How do I choose LED grow light?

You want to start an indoor gardening project, that’s great! However, before you embark on the project, there are several things that you will have to do.

· Buy the best LED grow lights; the LED light you buy will affect the growth of the plants. The different lights have been designed with features that favor different growth cycles. For example; there are those that favor the flowering plants, while others favor the vegetative growth.

· Still in the buying, you are advised to choose the perfect company to buy from. There are many different good companies out there, with the Vanten LED being on the best.

· The LED grow lights come in different color spectrums including; red, blue, orange,white etc. these color spectrums favor different growth cycle. You are thus advised to choose wisely.

Using The LED Lights

It is onlythrough the proper using of the LED lights that your plants will attain theiroptimal growth. It is also important for you to place the light in a perfect position.Inadequate lighting will lead to stagnation of the plants. The plants tend togrow towards the light and so it is important to place the lights in astrategic position.

· The number of hours the plants need to be placed under the light differs. You are advised to place the vegetative plants under the light for 16 to 18 hours. This will give the plants the much needed light for growth. Once the time has elapsed,you should switch off the LED lights and allow the plants to stay for 6 hours or so.

· Adjust height of the lights; by adjusting you will increase or decrease the effect of the light. During the early vegetative stages, the LED light should be placed at least 300 mm above the plants. This will enable the sufficient supply of light. Once the plants reach the vegetative stage, you should raise the lights above up to 600 mm above the plant. This will, however depend on the type of the plant you are growing. During the flowering stage, maintain the light somewhere between 300 mm to 600 mm above the plant.

· Provide the plants with proper nutrition; you should alter the watering as many times as possible. Over watering and under watering of the plants may affect the growth of the plants. You now, the plants undergo a process called photosynthesis, which causes water to evaporate. You should of course replace the evaporated water, but the level of water should be kept low to avoid water logging.

· Plants that grow under LED grow lights usually require around 30% of feeding. Offering the required nutrients is important for the growth of the plants.

· You should also offer supplementary heating for the plants. During growth, the heat is usually reduced. This is beneficial as it of course reduces plant stress. However, during the cold season, you should ensure that the temperature of the grow room is significantly increased.

Rapid Expansion of Europe and U.S. Market for Horticulture Lighting

Rapid Expansion of Europe and U.S. Market for Horticulture Lighting 
    
The overall horticulture lighting market is expected to grow from $2.43 billion in 2018 to $6.21 billion in 2023, a CAGR of 20.61%. Here are some key highlights: 

• Europe is the largest consumer of horticulture lights, followed by North America (dominated by the US). 
• The European Union’s initiatives to boost the adoption of LED grow lights are expected to create more opportunities for the manufacturers of LED modules and lamps in that region. Philips Lighting (Netherlands) and Gavita (Netherlands) are the most prominent Europe-based lighting companies. 
• The key restraining factor impacting horticulture lighting market growth is the high cost of energy-efficient LED grow lights. In the future, the impact is expected to subside as the prices of LEDs are decreasing day by day. 
• Major companies in the horticulture lighting market: Signify by Philips Lighting (Netherlands), Gavita (Netherlands), GE Lighting (US), Osram (Germany), Agrolux (Netherlands), Heliospectra (Sweden), Hortilux Schreder (Netherlands), Lumileds (Netherlands), PARsource (US), Illumitex (US), Hubbell (US), Maxigrow (UK), Bridgelux (US), Eye Hortilux (US), and Lumigrow (US). 

The target key customers for this business are:

• GREENHOUSES accounted for the largest segment share of the horticulture lighting market in 2018. Greenhouses allow horticulture to be practiced in a protected environment (from natural elements, insects & pests) in a more cost-efficient way than indoor farming (such as warehouses), while ensuring optimum yield. Greenhouses are designed to trap natural sunlight and humidity, making it conducive for growing various types of plants either by using soil as a base or by adopting the hydroponic technique.
• VERTICAL FARMING is changing the outlook of food production. Inter-lighting LED systems are encouraging cultivators to adopt vertical farming on a large scale. In vertical farming, plants are stacked in layers one above the other, utilizing the available space in the best possible way. With vertical farming, space and time are less of constraints on growth. 

• INDOOR FARMING requires horticulture light systems to act as the primary light source with the partial or complete absence of natural light. Indoor farming has benefited from the adaptive re-use of warehouses and industrial buildings. Signify by Philips Lighting has established GrowWise Center in the Netherlands, a city farm facility powered by LED lights to cultivate a variety of crops, such as strawberries, potatoes, herbs, and leafy vegetables. 

• CANNABIS.  This is a subset of indoor farming and is rapidly growing in the United States and other countries where marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized. In the United States California and Colorado are two of the most important regional markets. Advanced LED lighting now commands the largest share of lighting for this use. The U.S. legalized cannabis market reached $13.6 billion in 2019, a 32% increase over 2018, with expectations that sales could top $75 billion by 2027. It is of anecdotal interest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, California declared that cannabis shops were “essential businesses” and could remain open. 

Conclusion.  This rapid review suggests that there is plenty room for healthy growth in lighting for horticulture use in the United States. European companies with advanced technologies or interest in technologies developed by U.S. companies may wish to consider expanding into the U.S through joint ventures or an M&A transaction with an existing LED lighting manufacturer. 


Vanten Industrial Group Limited (Guangzhou Vanten Technology Co., Ltd) is a LED lighting manufacturer for growing cannabis and horticulture for sale and make cross-border deals in Europe and the U.S. market. Learn more information of their LED grow lights in the following link  
https://www.vantenled.com/products