If you’ve spent any time searching for the best height to hang your grow lights, you’ve probably found a bunch of wildly different answers.
From there, you’ll gradually move the lights closer to the canopy, while monitoring your plants closely. This way, you’ll end up finding the sweet spot for your particular garden.
That’s the best anyone can do for you. The perfect hanging height depends on so many factors that no one could ever provide an accurate answer.
But if you follow the recommendations below, you will have no trouble finding the perfect distance to hang your grow lights above your particular canopy.
We’ll begin with LED grow lights, then we’ll cover HID lights, then fluorescent lights, and finally ceramic metal halide.
What distance should my LED grow light be from my plants?
LED grow lights don’t produce anywhere near as much heat as HPS systems so you can theoretically get them much closer to your plants without running the risk of damaging them. LED lights are more penetrating than HPS lights however different brands of bulbs / kits have different qualities, view angles & coverage areas.
In general you want to place your LED grow light 6-12 inches above your canopy although different manufacturers have different guidance depending on how they are built.
A good rule of thumb to follow when figuring out the distance to put your LED light from your plants is to get them as close as possible without compromising the coverage area and leaving plenty of room for them to grow into.
HID Light Spacing: How Close Is Too Close?
HID grow lights can produce a strong amount of heat while it’s turned on. With that said, if you’ll be using these as your light source, this should not be placed too close to your plants as it will quickly dry them up.
Here’s a suggested guide on how far you should be placing the HID grow lights away from your plants based on the wattage:
400W – 600W: 12 to 19 inches away from your plants
600W – 1000W: 14 to 26 inches away from your plants
More than 1000W: 16 to 31 inches away from your plants
Fluorescent Grow Lights
Fluorescent grow lights give you a nice, easy blend of energy and spectrum output. They effective enough to grow nearly any plant, but to do so, you'll need to hang them pretty close.
What makes hanging fluoresent lights so tricky is that not all of them are the same. For instance, CFL bulbs can generate some decent heat over an extended period of time because of their compact size, whereas a longer 54w 2ft T5 grow light won't generate lots of heat because it can dissipate it along its tube. Not only that, but the more bulbs you use the more heat you'll generate, which is dangerous if it's hung too close to the plants.
Fluorescent lighting isn't known for kicking off lots of heat, but they will generate some heat while they run so you'll need to watch your plants carefully for signs of burning or bleaching.In general, you'll want to hang your light no more than 12" away from your plants.
From there, you’ll gradually move the lights closer to the canopy, while monitoring your plants closely. This way, you’ll end up finding the sweet spot for your particular garden.
That’s the best anyone can do for you. The perfect hanging height depends on so many factors that no one could ever provide an accurate answer.
But if you follow the recommendations below, you will have no trouble finding the perfect distance to hang your grow lights above your particular canopy.
We’ll begin with LED grow lights, then we’ll cover HID lights, then fluorescent lights, and finally ceramic metal halide.
What distance should my LED grow light be from my plants?
LED grow lights don’t produce anywhere near as much heat as HPS systems so you can theoretically get them much closer to your plants without running the risk of damaging them. LED lights are more penetrating than HPS lights however different brands of bulbs / kits have different qualities, view angles & coverage areas.
In general you want to place your LED grow light 6-12 inches above your canopy although different manufacturers have different guidance depending on how they are built.
A good rule of thumb to follow when figuring out the distance to put your LED light from your plants is to get them as close as possible without compromising the coverage area and leaving plenty of room for them to grow into.
HID Light Spacing: How Close Is Too Close?
HID grow lights can produce a strong amount of heat while it’s turned on. With that said, if you’ll be using these as your light source, this should not be placed too close to your plants as it will quickly dry them up.
Here’s a suggested guide on how far you should be placing the HID grow lights away from your plants based on the wattage:
400W – 600W: 12 to 19 inches away from your plants
600W – 1000W: 14 to 26 inches away from your plants
More than 1000W: 16 to 31 inches away from your plants
Fluorescent Grow Lights
Fluorescent grow lights give you a nice, easy blend of energy and spectrum output. They effective enough to grow nearly any plant, but to do so, you'll need to hang them pretty close.
What makes hanging fluoresent lights so tricky is that not all of them are the same. For instance, CFL bulbs can generate some decent heat over an extended period of time because of their compact size, whereas a longer 54w 2ft T5 grow light won't generate lots of heat because it can dissipate it along its tube. Not only that, but the more bulbs you use the more heat you'll generate, which is dangerous if it's hung too close to the plants.
Fluorescent lighting isn't known for kicking off lots of heat, but they will generate some heat while they run so you'll need to watch your plants carefully for signs of burning or bleaching.In general, you'll want to hang your light no more than 12" away from your plants.
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