An indoor grower’s ability to control light quality, duration, and intensity is an essential portion of their best practices. For decades, indoor gardeners dealt with fluorescent lights and other heat-producing fixtures because LED lights were not cost-effective or efficient. The introduction of less inexpensive, cool-to-the-touch LED panels changed the indoor lighting landscape, and now LED panels have become the preferred method of indoor lighting. Not only are they low emitters of heat, but they allow growers to control and manipulate light wavelengths and light quantity which results in higher quality plants and increased harvest yields.Growing indoors, whether with hydroponics or other growth mediums, requires high levels of full-spectrum light and increased levels of UV light. Many growers increase light quantity through the use of reflective shields and mirrors, but this comes at a cost. With an increase in light quantity comes a decrease in grower vision. In other words, the greater the amount of light the more likely the grower will experience vision wash-out, tired eyes, and diminished crop observations. In commercial growing industries, high exposure to UV rays can also become a health and safety concern.Here are some reasons why incorporating LED grow room glasses into your indoor gardening best practices will improve your vision and your crop’s health:

1) Reduce Eye Fatigue

Although all plants require full-spectrum light, the red and blue portions of the light spectrum are the most important for plant growth. In your indoor growing space, increased red wavelengths promote fruiting and flowering. A report from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers argues that red wavelengths are the most essential to plant growth and crop quality.  Blue light is also essential in proper plant development. A plant grown purely under red light will fail to produce enough food to sustain itself. If you are interested in maximizing vegetative growth then blue light is key. Most growers use a combination of blue light and red light, with blue light increasing in quantity during germination and early stages of development and red light increasing during flowering and fruiting stages.LED light panels to contain bulbs that emit high-intensity red light or blue light that, when combined, create a full spectrum light. This full-spectrum light includes wavelengths visible to humans as well as those invisible to us.When LED panels were first introduced, growers were skeptical of the systems because they did not seem to produce the same quantity of light as other lighting methods. Their skepticism was unfounded. LED bulbs emit high quantities of light, but the majority of these emissions are not visible to the human eye. Our eyes simply are not adapted to capture red and blue lightwaves but the wavelengths still affect our vision.LED blue light is the most damaging to the human eye. Blue light emitted from computer screens and LED bulbs lead to eye fatigue and sometimes even damage to the cornea. At the less dramatic end, over-exposure to blue light leads to washed out vision. While your plants thrive vegetatively under blue light, your eyes are feeling strained. Most of the time this strain goes unrecognized.LED grow room glasses reduce glare and eye strain and increase vision stamina. With less eye fatigue you are able to identify problems with your crop and key in on details that you might otherwise miss.

2) Key in on Details and Improve Crop Health

All big problems start small. Part of your best gardening practices likely includes paying close attention to changes in your plants. You want to be aware of small crop problems so that you can improve plant care and remediate any damage. The closer and more detailed your examination, the likelier you are to diagnose a plant correctly and provide the remediation it needs.If you notice subtle changes in leaf coloration, such as yellow, red, or orange stippling then your plants are likely suffering from mineral or vitamin deficiencies. The same is true if there is browning along leaf margins or failure for buds to fruit or open. LED grow room glasses allow you to examine leaves, foliage, and buds in detail. This is important because the same symptoms that appear as nutrient deficiencies might have other causes when inspected closely.Subtle differences in discoloration and patterns of damage, like ragged edges or higher densities of necrotic tissue in the center of a brown spot, indicate a fungal infection and not a vitamin or mineral deficiency. When discoloration appears in a mosaic pattern, it is likely a viral infection. These highly contagious infections can ruin generations of tomato crops if not identified correctly.In addition to foliage discoloration, it is important for gardeners and growers to compare leaves and stems. Identifying growth habit changes as well as possible deformities will help you maintain a strong and viable crop.

3) Harvest and Commercial Considerations

Greenhouse workers and others in the horticulture industry are protected by OSHA safety standards. UV rays emitted by LED lights are capable of causing damage to workers’ vision. In these instances LED grow room glasses offer protection from UV rays. Additionally, options like fog-proof lenses are helpful in highly humid growing spaces.In some industries, harvest time is a meticulous and labor-intensive exercise. Employees must pay close attention when clipping buds or they will risk damaging future harvests. Limiting eye strain helps employees but also improves the quality of harvest while protecting future generations of crops.For more information about the best LED grow room glasses for your eyes and grow room environment, please contact us.