When you decide to use LED lights, you need to realize that LEDs are the only lights that can provide plants with the exact spectrum they need for all stages of their growth cycle. In addition to providing the highest quality light, these lights use the least amount of energy to operate. They also dissipate very little heat, so in addition to lowering operating costs, you'll save on cooling bills.

However, if the light fixture you choose is not suitable for your grow tent, you will not get the full benefits of LED grow lights. Here are the basic steps to finding the right LED light for your tent.

Step 1: Determine if your grow tent will be used for vegetable, flowering or full cycle growing.

How would you like to set up your planting operation? Are you planning to transfer plants between dedicated vegetable tents and flowering tents? Or are you planning to guide your crop through the entire harvest cycle in the same enclosure?

First, the answer tells you what type of LED light you need. If your plants spend their entire lives in this tent, you may want a variable spectrum LED that allows you to adjust the light spectrum between each growth stage. Or, at least, a full-spectrum light that can meet their needs at any stage.

Second, plants in the vegetative stage need about half as much light intensity as they need for flowering, a detail that is important for the next stage of growth

Step 2: Decide how many plants you plan to grow in your grow tent

Choosing the right lights for your grow tent is more than just the size of the tent itself. It's also about the spread of the canopy that fills the space.

If you're not sure how many plants to grow, plan to set aside at least one square foot for each plant. Leave enough room for your crops to grow large and bushy. This works well to give you high yields when the plants start to sprout.

When you know how many plants you need to light, you know how many square feet of light you need to spread. Every LED grow light should have easy-to-find specifications on its product page. Look for coverage areas and see how the light fits your needs.

Step 3: Estimate how many watts your square foot will need

As a standard recommendation, you should aim for 32-50 watts per square foot of grow space. If your growing space is a dedicated vegetable tent, it's more like 25 watts. So if you're working in a 3' x 3' space, you theoretically need an LED light that draws somewhere between 225 watts (for plants) and 450 watts (for flowering).

This formula works with many LED grow lights. The problem is that watts don't tell you anything about the quality or intensity of the light produced by the fixture. no longer. Top-of-the-line LED lights are highly efficient, producing evenly distributed, high-intensity light with minimal wattage.

Step 4: Compare PPFD Levels of LED Grow Lights

PPFD tells you how much photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) actually reaches the canopy from a specific hanging distance. This is a measurement of the amount of light available from the lamp to the leaves.

For healthy, delicious plants, follow this guide:

Seeding and Cloning: 200-400 PPFD

Vegetation: 400-600 PPFD

Bud bloom: 600-900 PPFD

You can see why it is important to decide whether to dedicate your grow tent to a specific stage or an entire cycle. When you check the specifications of your LED grow light, make sure the light can provide:

The level of PPFD your facility requires

Large enough coverage area to ensure quality light throughout the canopy

It is also important to note that the PPFD depends on the hanging height of the lamp. The further away from the bulb, the worse the light quality. PPFD measurements refer to the amount of PAR available at a specific distance from the fixture. So when you look at the PPFD specs, be mindful of the distance at which that measurement is made.