Growing Tips for using LED Grow Lights and Solid State Lighting

A list of tips for gardening with LED grow lights and low heat solid state lighting.

These tips come from experience, and should be considered, to insure success with LED Grow Lighting Arrays. These tips apply to general gardening, and are techniques you are already using. Now you need to develop these techniques with 90% less heat in your system.

Keep environmental temperatures in the range of 70F° -80F° (Lower Temp = Slower Plant Growth) (Monitor Root-zone Temp as well)

DON'T over water your plants (Less Heat from LEDs = Less water loss due to evaporation) (Overwattering = Slow root development = Slow and Stunted Growth and Nutrient Uptake issues)

Use a more porous medium = more oxygen to roots = higher plant metabolism.

Water plants once, let them run low on water = plant water usage rate for your particular plant species (Under LEDs).

If you keep the root medium saturated = no need for plant to develop larger root system = stomata closure, slow and stunted growth, and symptoms of overwattering.

Monitor your CO2 levels (Some LED grow lights contain LEDs that emit a large amount of plant specific usable light, therefore may require slight augmentation of CO2 levels (300-500 PPM)

Start with a lower amount of nutrient (400-600 PPM) or 1/2 the Oz/Gallon, or ml/per Liter recommendation on your plant foods.

On fruiting plants: Reduced photoperiod = plant stress = more flowering.

Remember, It doesn't look like much light to you, but it is very much light to your plants.