Succulents, which are well-known for their ability to store water and their distinctive appearance, necessitate appropriate lighting to thrive. While succulents grown outdoors benefit from natural sunlight, indoor cultivation poses challenges due to limited light availability and obstructions. LED succulent grow lights are here to help, which offer the required spectrum, intensity, and duration of light for optimal growth, serving as a supplement or alternative to natural sunlight. This light enables succulent enthusiasts to create optimal growing conditions for succulents regardless of their location or the season. So, do you need one? You will find out the answer after reading the article below.
Do You Need LED Succulent Grow Lights?
Succulents are naturally adapted to flourish in areas with ample sunlight, typically needing direct light for a minimum of 6 hours per day to support their growth. If your succulents are placed near a window that receives abundant sunlight throughout the day, they can generally survive. However, in winter, indoors succulents often don’t receive sufficient sunlight, which can lead to issues like etiolation and fading color.
To address these problems, using suitable LED grow lights can be beneficial. Succulent grow lights are specifically designed to provide the precise light spectrum and intensity that succulents require for photosynthesis to produce chemical energy to grow.
What Are the Types of Succulent Grow Lights?
There are multiple types of grow lights on the market, including fluorescent, LED, and HID lights. However, when it comes to choosing a grow light specifically for succulents, fluorescent and LED lights are generally considered better options. To provide you with a clear understanding, here is a detailed review of each type of succulent grow light, along with their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Fluorescent Grow Lights
Fluorescent lights have gained popularity for indoor plant growing, including succulents, due to their affordability and energy efficiency. Among the various types of fluorescent lights, T5 fluorescent lights are particularly well-known for their wide availability, compact size and high light production.
T5 grow lights offer a reliable and convenient solution for supplementing natural light. These lights provide abundant light, supporting the crucial process of photosynthesis that allows succulents to generate chemical energy to flourish.
Pros
- Easily accessible for most indoor growers.
- Produce a broad spectrum of light that is well-suited for the vegetative stage of succulent growth.
- Simple installation process, making them suitable for small-scale succulent cultivation.
Cons
- May not offer sufficient light intensity during the flowering and fruiting stages of succulents.
- Bulbs have a limited lifespan and require periodic replacement, which may not be environmentally friendly.
- Less flexibility in customizing the light spectrum compared with LED lights.
LED Succulents Grow Lights
LED grow lights have become increasingly popular among succulent enthusiasts because of their energy efficiency, adjustable light spectrum, and prolonged lifespan. They can be tailored to generate precise wavelengths of light that are ideal for promoting the optimal growth of succulents. This includes providing a balanced combination of red and blue light, which is known to support various stages of succulent development.
Pros
- LED grow lights offer a customizable light spectrum, allowing you to adjust the light to suit specific growth stages of succulents.
- They have a longer lifespan and greater durability, making them energy-saving and cost-effective in the long term.
- LED lights produce minimal heat, ensuring safety when used in close proximity to plants.
- Available in a wide range of wattages, sizes, and shapes, catering to different setups and requirements for succulent cultivation.
Cons
- The initial cost of investing in LED grow lights may be higher compared with fluorescent lights.
- Selecting the appropriate spectrum and intensity of LED lights can be challenging, especially for beginners who are new to indoor gardening.
What to Consider When Choosing LED Succulent Grow Lights?
Light Spectrum
When discussing the spectrum of grow lights, you may have come across terms like red light and blue light. Red light is known to promote flowering and fruiting, while blue light is beneficial for vegetative growth. Additionally, certain invisible light wavelengths, such as UVB and IR, can also be helpful and beneficial for succulent cultivation. Thus, a comprehensive full-spectrum grow light that encompasses all the necessary light wavelengths is highly recommended for optimal succulent growth.
Light Intensity
Succulents require bright light conditions to thrive. When selecting a grow light, it is vital to consider its light intensity output, which is commonly measured in terms of PAR or PPFD.
Heat Output
It is crucial to choose a grow light for succulents that produces minimal heat since succulents are sensitive to excessive temperatures. LED grow lights are recognized for their low heat production, making them a suitable choice as they lessen the risk of burning your succulents. To maintain an optimal temperature and humidity for your plants, it is important to ensure proper ventilation and airflow in the growing environment.
Size and Coverage
Take into account the size of your growing area and assess the grow light’s coverage area. It is essential to choose a light that can sufficiently cover all your succulent plants without leaving any dark spots. Consider the recommended distance between the grow light and succulents. Look for grow lights with adjustable features that can accommodate different plant heights throughout their growth stages.
By taking these factors into consideration and striking the right balance for your specific requirements, you can choose a suitable grow light that offers optimal lighting conditions for your succulents, promoting overall development, vibrant colors, and ultimately yielding satisfying results in your indoor planting endeavors.
How to Use LED Succulents Grow Lights?
Position
Determining the appropriate distance between your succulents and grow lights is an important and commonly asked question. It’s crucial to find the right balance, as placing the lights too close can lead to the burning of the succulents while positioning them too far can result in insufficient light and potential etiolation. In fact, there isn’t an exact answer as it depends on factors such as the type of grow lights, the size of your succulents, and the heat generated by the lights.
As a general guideline, the recommended distance range is typically between 6 inches to 24 inches. For fluorescent lights, a distance of 6-12 inches is often suggested. If your succulents are larger than 6 inches, a closer distance of 6 inches is preferable. On the other hand, for LED grow lights, a distance of 18-24 inches is commonly recommended.
Monitor closely your succulents and their response to the light. If you notice signs of sunburn, it is advisable to move the plants further away from the light source. Conversely, if your succulents appear to be stretching and experiencing etiolation, it is recommended to move them closer to the light. Regular observation and adjustment of the distance will help ensure that your succulents gain the optimal amount of light for growth.
Color Temperature
To promote the growth of succulents, a color temperature of 6500K is considered ideal. If you specifically want your succulents to bloom, a light with a color temperature of 3000K is preferable. Just be cautious if your plant is a monocarpic succulent because it can bloom if you give it too much light.
Light Duration
It is not necessary to keep your grow lights on 24/7 for your succulents. They require periods of darkness as well. Typically, it is recommended to provide your succulents with around 12-14 hours of light per day. This duration may be longer compared with their exposure to natural sunlight. The reason behind this is that a plant exposed to grow lights for 12 hours will receive the same amount of light energy as it would from just 6 hours of sunlight.
To ensure even light distribution, it is advisable to rotate your plants weekly. In this way, each side of the succulents receives an equal amount of light exposure.
With an appropriate watering schedule and LED grow light, your succulents will be healthy and thrive indoors.
Choose LED Succulent Grow Lights at MokoLight
MokoLight LED grow lights are your go-to solution designed specifically for indoor cultivation, including succulents. With its user-friendly dimmer knob and cutting-edge LED technology, MokoLight LED grow lights give you exact control over light intensity to cater to the unique requirements of indoor succulent plants at various growth stages. Contact us for the best LED succulent grow lights.
