, lettuce and other green vegetables that do not require so much light. To avoid destroying these plants and the nutrients that they carry in them, you must choose lights that meet their light requirements.
The growth phase of the plant
Different plants require different amounts of light at different stages of their lifecycle. At the early stages of growth, that is, the seeding and seedling stage, most plant species only require a little amount of light for their growth and development. However, as the plants grow, their energy needs increase and therefore they will require more light.
Also, plants require different spectra of light at different stages of their growth. For instance, at the plant’s vegetative phase, its major need is UV rays. This is because the wavelength of UV waves accelerates cell division, resulting in fast plant growth.
In the same way, IR rays are needed throughout the blooming period of the plant. They are swiftly absorbed by the plant’s buds and tips, allowing it to blossom fast.
PAR
Greenlight is not used in photosynthesis, the process by which green plants convert sunlight into carbohydrates.
Because green light reflects off of plants, they seem green. They, on the other hand, have no use for such frequencies. Green leaves absorb a lot of blue and red wavelengths of light.
A majority of leafing plants require a spectral band that runs between 400 (purple) and 700 (red) nanometers for photosynthesis.
The number of light particles, or micromoles per square meter per second, that impact a surface determines the unit of measure for PAR.
Size of the growing area
Traditional led grow lights typically consume 32 watts to illuminate a one-square-foot blooming area. Generally speaking, LED grow lights are more energy-efficient than HID grow lights. That is why most people prefer them because it means you are paying for less. T
The energy efficiency of LED lights on the market, however, is not the same. In most cases, an LED light for a 4 × 4 grow tent will use fewer watts to produce the same amount of light as a traditional one.
Plants that require low light, such as lettuces and herbs, require 11 to 18 watts per square foot of grow tent space. About your grow space, you can increase the wattage. Just keep in mind that one square foot of grow tent space requires around 32 watts of actual power. A 4 x 4 takes about 512 watts, although the wattage might range from 500 to 650 watts, and that will depend on the type of plants that you have.
Conclusion
Grow light panels, COB grows lights, and single spot lamps are among the several combinations available.
Make that the manufacturer has stated the wavelengths, such as 660 nm for red and 460 nm for blue when testing the color ratio (red to blue).
Bi-band and tri-band LED lights are also available. Bi-band designs may be inadequate; thus, tri-band designs should be considered.
In general, use LED grow lights that are more than 90 watts, ideally 120 watts or more. Most essential, choose a solution that is appropriate for your plants.
How should you choose the LEDs for your to grow tent?
If you’re determined to use LED grow light, you need to know a thing or two about the features. Here are the most significant elements to check out on the LED grow light.
Wavelength output
For several years, professionals doubted that plants could grow in LED lights. Thanks to the discovery of blue LEDs and developments in this field, things have changed completely. Specific wavelengths of light can help with photosynthesis and growth.
Scientific experiments revealed that red and blue wavelengths are the most beneficial for plants. Traditional LED lights don’t generate blue and red light, which is why you need to buy LED lights for grow tents.
Watts
Watts reflects the energy input that light requires. The output of LED light is both the function of Watts and the quality of other elements and design. The other parts are:
- Chip density
- LED chip
- Heatsink
- Optics used
- The driver
As the wattage increases, the LED efficiency gets lower due to the temperature in the electronic circuit board. When shopping, keep in mind that watts don’t reflect the measure of LED lights to grow plants. It would help if you had a deep understanding of Watts and PAR too.
Light intensity
Let’s say you measure the distance between a light meter and various light sources. As you increase the distance between the light source and light meter, you will notice that light intensity decreases. It’s easy to understand the connection between light intensity and distance from the source.
Sometimes, the manufacturer sets the position of the growing light high above the vegetation with a large footprint. As a result, the output will be higher than if the LEDs are made close to the plants. Moreover, the light intensity will decrease at the edge.
As the LEDs run cool, it’s not a problem if the leaf tissues touch the LEDs. Therefore, you can keep the lights close to the plants. However, the light intensity has a limiting point, and too much light will burn plant tissue.
LED chip quality
The diode has to be made with some specifications to generate the genuine wavelength. Prestigious manufacturers use a complicated process so that the diodes emit the correct light wavelength. Some manufacturers make cheap LEDs for customers who shop on a tight budget. Such LEDs will not cast the wavelength necessary for the plants and the light intensity may differ widely.
