LED Grow Light Placement
If you do not have reflective walls, the inverse square law is very important, and you should never raise the lights higher than the manufacturer’s recommendations. Moving the lights too high in this case greatly reduces light intensity and yield.
REFLECTIVE WALLS
While the inverse square law applies to any highest yielding led grow light – these changes drastically when you use reflective walls. Reflective walls bounce the light back to your plants and greatly reduce the light loss from moving the lights higher. So, when using reflective walls in a grow room or grow tent, it is possible to place the lights much higher without losing a large percentage of the light.

If you have efficient reflective walls – going higher is normally better than lower regardless of which weed grow lights you are using. With reflective walls, the light bounces from many different angles into the plant and you will get move even yields and deeper penetration into the canopy.

The distance between your hydroponic grow lights and your plants is, in fact, an exact science. Seemingly minor adjustments make a huge difference when it comes to giving your plants the kind of light intensity that makes them flourish, without giving them so much that they burn and wither.

OVERLAPPING LIGHTS
In larger grows where there are many lights in the same room along with reflective walls, it is often more effective to puts the lights higher so that the is overlap between many lights. This means that each plant will get light from many angles and this will promote much better penetration into the canopy and better overall yield.

For professional installations, California Lightworks can prepare a computerized light plan which can present the best light orientation in any environment.

Understanding this, the inevitable question is: What is that exact right placement?

How Far To Place LED Lights From Plants In Each Stage Of Growth
Once again, it is important to understand that there is no universal rule for how far to place LED lights from plants in each phase of growth. Different manufacturers construct their grow lights for indoor plants in different ways. There are multiple details to take into consideration, such as the power and angle of individual LED diodes within a fixture and the use of lenses to reflect light downwards. The best way to get that perfect distance between the light and your canopy is to consult with the manufacturer.

The second thing to keep in mind is that the correct LED light placement changes for each stage of growth. If your LED is dimmable, you can use dimming to adjust the intensity of the light on the plant surface. If your LED is not dimmable, your only option is to change the hanging height. These examples aren’t hard-and-fast rules, so don’t follow them without the blessing of your light’s manufacturer. But just to give you a ballpark sense of what LED light placement generally looks like throughout the growth cycle:

LED Light Placement For Seedling Stage
Seedlings need the least intensity and most distance between the canopy and the lights. You may have the instinct to blast these little guys with high-intensity light to promote fast growth. The truth is, they’re young, vulnerable, and likelier to thrive with a gentler approach.