A good rule of thumb for optimal yield is to choose an LED growing light that emits at least 50w per square foot of growing space. Ensure that the grow light can draw 50w from your wall.300w LED light needs a growing area of 6 sq. ft. (2×3) to grow around 1-6 plants. Meaning, multiplying the maximum number of plants by 50w gives you 300w.
Your plants require the best light possible to sustain and survive a healthy life cycle in indoor growing. Light is very crucial to plants as it’s the source of energy. Plants have chlorophylls, which are energy trapping molecules. Commonly, it uses blue for vegetative growth and red during flowering, the wavelength of the growing light spectrum. Most plants appear green since it reflects the green light. Interestingly, you don’t need natural sunlight to grow plants! Thanks to the advanced LED development light technology, it is nearly 98% efficient for chlorophyll generation.
However, the amount of plants per light is affected by various factors. These factors include; the type of the plant, how to grow them, available space, and the potency of the plant. Planting seeds is not similar to planting clones, nor auto-flowering seeds, same as seasonal seeds. Also, the plants with more yields on the tips of their branches are different from the ones that have more extensive results in the central calyx. All this means the number of plants that you can grow with 300w light might differ due to various factors affecting them.
What Is A 300 Watt LED Growing Light Equivalent To?
Unfortunately, the misnaming of LED lights has become a regular practice among some companies’ brands. Some of these brands do exaggerate their LED product watts, which generally affect consumption decisions. For example, Meizhi, a Chinese brand labeled as 300w, which in real sense is equivalent to 200 watts of HID power and uses around 130 watts. For whatever reasons, Meizhi doesn’t give the wattage draw, for that matter.
In the end, it affects artificial indoor growers who need 300 watts’ lights for their plants and eventually buying the Meizhi brand, which doesn’t display facts of their products. So, it’s paramount to conduct research, especially on customer reviews, before you settle for a particular brand to avoid dissatisfaction.
How Many Plants Can One Grow With A 600w LED Light?
A 600w LED light grows up to a maximum of 12 plants. Note that light is the most significant element in your indoor growing room since it’s your plant’s food. To get high-quality yields, you need to feed the plants high-quality food as well. LED growing light is the best in this industry due to its durability, energy efficiency, and full spectrum. The minimum energy for indoor growing is 50watts of light per square foot of growing space available.
The table below shows the number of plants you can grow given various LED watts:
Number Of Plants Grown With Different Watts
| Number Of Plants You Can Grow | Grow Space Size | Minimum Number Of Watts Required |
1-2 plants | 2sq ft. (2 ×1) | 100w |
1-3 plants | 4 sq ft. ( 2×2) | 200w |
1-6 plants | 6 sq ft. (2×3) | 300w |
1-9 plants | 9 sq ft. ( 3×3) | 450w |
1-12 plants | 12 sq ft. (3×4) | 600w |
1-16 plants | 16 sq ft. (4×4) | 800w |
1-20 plants | 20 sq ft. (4×5) | 1000w |
Please note 1. 1 sq ft. grow space equal’s 50w LED grow light.
2. The above values are for the flowering period.
How Much Does It Cost To Run A 300 Watt LED Grow Light?
As per the electricity price data gathered from NPR’s breakdown of US electricity cost, we examine the cost of buying grow lights plus powering and maintaining them for five years. The electricity bill is calculated based on 12 hours of use of the lights per day at the cost of 12 cents kWh. So, a 300 watt LED will cost you an average of $ 150 to $ 300 every year of use.
Thus, saving you $ 150 to $ 300 over the use of 600 watts HID in electric bill annually considering the lack of bulbs replacement. Although the price of high-quality 300 watts LED grow light can cost you $ 600 to $ 1,300, in the long run, it will be far much cheaper than the traditional lighting costs.
How Far Should My LED Grow Light Be From My Plant?
Plants need changes as they grow from different life cycle stages, and you need to put this in mind. But for your established plants, which are already in place, and ready to blossom, your LED grow lights need to be situated between 16 to 36 inches from the canopy in the flowering stage. Moving the light closer to your plant increases the light intensity that eventually maximizes photosynthesis.
