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How to Choose the Perfect Grow Light

Soft Secrets
23 Feb 2023

Welcome to the 6th instalment of the Soft Secrets "Perfect Grow" series, made in conjunction with some of the industry's top players, including Royal Queen Seeds (RQS). Our resident Pro Grower Drew Anger, takes us through horticultural lighting options in this instalment, helping you to pick the best light for your plants.


One of the biggest things plants need to grow is sunlight. So what do we do when we are growing indoors? We must substitute that sunlight to give our plants the best possible chance of thriving and producing excellent yields. This is why you will see so many lighting options on the market, like LED, Metal Hallide and HPS, all promising to work miracles. But which one is best?

Well, whilst each type has its distinct advantages for different phases of growth, a clear favourite has emerged over the last few years, LED lighting. The advancements in technology and energy savings just cannot be beaten. On average, LEDs use about 60% of the energy of a standard generic grow light fixture. So let's have a look at what makes a good grow light.

Price is a significant factor, you get what you pay for, and many cheap light options do not have the technology to do the job. However, higher priced LED lights will have spectrums customizable to the plants you are growing, which is advantageous and obviously will give you better results. It's therefore wise to buy the best you can afford.

How to Choose the Perfect Grow Light

The Spider Farmer SE5000 is an excellent example of a quality LED light that will give you the results you want on a reasonable budget. With true dimmable capabilities and a vast light footprint, the spider farmer is fully adjustable, giving your plants the exact amounts of light they need right through Veg and Flower.

In addition, spider Farmer uses top-of-the-range Samsung LEDs, including dioeds for UV and Infra Red exposure so that you can be assured of quality. Older light technologies like Metal halide and HPs cannot compete and have a problem dimming themselves below about 75% of their total output. In contrast, the spider Farmer LEDs that Drew uses in this growth can be dimmed down as far as 20% of their total output.

How to Choose the Perfect Grow Light

LED also stays much cooler than its older counterparts. This is important as it helps control the temperature in your growing environment. If temperatures in your grow tent get too high, it can spell the end for your plants. High temperatures also mean more ventilation and possible use of humidifiers, increasing energy costs.

There are plenty of other options with similar tech specs and price ranges to spider farmer, so I would advise you to get out there and find the best choice, using these lights as a yardstick to measure quality and performance. Your lights are probably the most essential piece of equipment in your grow room, so get that right on. You will be on your way to success.

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How to Choose the Perfect Grow Light
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Soft Secrets