MVP Hydroponics

LEDs have come of age. From research labs they moved to use in industry and then into homes and for general purpose lighting, the true sign of maturity. Prices have fallen from the absurdly high to the affordable rates that put LEDs within easy reach of every homeowner. They have become ubiquitous.

There are hydroponics enthusiasts who love to grow plants indoors. There are also people who prefer to grow medicinal plants indoors in order to avoid inquisitive questions from the curious.

The marijuana plant is sensitive and needs careful nurturing if growers of this medicinal plant want the buds to have the maximum amount of terpenes and the right amount of kick to shove users into outer space.

LEDs have come of age. From research labs they moved to use in industry and then into homes and for general purpose lighting, the true sign of maturity. Prices have fallen from the absurdly high to the affordable rates that put LEDs within easy reach of every homeowner.

There are hydroponics enthusiasts who love to grow plants indoors. There are also people who prefer to grow medicinal plants indoors in order to avoid inquisitive questions from the curious. The cellar or the attic is the perfect place for hydroponics where one can install trays and use hydroponic or aeroponic methods. In either case it is necessary to use lights. The light must mimic sunlight in its spectral quality and intensity of illumination must also be high, as much as 5000 lux. Some growers make use of CO2 along with high intensity lights for faster and better growth of indoor plants. The trick is to use blue-green light when the plant is in the vegetative stage. When the plant nears the blossoming stage, they switch to red-orange-yellow light. The most common way to achieve this is to use metal halide or mercury vapour lights for the vegetative stage and Sodium vapour lamp for the budding stage. This is a hassle. The remedy is for growers to grab 600 watt LED hydroponic grow lights for sale from MVP Hydroponics, a leading manufacturer of hydroponic lighting modules and digital controllers. A 600 watt grow light module comprises of 200 3 watt full-spectrum LEDs arranged in a matrix, linked to a digital controller that allows control of intensity, control of spectral quality of light and a timer function to automatically set the lighting cycle for 16 hours and then gradually reduce to 12 hour. What makes it so suitable for indoor hydroponics is that it is aesthetic in looks with a stainless steel black body, internal exhaust fans and a facility to permit suspension at the desired height. It can serve as area lighting while providing lights to ornamental plants, for instance. One quirk of plants is that during the growth stage they require blue-green light at a certain intensity. The digital controller allows growers to set both intensity and color so that plants grow healthy and strong, not emaciated and elongated as happens in case of insufficient amount of blue-green light. Prices have dropped and the 600 watt LED light is quite affordable when one considers its advantages of a life of about 100000 hours and that all parameters can be controlled. Home owners can use it to provide illumination to indoor plants and get perfect blossoms, vegetables or leaves as they desire simply by adjusting colors, intensity and duration. These new age lighting is easy to install, extremely versatile, long lasting and can even be used for other illumination purposes. However, the yield will be so much better; they are more likely to go in for more hydroponics and more LED grow lights from MVP.

Hydroponics has an interesting history. Perhapsthe first instance could be traced back to the times of the Romans or evenbefore that when man learnt that plants can be grown with water and somenutrients, without the need for soil.

This is the experience of a hydroponics grower who switched to LED lights and transformed his business. He was growing exotic herbs and vegetables using the hydroponics method and supplied to select restaurants in his area.

Hydroponics is perfect for growing tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers and also the choice method for growing marijuana. Herbs, tomatoes or marijuana, they all depend on light of the right hue and for the right duration to grow well at each stage. 

