Using LED under plants

akmag357

New Member
I hope this is not a silly question, but can plants use light directed underneath to produce photosynthisis?


I have a 4 x 4 x 6 ' space. Im using a 600w hps/mh above the plants (3) i have four T5 flouro bulbs that are 2700k (24w) and below I've added 3 led bulbs that are 80w a piece pointed up lighting up the underside.
 
phototropism- when plants grow towards the light.
I have only ever only had about 12 plant cycles worth of exp. This is the first time that I have added lights soil level face up and overall undergrowth kept up pretty close to the main power stems.
I feel like I'm less automatically inclined to toss undergrowth in the hash pile. Much more worthy undergrowth.
Down fall.. I enjoy misting my plants in veg now i don't and if a drop of anything touches these morsen lights I'm sure a massive explosion will happen or the will melt on water impact (JK)
 
No you cannot let the plant absorp light from underneath. The leaves will twist around and start absorping that light. Completely pointless lol. Better off putting additional lighting ont the sides of the plants pointing towards the plant for deeper coverage

Sent from Deez Nutz
 
I hang LED panels on the sides down a little low to help feed the low branch buds due to shading from above. Seems to work, Never had probs with twisting leaves from above. However, The LED's are not nearly as strong as my MH or HPS above.
 
I hang LED panels on the sides down a little low to help feed the low branch buds due to shading from above. Seems to work, Never had probs with twisting leaves from above. However, The LED's are not nearly as strong as my MH or HPS above.
Leds arent designed to penetrate leaves like theyre competitor, instead they give off more light spectrums the plant needs, thats why its always faster to switch into the flowering phase with leds and reduce alot of stretching. Thats exactly what i do when i decide to let my plants go all natural instead of topping

Sent from Deez Nutz
 
Leds arent designed to penetrate leaves like theyre competitor, instead they give off more light spectrums the plant needs, thats why its always faster to switch into the flowering phase with leds and reduce alot of stretching. Thats exactly what i do when i decide to let my plants go all natural instead of topping

Sent from Deez Nutz

AK, Do you use LED's only? I'm contemplating going that route.
 
No, I use a 600 W MH/HPS and just bought cheap 80W led to add and see if they improve growth. Speaking with 3 separate local legal production growers around here who run and own dispenseries they have all sworn on hps/mh. Who knows they were roughly the same age and not to toss all eggs in one basket but maybe they happened to be all old school and reject new innovations. who is to say. So far Yes I feel that an extra pop of juice using these LED'S has been beneficial.
 
No matter what, you will grow a decent plant. Try it out see how you like it. you will find the more $ you spend to a point you will have greater results. So ask these two questions: how happy was i with my how 120's performed, and what is my budget/financial plan/ resource availability to upgrade my equipment?
 
Best advice is figure out manufacturer specs. use that as a starting point then move the light an inch a day or whatever you decide and monitor for stresses, Once you find that point back off an inch or so.
 
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