L.E.D. lights for growing plants? Really?

Apparently, it's true:

LED Plant Lights for Indoor Gardens

Advantages:

Less Energy Use- Conventional grow lights consume between 100 watts and 1,000 watts of power to operate. Each LED Grow Master grow light uses less than 10 watts making them the most efficient plant lighting product available in the market place today. Perfect for solar or wind power.

Less Watering- Using the LED Grow Master light bars your plants will transpire less, letting you extend the time between watering cycles. If plants must be left unattended for a few days they’ll have a better chance of survival if their grow lights are not drying them out.

Longer Bulb Life- Our LED light bars are rated to last ten to 20 times longer than typical glass grow light bulb life expectations and twice as long as high wattage LED grow lights. The expected LED Grow Master bulb life is 100,000 hours or over 11 years of 24/7 operation with minimal light degradation in quality or quantity. Eliminate disposal fees associated with HID and fluorescent lamps. When the LEDs finally burn out- they are recyclable!

Scalable- As your garden expands, simply add another bar with a connect cable. Up to four LED grow bars can run off of a single power supply.

No Heat- Due to patented design features- LED Grow Master lighting puts off only trace amounts of heat and does not require the noisy cooling fans found in high watt imitator products.

Safety- Unlike conventional grow lights, which operate on 120 VAC at the bulb, LED Grow Master lights typically run on less than twenty volts. This fact greatly reduces risk growing environments. Kid and pet safe!

The site has more information via the links on their sidebar.

I first learned about L.E.D. lights for plants when I was reading about lighting for aquarium plants. Apparently, the lights are crafted to allow only (or at least mostly) the light spectrum that plants need to grow. To the human eye they may not look especially bright, but they are more efficient at giving plants what they need. They are becoming popular for plants in and out of water.

Of course there are many brands. And Buyer Beware; some that are marketed as grow lights are really just colored L.E.D. lights.
     

Super Christmas Lights, VS my paltry effort

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

It's quite a Light Show, music and all. (H.T. to Kim Komando)


Here is my meager display:


I almost didn't bother. But I ended up doing it for the same reason I do it every year. The gloom and early darkness get to me. The lights cheer me up tremendously. My effort isn't all that grand to be sure, but it sure lights up a bit of my life, our life here on the farm. A bit of warmth in the growing cold and darkness.

And mine doesn't take as long to put up or take down! ;-)



It ain't fancy, but we like it. I'm way behind on the Farm Report, two months behind, but I'll hopefully get to it soon. I've had a lot of other priorities, gearing up for winter, and other things.

     

Christmas Lights Are Here at Last...

Been meaning to put them up, and finally got around to it yesterday:


A nearly full moon rises over the farm as the sun sets.


I hung the colored lights across from the living room windows, so we could see them from inside.


The winter moon shines through the cold damp mist. The weather forecast says SNOW is on the way for the weekend.


The warm looking lights will cheer us through the dark cold winter. I will probably leave them up until March at least.