How Many Plants Can a 100W Led Light Grow?
All the plant wants from a grow light is light. You can grow more and more as long as they get enough light. But how much is enough and how do we know we’ve reached that point?
The answer to this question depends on a few parameters. First, the coverage of the grow light. Then the type of plant we grow, and lastly, their growth stage.
This post concerns the number of plants you can grow with a 100W LED grow light.
How many plants can you grow with a 100W LED grow light?
Most 100W LED grow lights cover a 2×2 area. You can grow about 16 heads of lettuce in this space. If you choose smaller crops like carrots and cilantro, you can cultivate around 40 to 60. However, you can grow only one for larger plants like tomatoes and cucumbers. Also, you can grow more than 500 seedlings since they can be packed more densely.
For instance, Spider Farmer SF 1000 grow light can cover an area of 3×3 feet. Butterhead lettuce grows well at four plant per square foot spacing during vegetation. Thus, you can grow about 36 heads of lettuce with this 100W LED Grow light.
Since most 100W LED grow lights have similar coverage, we only have to worry about the plant and their growing stage.
The plant (and their variety) and their growth stage matter.
During germination and early stages, plants do not require many resources or much space, allowing us to pack them densely. Even the light they need is minimal, so we do not have to worry about growing more under a single 100W LED grow light.
Here’s another point to note. Lettuce is a plant, and so is a giant mango tree. You need to know your plant to find out how many of them you can grow in a given space.
Some varieties require significantly different spaces around them even among the same species. For instance, every butter lettuce needs about a square foot of area. But you can grow as many as four loose-leaf lettuce varieties in the same space.
Related: These Hydroponic-Friendly Plants Need Minimal Light to Thrive.
Since our concern is solely about the plants we grow in gardens and farms, here’s a list of plants and their recommended counts per square foot. With this, we can easily calculate the number of plants we cultivate in a 2×2 area. In other words, how many can we grow with a 100W LED grow light?
| Plant Variety | Crop Type | Plants per Square | 100W LED Grow light can grow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arugula | Leafy Green | 4 | 16 |
| Lettuce | Leafy Green | 4 | 16 |
| Kale | Leafy Green | 1 | 4 |
| Spinach | Leafy Green | 9 | 36 |
| Swiss Chard | Leafy Green | 4 | 16 |
| Cucumber | Fruiting | Needs about 4 square feet | 1 |
| Tomatoes | Fruiting | Needs about 4 square feet | 1 |
| Peppers | Fruiting | 1 | 4 |
| Carrot | Root | 16 | 64 |
| Radish | Root | 16 | 64 |
| Basil | Herb | 6 | 24 |
| Chives | Herb | 9 | 36 |
| Cilantro | Herb | 9 | 36 |
| Dill | Herb | 1 | 4 |
| Oregano | Herb | 1 | 4 |
| Parsley | Herb | 1 | 4 |
| Rosemary | Herb | 1 | 4 |
| Sage | Herb | 1 | 4 |
| Thyme | Herb | 4 | 16 |
For seedlings, since these crops have smaller seedlings than trees, we can assume a square inch per seedling at most. This means, we can theoretically grow more than 500 seedlings in a 2X2. Indeed, a 100W grow light can grow this many seedlings.
If it’s seedlings, you may be able to grow them with your regular lights too.
Related: Why Do You Need Grow Lights [Not Regular Lights]
Popular 100W LEDs in the market
Few manufacturers produce 100W LEDs, while most companies make grow lights in a reasonably high-watt range. Here are a few notable ones you should check.
Spider Farmer SF 1000
This 100W has a coverage of 3X3, which is higher than the usual 2X2. Still, its light intensity (PPFD) is decent compared to its competitors.
Mars Hydro TS 600
This is one of Mars Hydro’s entry-level products. For this 2X2 coverage area, you pay significantly less than their competitors’ models. But you pay the price in relatively low PPDF. This has no issue if you’re growing leafy greens. However, fruiting plants can cause a significant drop in yield.
ViparSpectra XS1000 100W
ViparSpectra is known for its built quality. This industrial quality product, too, has a coverage of 3X3. But it’s comparatively more expensive than the others.
Related: Are Grow Lights Safe for Humans?
Final thoughts
Grow lights come in different sizes. 100W LED grow lights are probably towards the lower end in the market. But for hobbyist and starters, this is a great option.
You can grow most garden crops including fruiting plants like tomatoes. Since their coverage is mostly between 2X2 to 3X3, you can plant a limited amount of vegetables.
This post has given an overview of how many of the popular plants you can grow with a 100W LED grow light and the popular models in the market.
