Are White LED lights good for growing? That's a tricky question. Let's start with what is white lights.
What is White Lights
White light is not light from a specific band in the spectrum, but a mixture of light of multiple different wavelengths.
In the visible light spectrum, the wavelength of light ranges from about 380 nanometers (nm) to 760 nanometers, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and other colors of light. When these different colors (different wavelengths) of light are mixed together in appropriate proportions, they form the white light we see. For example, sunlight is a kind of white light, which contains various wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum.
Are White LED Lights Good for Growing? Not exactly!
White LED lights have become a popular choice for indoor cultivation, but their effectiveness depends on whether they align with plant requirements. In short, white LEDs can support plant growth, particularly for leafy greens and herbs, but may underperform for flowering or fruiting plants requiring specific spectra.
Particular Plants Require Different Lights
Different wavelengths of light have different effects on plant growth and development. The following are some plants that have high demands for red light, far-red light, and ultraviolet light:
Plants with high demands for red light
Tomato: Red light is beneficial to the photosynthesis of tomatoes, and can promote the elongation of their stems and the growth of their leaves. During the flower bud differentiation period, sufficient red light can promote flower bud differentiation, increase the number of flowers and fruit setting rate. Studies have shown that using red light LEDs to supplement tomato seedlings can significantly increase the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate of their leaves, making the seedlings grow strong.
Strawberry: Red light can promote the growth and development of strawberries, and increase the yield and quality of fruits. During the flowering and fruiting period of strawberries, appropriately increasing red light irradiation can promote pollen germination and pollen tube elongation, which is beneficial to fertilization and firming, and can also make the fruit color more vivid, increase sugar accumulation, and improve the taste and nutritional value of the fruit.
Plants with high demands for far-red light
Spinach: Spinach is a long-day plant. Far-red light can interact with red light to regulate its photoperiodic response and promote the bolting and flowering of spinach. In facility cultivation, by adjusting the ratio of red light and far-red light, the growth and development process of spinach can be controlled to meet the production needs of different seasons.
Plants with high demand for ultraviolet light
Lavender: Appropriate ultraviolet light irradiation helps lavender synthesize and accumulate volatile oils, making the fragrance of lavender more intense. At the same time, ultraviolet light can also promote the synthesis of anthocyanins in lavender, making the color of flowers more vivid, and improving its ornamental value and economic value.
Rosemary: Under ultraviolet light, rosemary can induce the synthesis of antioxidants and secondary metabolites in its body and enhance the stress resistance of the plant. For example, ultraviolet light can induce rosemary to synthesize more antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid, which not only help the plant resist external environmental pressure, but also make rosemary have higher medicinal value and health benefits.
Then What plants require White LED lights?
Take a guess, yes, mushrooms! Actually it's fungus, not plants.
Using white light when growing mushrooms does have the effect of inhibiting the rapid aging of mushrooms. Mushrooms' growth process has certain requirements for lighting conditions. During the growth of mushrooms, appropriate white light exposure can regulate their growth rhythm. The different wavelength components in white light have an impact on the physiological process of mushrooms, such as affecting the hormone balance and the activity of some enzymes in the mushroom body, thereby inhibiting the mushrooms from transitioning too quickly from the tender stage to the mature and aging stage, which helps to maintain the fresh quality of mushrooms and extend their shelf life and harvest period. However, mushrooms have a certain tolerance range for light intensity and time. Excessive or long-term white light exposure may also have a negative impact on mushroom growth. Therefore, in actual production, it is necessary to reasonably control the lighting conditions according to the variety and growth stage of the mushrooms to achieve the best growth effect and quality.
So When choosing LED grow lights, make sure your plants request. If you have problem, drop them to our westland team.