White LED vs Red/Blue LED Grow light Grow Test – Part 1 (Educational) 2016
This Video is from the Youtube channel: “Growing Answers”.
In this video I go over the science behind plants and light. This is to compare apples to apples as best as possible with 2 different lights. We will be using a full spectrum white 50 watt "Lighting Ever" LED Flood light and a "Zitrades" Blue/Red 50 watt LED Flood grow light. We will be growing plants under each light both with the lights at equal distances and then separate heights to have equal PAR.
This will be a test to see how plants respond to spectrum alone. Does more micromoles of light in just the red/blue spectrum give better results than some micromoles lost to the yellow/green spectrum of white light? More power focused on peak chlorophyll absorption spectrums should give better results than some light divided across the broad spectrum. This in theory means less micromoles in the red/blue spectrum of the white light even though the total micromoles or "PAR" will be the same reaching both plants under both lights.
The “very little small amount isn’t that important” … actually makes a world of difference, when you’re looking at photomorphogenesis (day time / night time) and uv-b resistance (quality and flavor)
Umm, yes I guess if you are referring to green tobacco, but other types of plants can do fine. That’s why I say white led can give a better result.
Great video, I have been trying to find the information that you provided about photosynthetic response for hours now, thank you very much. Do you have a link to the studies that you talked about with different lighting used throughout the faces of growing a plant?
You might find that info on certain light manufacturer websites, but exactly how it’s done, I have no info on that. Google that instead of looking for YouTube videos cuz I’m pretty sure there are none. It holds little value to the general viewer except interest and only high tech green houses would be doing it. If any video is done, it likely would be from a journalist or reporter doing segments on those places and led tech.
Fabulous series, thank you
Would a mixture of cool white, 6000 – 6500 K, warm white, 2800 – 3200K and natural white 400 – 4500K be a satisfactory full spectrum lighting system for grow lights?
Geoffrey Terry aquarium lights use this technique by mixing various color temperature of whites, but the results would not be dramatically different for plants. 3500k is all you really need for general growth.
Great! I think it’s good to approach this with a “scientific mind” because then one can make decisions for themselves when choosing lights, and not be scammed by marketing claims. And it’s nice to know how stuff works too!
wow! you are really able to explain in a way that everybody could understand.
Even me 😉
great video
Hello Random Ryan, thank you for the 4 parts of your experiment, I learned a lot even though I only understood a portion…
I am sold on the white light you used (daylight white for about 180$ on Amazon) the size is just right for me) and I would like to use it for salads, herbs and watercress on a shelf in the basement where I live. However I am concern about the safety for my eyes even though I won’t be staring at the light, I will be in the same medium size room for hours at the time. Do you have any advise regarding this situation?
thank you again
Sophie Mo you don’t need to worry about your eyes. Just wear sunglasses if you feel the need. Also if it’s in a large room and not a closet, heat shouldn’t be an issue. With any plant growing, air exchange and ventilation is mildly important. Airflow prevents things from settling on leaves and air exchange keeps co2 levels from declining if the plants are in a small non-ventilated space. It also keeps humidity from rising and causing molds or fungus.
Hello Random Ryan, thank you so much for your reply, just to be clear (my English is not good good) I am living in the basement…
I never leave comments, ever! I am only doing so for all the haters out there… Random Ryan explains very well the basics of how plants respond to the light spectrum. This information is not only rare for novice growers but Super helpful. Don’t take those knuckle draggers seriously. Not everyone out there is experienced worth grow lights; take it from me!
korieadell thanks!
yeah leave the guy alone I’ve learnt stacks
Being a scientist myself I really like your approach. Thanks and keep it up!
Vadim Melnicuk hey I have a led full spectrum light and a CFL is that bad
Thank you so much for this. I have been attempting to find some science, or at least some specifics, about LED lighting. While I wasn’t looking to delve so deep that my head would explode, you have explained some things that I did need to understand. In my case, the information is for planted freshwater aquariums, and what makes for a good light. So much in the area is opinionated, twisted into experience; so that the ‘best light’, is the one that was just bought by the presenter; although they can’t give you any real facts or evidence because they just put it to use 15minutes ago or 3 days ago (“so far, it seems to be growing them just fine”). I still may end up mandatorily buying an underwater PAR meter, but you’ve helped elevate my understanding of what is taking place after you switch an LED ‘on’.