LED lens
The lens attached to the Led affects its quality. The light lens impacts both the outputs and footprint. When the intensity and footprint aren’t the proper ones, the plant’s health will suffer.
What are the benefits of LED grow lights?
The more you know about LED grow lights, the easier it will be to decide if you will use them to grow plants. The benefits of LED lights come down below:
Long lifespan
It’s one of the essential benefits of LED grow lights. These lights can last for 50,000 to 100,000 hours, which means five years or more. When selecting the LED to grow lights, look for models with at least 50,000 hours of lifetime.
LED lights need less energy than regular types. When you use them for plant growth, the LED lights will warn before losing power. Toward the end of their lifespan, some chips get dark, whereas others generate less bright light.
Replacing the LED lights is easy and some models allow you to change the individual chip.
Flexibility
Another significant advantage of LED grows lights is that you can use them in whichever way you need. It’s probably why so many gardeners use LEDs. You can place the panels and light bulbs close to the plants to give them maximum brightness.
Increased brightness
With regular plant light, there’s more heat than light. Even if both are essential for plant growth, you need to maintain the balance. Unlike traditional lights, LED grow lights can give the perfect balance of both light and heat.
Healthy growth
When they receive the best light, plants will grow as planned. You can control the duration of daylight to increase the growth—the effect is widely used in horticulture.
No need for reflectors and ballast
Since LED grow lights don’t need ballast, they are lighter than the regular increased lighting system. It’s possible to fit them into standard light fittings. Some LEDs come with reflectors, which eliminate the need for extra reflectors.
Specific light frequencies
If you intend to grow plants inside the house with the greenhouse technique, you must learn to control the conditions.
When plants benefit from specific wavelengths of light, they absorb as much chlorophyll as possible, with 600-700nm as the range. LED lights can cover that range.
What mistakes to avoid when using LED grow lights?
Instead of telling you how to get the best out of LED grow lights, we present you with the mistakes to avoid when using these lights.
Not give enough lighting
The scale of your operations is essential to consider. You need to know how many plants you grow and how many LED lights you need for efficient lighting. Please pay attention to the luminosity of the lights as well and see that you have enough lamps without overdoing them.
Overheat the plants
If the leaves closest to the light become brown, you’re probably giving the plants too much heat. Should the leaves begin to curl up, the plant is also too close to the light. You can solve the problem with good ventilation.
Use the wrong light spectrum
Different plants require different types of light for every growth stage. With full-spectrum LED lights, it’s easy to get it, but the wrong setting will affect the plant growth. The conditions in the room where you grow the plants come also in play. When in the vegetative stage of growth, plants need light in the blue spectrum. If you set the light in the red spectrum, your plants won’t grow.
Not set the lamp at the proper distance
Insufficient lighting is just as bad as overheating. Placing the lights too far or too close to the plants is never a good idea. You should put the LEDs between 12 and 18in away from the plants most of the time.
Use the wrong light schedule
Please don’t leave the lights on all the time and don’t forget to turn them on either. Even the slightest change in the program will alter the plant’s growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use a grow tent?
When you want to get specific yields, controlling the indoor growing environment is crucial. The first thing to do is to contain the garden in a confined space and the grow tent.
Once you get a grow tent, you can proceed with other factors to control the growth, such as indoor grow lights, nutrients, growing media, and ventilation.
How many plants will grow in a 4×4 tent?
If you put six plants in a 4×4 grow tent, you have one plant in every meter square area. It’s a pruning style growing which can give around 25lbs harvest from every plant.
Is it possible to have too much LED light in a grow tent?
Both scientific and economic data show that there is such thing as too much LED light. You have to consider the ecological and cost-effective aspects. It’s common for grow rooms to have a lot of grow light and ballasts that require purchasing—it’s a considerable investment to make. Moreover, you will need to replace the equipment after some time.
How do you improve the yield on a 4×4 tent?
To obtain the maximum yield on a grows tent, you need 400-600W lighting for every square meter area. It means that you will need 800-1,200W to maximize yield in a 4×4 space.
Are your plants getting too much light?
It’s relatively easy to know if your plants don’t get enough light. The common signs are yellowing and dropping of leaves, elongated stems, stunted leaf growth, and dull-green color. However, if your plants get too much light, the leaves will have singed tips and burned patches. They can even fall, so make sure you control the light efficiently.
