How Far Should My Grow Light Be From My Plants?

Knowing the correct height your grow light needs to be can be the difference between having plants that produce large crops and plants that whither and die. If you’ve spent any time researching the perfect height to hang your lights you’ll know that there are numerous different answers.

In this blog we’re going to give you a good starting point. From there you can experiment with the distance and find that sweet spot that your plants will thrive in.

How Close Should An LED Grow Light Be To A Plant?

As LED Grow Lights produce little to no heat a lot of gardeners think they can place the lights directly above their plants canopy. However this is not the case. The light given off from the LED may look dim and it may feel like no heat is being given off but it can still burn the plant. If you start seeing a yellow/bleached colour on your leaves you know the grow light is too close.

How Far Should HPS & Metal Halide Grow Lights Be From The Top Of Plants?

With traditional HPS and MH grow lights, it is easy to find out if the lights are too close to your plants. Simply hold your hand just above the plant for 30 seconds and if the heat starts to make you feel uncomfortable, the grow light is too close.

How Far Should A T5 Grow Light Be From A Plant?

Fluorescent lights are one of the coolest lights around so you can put your plants really close to them as long as they are not touching. This makes them ideal for plants that are heat sensitive and also are the number one choice for seedlings and young plants.

For established plants, we’d suggest you hang you T5 light 4- 6 inches above the top of the plant. For seedlings start off at 6 – 10 inches and as they grow slightly reduce that distance.

How High Above A Plant Should I Hang A Ceramic Metal Halide Grow Light?

As with the HPS & MH light, you should conduct a hand test to see how hot the light is. Once you have done that you can estimate the distance needed between plant and light, however, typically you should hang a CMH bulb two feet above the canopy of your plants.