Kilmichael talk to me first. I dedign led white spectrum lighting. I was the first.
I bought a mars 600 for growing it really works good, much better than I thought before
You starting talking about lumens and how you should buy lights on lumens not watts. But then how lumens is what people see and plants need the opposite? Can someone please help me with this I’m having a hard time finding a good light and this lumen, watt, color temp, is killing me right now. So can higher lumens actually be less blue and red light?
TheStarkEdelics Channel at the time, I was trying to help people understand that wattage has nothing to do with intensity or useable photosynthetic light. Lumens is measured in the green part of the spectrum. The part that human eyes are most sensitive to. Lumens can give you an idea of intensity but it doesn’t say much about the overall PAR which covers the most usable part of the visible spectrum that human eyes are less sensitive to. Plants utilize mostly wavelengths outside of the green zone and the only way to measure that is with a quantum sensor, not a lumen meter. So if one was to buy a red/blue dominant grow light and use a lumen meter, the lumen level would be low, but the par readout would tell another story. Mainly, if trying to figure out the appropriate distance your light needs to be from the plant canopy, a lumen meter won’t be appropriate. If it’s white light and one is familiar with a their lumen meter, it can be used to a extent so long as they figured it out with trial and error. But if it’s not a white light source, it would be very difficult to use a lumen meter reliably. The only meter that is consistent and proven is a quantum par sensor. So do not buy a grow light based off lumens. If it’s led and it’s unidirectional light, then wattage would be a more reliable way to purchase so long as you’ve established a baseline of what can be grown per actual watt. But you can’t intermix that measure. 50 watts of fluorescent isn’t going to be the same as 50 watts of led. And certainly 50 watts of incandescent doesn’t even compare. basically the less radiated infrared heat output by a light source with the same wattage compared to another light source, means in general, more usable photosynthetic light per watt. that’s the basis of describing efficiency and lumens plays a part in that understanding, but lumens alone is not measuring light for growing plants in a way that is reliable or complete.
Growing Answers so helpful thank you so much!!
Don’t ever think it. If your growing non cannabis grows just grab a 300 watt led… If growing cannabis grab something that switches from more blue for veg an more red for flower.. and a higher watt if growing cannabis..
@Hobert Zheng what brand you use
I use a 100w CFL at five inch distance , two 20 w LEDs and a 60 w LED flood light on Four plants at a 10 inch distance. Seedlings didn’t “reach” and fall over like my last crop when I didn’t have this much light.
Awesome detail. Loved all the info. This has helped me understand so much. I’ll be watching this a couple more times
Great video! Thanks for teaching me so much!! Very well done 🌬🌿💙🌱🍃
Excellent video sir! You explained perfectly in lamen’s terms how light affects plants, and a wee bit of the science behind it! Having worked in the lighting industry for some time now, I consider my self a ‘lightologist’! lol I have worked with florescent to H.I.D’s and with LEDs. And yes, I have grown under all of these. I have to say, I was a die hard Halide/Sodium guy, but these new LED diodes that are available are remarkable! Use to be they were only manufactured for the ‘human’ market for power savings, but the new horticultural applications are coming of age! Must be because cannabis is becoming legal everywhere (i’m Canadian!), so the market is really taking off! Keep up the great work, and I’m off to watch patr 2 of your vid! Cheers lad. 🙂
Thank you so much for such informative videos! They are so helpful!
I have a few led videos if intrested
You are a great teacher! Thank you !🌻
Amazing explanation, this is exactly what I was looking for
I’ve made the biggest mistake going.two crops messed up.i bought some 660 full spectrum lights and stuck them on full power.little did I know my plants wasn’t getting full spectrum but on the lower setting it was.my plants at first looked 100% but soon were showing signs nitrogen toxicity so I thought I had a ph problem.no,no,no.it was the spectrum.
One the best videos explaining growing lights. Part 2 is also awesome. Thanks a bunch.