How do plants capture and use light? This question has been studied and researched for decades, and researchers have long known that plants use different frequencies of light, or different colors of light, for different purposes. Some colors of light make plants grow and bloom, while others promote compact growth, and some aren't really used much at all. For example, the leaves of plants look green because they reflect green light. If a plant reflects a color of light instead of absorbing it, that color isn't used to help a plant grow.

Scientists used this knowledge to develop lamps that would let them raise plants without sunlight. Their new "grow lights" weren't developed from scratch. They took existing lamps, the same ones used to light our homes and factories, and modified them to produce more of the colors of light that are used efficiently for plant growth.

And they were successful.

Today we have many lamps that can be used to help grow plants without sunlight. They range from incandescent bulbs to fluorescent tubes, to the very powerful metallic vapor lamps, such as metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps. These lamps can all be used to grow plants indoors. And they all have the same problem: they produce a lot of light that plants can't use efficiently.

The lamps we use in our homes generate a lot of light in the green and yellow part of the visible light spectrum, because the human eye is very sensitive to those colors of light. Plants, on the other hand, prefer light of other colors, colors people don't see very well. So while old-fashioned grow lights will let you grow plants indoors, they waste a lot of energy making light plants can't use efficiently.

But they sure do look bright, don't they?

The PlantLED Difference

Our grow lights are designed from the ground up, optimized for plant growth, not human vision. Using light emitting diodes, or LEDs, they selected the colors of light plants use most efficiently for vigorous growth and health. The result is a plant grow light that uses very little energy yet provides all the light your plants need to thrive indoors. They also used their specialized knowledge of LEDs to make sure each bulb operates optimally, providing maximum light output and maximum bulb life.

Our patents pending technology offers other advantages over conventional artificial plant grow lighting.

Low Energy Use: LEDs are more efficient at producing light than conventional glass-envelope bulbs. Depending on configuration, a typical LED-PlantBar uses less than 2 watts of power. An important fact as energy costs continue to rise.

Targeted Light Output: Unlike "broad spectrum" plant grow lights, which produce a lot of light plants can't use efficiently, PlantLED products only deliver the light colors plants want most for vigorous, healthy growth. By leaving out light plants don't need, we provide still more energy savings over conventional plant grow lights.

No "White Light" Glare: Other plant grow lights use technologies generally used to light rooms and buildings, which makes them very bright to the human eye. PlantLED products deliver light that is very bright to plants, but relatively dim to people. Your plants get what they need without the "white light" glare you don't need.

Low Heat: Conventional grow lights are very hot, running from several hundred degrees to over fourteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit at the bulb's surface. Our grow lights are merely warm to the touch, even after operating for hours, and are safe around both children and animals. This low heat is also safer for your plants, allowing you to place the lights as close to your plant's foliage as you like, for maximum effectiveness, without fear of burning their leaves. Delicate blooms don't fade or burn at the edges, and last longer. Lower radiated heat also means a savings in room cooling costs.

Low Voltage: Our grow lights are low voltage devices, running typically on less than twenty volts of electricity, making them an ideal choice for homes with children or pets.

Long Life: Typical LED lifetime is 20,000 – 100,000 hours. This is ten to fifty times longer than typical glass grow light bulb life expectations. Replacing glass bulbs every year adds a lot to the expense of a growing system.

No Ballast: LED-PlantBars weigh just ounces, far less than conventional fluorescent and metallic vapor systems which typically need a ballast weighing up to fifty pounds. Some manufacturers build their ballasts right into the light fixture, making the light hard to hang in your home or office. Ballasts also burn out eventually, requiring another expensive component replacement not needed with LED-PlantBars.

No Reflector: Conventional glass envelope grow lights emit light in all directions. In order to use as much of this light for plant growth as possible, these lights are generally fitted with bulky, unattractive reflectors to direct light back toward the plants. With LEDs the reflectors are built right into the LEDs themselves, so no secondary reflector is needed. Almost all of the light generated by the LEDs in the LED-PlantBars is directed straight at your plants.