Hydroponics has an interesting history. Perhaps the first instance could be traced back to the times of the Romans or even before that when man learnt that plants can be grown with water and some nutrients, without the need for soil. However, hydroponics as it is practiced today perhaps owes its origins to Jean Van Helmont, who, in the 17th century experimented to show that plants draw nutrients from water. After that it was left to Julium von Sachs and W.Knop of Germany to find out that plants use Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus as nutrients. In the early part of the 20th century, Dennis Hoagland developed a nutrient solution the formula of which is still in use. In addition to the three basic nutrients, he also included minute amounts of other metal salts. Then, in WW2, the Americans used hydroponics to grow vegetables on the rocky and barren islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Then in 1960s came along nutrient film technique and drip irrigation system that gave a fillip to hydroponics. Growers used mineral wool and these two techniques to deliver nutrients to plants. A decade later growers of cannabis “discovered” this as being perfectly suited to their requirements. Around this time General Hydroponics arrived on the scene with its ready to use mix of liquid nutrients. In the 1980s, Dr Hillel Soffer, a scientist from Israel developed a unique aero hydroponic method that was applied in the deserts of Sinai to grow vegetables in abundance. In this method a fine mist of nutrient mixed with water is sprayed on the roots of the plant. Light is crucial for indoor hydroponics, a practice much preferred by cannabis and marijuana growers. High intensity discharge lamps arrived on the scene and gave a further fillip to hydroponics as did halogen and sodium vapor lamps. However, these were incremental progresses in lighting technology. The quantum leap came with the introduction of led lights for hydroponics grow purposes. All other forms of lighting are inefficient, consume too much power, emit too much heat and need frequent replacement. LED lights used for hydroponics (or any other purpose) last for 100000 hours and have none of the drawbacks. The earliest LEDs were used as indicator but research and development led to better and more improved LEDs. LEDs are becoming increasingly popular and more widespread in use as lighting devices. The latest about LEDs is that the Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Hiroshi Amano, Shuji Nakamura and Isamu Akasaki for their invention of efficient blue LEDs that pave the way for high brightness white LEDs. LEDs and hydroponics is a marriage made in heaven: just perfect. MVP presents the essence of all these researches distilled into its new age LED grow lights.

Anyone considering hydroponics for hobby or for commercial purpose must have lights. When it comes to lights the only viable solution is to use LEDs, not metal halide, sodium vapor, mercury vapor or filament lamps. These, for the purpose of hydroponics, are just inefficient. 

LEDs have received bad press because the older type could not compare against high intensity discharge lamps or high pressure sodium lamps in terms of light intensity and spectral quality. However, researches have resulted in the development of high intensity LEDs with spectral output that closely matches the photosynthesis ability response curve of plants.

LEDs have received bad press because the older type could not compare against high intensity discharge lamps or high pressure sodium lamps in terms of light intensity and spectral quality. However, researches have resulted in the development of high intensity LEDs with spectral output that closely matches the photosynthesis ability response curve of plants.

Hydroponics is one of the best ways to grow your flowers and vegetables indoors. All that hydroponics enthusiasts need is some trays, the right mix of soil, a watering system and lights. Till now the accepted method of lighting included use of filament lamps such as halogen and ordinary light bulbs, and gas discharge lamps such as high pressure or low pressure sodium vapor lamps, metal halide and fluorescent tubes. All these lighting systems are inefficient since only a small part of the electrical energy is converted to light with the rest being dissipated as heat. Under ordinary circumstances this would not matter but in enclosed spaces the heat can affect plants and make them wilt especially small seedlings that can die. LED Hydroponics grow lights for sale offer an affordable way for hydroponics enthusiasts to get started and grow plants that yield plenty of leaves (if they grow herbs) or flowers and fruits. Available in 3 types, 600, 900 and 1200 watts, these panels make use of 3 Watt full spectrum LEDs arranged in a matrix of 200, 300 or 400 LEDs. These panels consume 400, 600 and 1000 watts and output light with lumens equivalent to conventional lamps consuming 1000, 1400 and 2000 watts respectively. In addition, LEDs have a life of 100000 hours and with a sophisticated controller, growers can control intensity as well as light spectrum for optimum growth in the vegetative and flowering stages leading to perfect fruits and vegetables or better quality of leafy vegetables with superior taste. Now, that alone is worth investing in LED lighting for hydroponics.

Marijuana or cannabis is best grown indoors under artificial lighting conditions for reasons other than the law. Some users like the leaves and some people like to use the seeds.

Plants depend on photosynthesis for growth and this in turn depends on sunlight. The Sun emits light ranging in wavelength from ultraviolet with the shortest wavelength at about 280 nanometers to infrared with a wavelength of about 700 nanometers.

Generally, specific full spectrum LEDs used for Marijuana growing have spectral range of 390 to 700 nm, even ultraviolet and infrared in minor amounts to promote best photosynthesis activity and leaf growth. If growers wish to promote leaf growth all they have to do is adjust light to the appropriate wavelength of around 600 to 660 nanometers and keep the lights on for 16 hours. This way they get maximum production of leaves while LEDs consume lowest power and have the longest life besides running cooler. If anyone seriously considers growing marijuana, it is best to start with 600 watt LED modules that give the same light output as 1000 watt conventional lamps with none of the disadvantages.

For marijuana growers to make profits they must have a regular harvest of large number of leaves from each plant. The plant grows best in sunlight but for obvious reasons, it is better to grow them in cellars using the hydroponics method to maximize leaf production.