Fluence SPYDRx Plus 685W LED Grow Light VS iSpirix iCann1700X LED Grow Light

 It’s never been simpler to grow plants indoors. Indoor grow lights enable you to grow a wide range of plants in any environment and at any time of year. These grow lights are specifically designed to replace natural sunshine, promoting photosynthesis and delivering the correct color spectrum for the plant to develop and thrive.

How to calculate LED wattage required to flower plants

The traditional power measurement for grow lights has been Watts which has made things simple up until the development of LED. A Watt of power equals 1 Watt of the power output of light. The confusion comes when you try to measure LED grow lights in Watts. In the case of LED, a Watt of power into the light isn’t a Watt of power out of the light. Since LEDs are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs we must use a different measurement to qualify the power being generated by the LED grow light.

You might have heard or read the term “PAR” related to led grow lights, this is the actual measurement of the useable light spectrum produced by the LED. You see LEDs get their efficacy from not converting as much energy into heat compared to incandescent bulbs. This means that more of the energy used by the LED grow light is converted to actual usable grow light.

“PAR” stands for photosynthetically active radiation which is light emitted in the electromagnetic spectrum between 400 nm and 700 nm while humans only see light wavelengths between 500 nm and 600 nm. Plants can convert light wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm to energy via photosynthesis. This still doesn’t tell the whole picture, we haven’t talked about the light intensity.

This is where things start to get a little more complicated. The next term you will need to know is “PPF” or photosynthetic photon flux, sounds like a Star Trek reference I know but it just means the amount of light produced by a light source per second. This leads us right to another term, “PPFD” which stands for photosynthetic photon flux density. This is the measurement of how many photosynthetic photons fall on your plant's surfaces per second.

Calculating LED grow light wattage
The average LED grow light draws about 32 watts to cover 1 square foot for flowering plants, we’ll use flowering plants to calculate power requirements since the flowering stage requires significantly more power.

Well, you could do the math which most people have no interest in doing, or you can use this handy chart to estimate. A typical HID light would draw about 45 watts per square foot just for comparison.

1′ x 1′: 32 watts
2′ x 2′: 128 watts
3′ x 3′: 288 watts
4′ x 4′: 512 watts
5′ x 5′: 800 watts
6′ x 6′: 1152 watts

Fluence SPYDRx Plus 685W LED Grow Light

Features:

This Fluence grow light is designed for full-cycle commercial cultivation with the power to scale from vegetative growth to bloom. Fluence PhysioSpec Indoor is a full-cycle spectrum optimized for rapid growth and complete plant development. Tailored for growing plants from initiation to senescence (germination, clones/cuttings, mothers, vegetative and flowering applications) in indoor environments. SPYDRx PLUS is also designed to cover a 4’x4’ area at only 6 inches above canopy, delivering an average of 1030 µmol/m2/s of light over your crop with unparalleled uniformity. For optimal results, recommend CO2 supplementation between 800–1400 ppm due to high PPFD levels. Solid-state engineering coupled with a patent-pending form factor makes the SPYDRx family ideal for multi-tier vertical farming applications and single-tier applications including growth chambers, tables with adjacent aisles, and tents.

iSpirix iCann1700X LED Grow Light

Features:

The iSprix iCann1700X grow light provides 4 x 4 foot bloom area and 5 x 5 foot vegetative area for indoor plants and supports all phases of your plants lifecycle. This indoor plants grow light has the popular design of 8 lighting bars focused on distributing more light as even as possible across the plant canopy. Plus, this LED grow light offers fully programmable spectrum to adapt to each phase of the plant cycle. A high efficacy of 2.4 µmol/j and up to 630–700 wattage power consumption contribute to high efficiency growing operation. The PPFD for this grow light is also quite impressive.That’s enough to boost your plants’ yield according to a 20–40 mole of light per day requirement. Besides that, it is dimmable from 0 to 100% so you may easily adjust the intensity of the light for the veg and flowering phases.

Impact of grow light on plants

Photosynthetically, grow light might fulfil a plant’s needs, but plants also use light signals to monitor their functioning and growth.

Plants, like animals, have an internal biological clock that is timed according to the movement of the sun throughout the day. This biological clock is responsible for sunflowers following the sun through the day, as well as when flowers bloom and how tall and long plants grow.

Research on plants showed that when grown under red LED light, the stem of the plant was more elongated than when it was grown in white light. The growth of the stem is a light-dependent process. The researchers also found that adding some blue light prevented the stem from elongating too much.

Besides growth, the molecules that plants need to photosynthesize are also affected by grow light. Chlorophyll is the main molecule that plants use to capture the energy of photons, and its accumulation in a cell is dependent on light. The research found that chlorophyll accumulates slowly under white LED light and red LED light, but not under blue LED light, where the production of chlorophyll was not affected.

Aside from chlorophyll, other molecules in the plant that don’t participate in photosynthesis are also affected. These molecules are produced by the plant for various other functions, such as antioxidants or hormones. These molecules, called secondary plant metabolites, are often important elements for animal nutrition.

Research on the medicinal plant called “cat’s whiskers” (Orthosiphon stamineus) showed that when the plant was exposed to grow light with high irradiance (the measure of how much energy the light emits), there was a decrease in important secondary metabolites. This suggests that irradiance might be an important factor to consider.

FAQ About Tips on Buying LED Lights

Why is LED more efficient to use than other grow lights?
As compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs do not convert as much energy into heat. Hence, more of the energy it uses is converted to actual usable grow light.

How many watts of LED lights are required to flower 1 plant?
An average LED grow light uses about 32 watts for 1 square foot for flowering plants.

What is the benefit of using full-spectrum LED lights compared to those that aren’t?
A full-spectrum LED grow light will ensure that your plants will produce a larger yield than one that isn’t. These wavelengths of light include ultraviolet and infrared light, and plants use this whole spectrum to photosynthesize light into simple sugars. They can also help prevent mold and mildew issues.

Conclusion

LED grow lights are becoming increasingly popular with home gardeners and commercial plants growers alike. With both the technology and price points becoming more and more attractive every day, LED lights might be a great choice for your next grow. Because quality and overall value can vary greatly, be sure to do your homework before purchasing by closely examining product specs, reading user reviews, and talking to other growers.