Optimizing LED Lighting for Greenhouse Growth

[mamob]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to optimize my greenhouse setup using LED lighting and wanted to get some advice. I grow a variety of vegetables and herbs, and I’m curious about the best types of LED lights for both growth and energy efficiency.

Specifically, I’d like to know: what spectrum ratios work best for different plant stages, how many hours per day are ideal, and whether full-spectrum or adjustable-spectrum LEDs are worth the investment.

I’m also interested in practical tips for reducing heat buildup and electricity costs.

Any experiences or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I just use shoplights, and the longest I had the timers set to was 12 hours (less than that for onions and some of the starts that were happy in lower-lighting conditions).

I wrapped a space blanket around the shelves shiny side in to increase the amount of light the seedlings got, but I will note my setup is inside, not in a greenhouse, so getting rid of heat wasn’t an issue. (Also I had some minor issues with corrosion where the space blanket got wet.)