However, when the grow light is closer above your plants, they cause broader and more sprawling growth that eventually damages your plants. To know precisely how far your growing light needs to be from your plants, you should factor in their different stages of growth. It’s also good to consider the energy output of the LED grow light. Usually, this is related to the wattage source of light that is a critical factor in deciding the suitable distance for LEDs when you are starting the growing process.
Is LED Light Good For Plants?
Yes, it’s no doubt that LED latest technology offer the best grow lights suitable for indoor growing in the market today. The energy-efficient LED grow light provides an ideal light spectrum range, and they do have an ultra-low heat output. Apart from offering low heat, low energy usage, and color optimized for growth, LED grow lights are effective and efficient. They are also the customer-friendly method of growing plants at home rather than using incandescent or fluorescent lights.
How Much Heat Does A 1000W LED Grow Light Produce?
It’s pretty easy to calculate the amount of heat grow light produces. Take the total number of watts used, i.e., the wall plug wattage, and then multiply it by 3.41 for you to get the total BTUs generated per hour. Generally, British Thermal Units (BTU) are the standard heat measurement throughout the HVAV industry. Therefore, a 1000w LED grow light produces roughly 3,751 BTU per hour. Here is the calculation;
1000w LED (1100w with driver loss = 1100w × 3.41 = approximately 3,751 BTU per hour
Roughly one BTU equals the heat generated by one four during the long match, regardless of the type of light! Be it HPS, LED, or any other. As for 500w, LED light (550w with driver loss) produces 1,877 (550w × 3.41) BTU per hour. It doesn’t matter where the light comes from, be it a diode, bulb, or sun; every light produces heat. LEDs enable the efficient way of converting energy to light when you compare with other methods, and that’s why it has less heat.
How Much Does A 1000W LED Grow Light Cost To Run?
Typically, you can calculate the total cost of different LED grows light by Total Kilowatts × kWh× hours per day × the number of days. Therefore, to get the total cost for running 1000 watts to grow light monthly, assuming that your lights are turned on for 18 hours maximum per day, it is 1 × $ 0.1559 × 18 × 30 = $ 84.186 monthly. If the electricity cost is $ 0.1559 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in your locality. But, first, you need to divide the wattage by 1000 (1000/1000 =1)
How Do You Know If Your Plant Is Getting Too Much Light?
You know, by just looking at your plants. Generally, if the plants are getting too much light, their leaves have burned patches, singed tips, or start falling off. Similarly, if your plants lack enough light, the most popular sigh is dropping leaves, the yellowing leaves, elongated stems, a dull-green color, or a stunted leaf.
On the other hand, plants getting enough light have a rich and pleasing green color all over. So, it’s beneficial to understand and interpret what’s going on by just looking at your plants.
What’s The Difference Between Regular Lights And Grow Lights?
For better understanding, let’s first define growing lights. They are the type of lights that emits specific colors which stimulate the sunlight we get from the sun. Majorly it’s used to grow indoor plants. In comparison, regular ones are the lights we use in our homes for lighting. Their main differences are heat emission, power intensity, energy efficiency, light spectrum, cost, lifespan, etc.
1. Heat Emission– Grow light emits less heat than regular lights to avoid too many adverse effects on plants.
2. Power Intensity– Grow lights generate more power intensity than regular ones to increase the rate of photosynthesis essential for plant growth.
3. Light Spectrum– Grow lights are made of numerous wavelengths to make up their light spectrum that simulates sunlight. That’s is not the case for regular light bulbs.
4. Energy Efficiency– Regular lights are more energy-efficient than growing light which consumes a lot of energy needed for a particular wavelength without overheating.
5. Cost- Regular lights are more expensive than grow lights.
Lifespan– Between the two, grow lights have a shorter lifespan than regular lights. This is due to the intensity of grow light which forces them to burn out faster than regular ones.
Conclusion
It is straightforward to determine the number of plants you require and to choose an ideal LED to produce the light of your choice. You only need to know the available grow space and the required watts per square meter. Keep in mind the type of indoor plants you need to plant, as this makes everything easier. For 300W, you can grow 1-6 plants with a growing area of 6 sq. ft.
