My new indoor grow light setup cost me $300 and I'm not sure it was worth it

I finally pulled the trigger on a full spectrum LED panel for my indoor herb and succulent collection after my plants got all leggy over the winter. The thing is huge, like two feet by four feet, and it makes my spare room look like a spaceship, lol. It definitely made my basil and mint grow like crazy, but my jade plant and some other succulents started getting these weird, bleached spots on the leaves after about three weeks under it. I had to move them back to the window and now I feel like I bought this expensive light just for a few pots of herbs. Has anyone else had plants react badly to strong LEDs? I'm wondering if I need to dial the timer way back or if some species just can't handle it.

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.charles2mo ago

What's the wattage on that panel, and how close did you have it to the jade plant?

ellis.charles2mo ago

Honestly most people forget that jade plants are basically succulents from bright, dry places. The real trick isn't just the light wattage, it's whether the light puts out any meaningful heat. If that panel runs warm and you put it too close, you're slowly baking the plant even if the leaves look fine. I've seen more jades stressed from a hot grow light than from not enough lumens, lol.

eric_ramirez671mo ago

Oh man, Ellis is totally onto something with the heat thing. A lot of those super bright LEDs don't feel hot to your hand, but they're still pumping out infrared that can quietly cook a plant over time (it's like sitting in the sun without feeling the burn). You might try putting a little thermometer right at the leaf level for a day to see what temp it actually hits, because jades really hate that. I'd bet moving the light way up, like a foot higher than you think, would fix the spots without hurting the light for your herbs.