Can I Use Regular Indoor LED Lights to Grow Indoor Plants?

"Can I use regular indoor LED lights to grow indoor plants, or do I specifically need LED grow lights?" – This is a question that lingers in the minds of many people, especially those who start indoor gardening for the first time in their lives. If you are here today, it means that the question has baffled you as well.

Well, worry not, as we have tried to answer this question in the simplest manner possible. So, continue reading to find out whether you need LED grow lights indoor or not.

Plants are a wonderful addition to your home and workplace since they have a multitude of benefits. They produce oxygen and improve the air quality. Some studies have even proved that plants help in recovering from surgeries and increasing the productivity of employees. While gardens and backyards are preferred places to include greenery in any house, some people decide to grow plants indoors for varied reasons.

Irrespective of the reason, a major challenge that most indoor gardeners face is the availability of an ample amount of light. Plants need light for photosynthesis, the process by which they convert light energy into chemical energy. They use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to prepare food for themselves and create oxygen. In the case of absence of sunlight, they use artificial light.

Without sufficient light, plants will ultimately die. Now, indoor plants don’t get as much sunlight as outdoor plants. So, you must provide your indoor plants or houseplants with adequate lighting with the help of reliable artificial lighting sources.

What are the Different Types of Grow Lights?

Incandescent, fluorescent, CFL, metal halide, high pressure sodium, and LED are different types of artificial lighting sources used for the purpose of growing plants. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Whether it’s incandescent, high pressure sodium, or any other type of light, people have two options when it comes to growing indoor plants. They can either use the regular fixtures used for residential and other applications or opt for grow light fixtures.

As the name suggests, ‘grow lights’ have been developed especially to help plants grow in indoor environments. They are built in such a way that they mimic sunlight and, thus, offer houseplants the optimal scope for growth.

You can easily find fluorescent grow lights, CFL grow lights, metal halide grow lights, high pressure sodium grow lights, and other types of grow lights in many online and physical stores. Just like all these lights, LED grow lights indoor are also available in the market. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, designs, and styles. For example, you can come across LED grow strip lights, LED grow light bulbs, LED pendant grow lights, and gooseneck LED grow lights.

Indoor LED Lights VS LED Grow Lights: A Brief Comparison

It’s a known fact that LED lights have become a popular choice for people across the world owing to their features. They use LED-based lighting fixtures to fulfill their indoor and outdoor lighting needs. Therefore, a lot of people use indoor LED lights to grow their houseplants.

But is it correct? Well, the answer is ‘No’! Even though people use regular LED lights to enhance the growth of an indoor plant at different stages of its lifecycles, these are not as effective as LED grow lights. The reason behind the same is that the LED grow lights offer the best of both worlds. They combine the wonderful characteristics of LED lights with the utility of grow lights.

Thus, all kinds of plants thrive under LED grow lights indoor. The best form of light for plants is sunlight because they need lights of all colors present in the visible spectrum of light emitted by the sun. The spectrum of visible light that the sun emits contains light in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and indigo colors.

Each color plays a vital role during the lifecycle of a plant. While blue light promotes the production of chlorophyll, green light is helpful in photosynthesis. Violet light aids in the vegetative growth cycle, whereas red light is essential for seed germination.

Regular LED lights produce blue light, which is converted into white light with the help of a phosphor coating applied to them. White light is also useful for the overall growth of plants, but in order to grow faster and bigger, they need light in all colors of the visible light spectrum.

LED grow lights have a higher light intensity compared to regular indoor LED lights. Moreover, a considerable percentage of the light emitted by a normal LED lighting fixture goes to waste due to its design. LED grow lighting fixtures, on the other hand, are designed in a way to minimize the wastage of the light emitted.

Other benefits are also associated with the use of LED grow lights. For example, they last longer than the regular LED lights. LED grow lights have more brightness than regular LED lights. Some modern LED grow lighting fixtures also come with functions like brightness adjustment, dimming capability, and auto on/off timer.

Thus, LED grow lights indoor are better than regular indoor LED lights in various aspects. However, you need to keep certain factors in mind, such as keeping the right amount of distance between an LED grow light and a plant according to the growth stage of a particular plant.

Conclusion

LED lights are extremely energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. When these features merge with the efficiency of grow lights, the result occurs in the form of an amazing boost in the growth and health of plants.

At KRUT LED® we strive to carry most efficient LED lights for more savings of energy. KRUT LED® had over 1000 products DLC and Energy Star Certified under its brand name “KRUTLED”. KRUT LED® also enjoys over 5000 satisfied customers spread across the