Light is the most important factor in a hydroponic system: it is the primary energy that determines the speed, morphology and quality of growth.
A wrong LED means high consumption, stressed leaves, slow growth, and wasted nutrients.
A correct LED, on the other hand, transforms cultivation into a stable, productive, and highly efficient system.
In this article you'll find out what really matters when choosing an LED lamp for indoor growing and why modern technologies-such as those adopted by Tomato+-are revolutionizing the industry.
Many commercial LEDs call themselves "full spectrum," but this label alone is not enough.
Plants do not take advantage of light uniformly: you need differentiated light channels that can be adjusted and balanced exactly on the physiological processes of growth.
Here's how each color contributes to development:
Blue - compacts the plant, improves morphology, produces thicker leaves
Yellow - supports photosynthesis and brings uniformity in early stages
Amber - stimulates pigments, aromas and aromatic compounds (crucial for basil and aromatics)
Green - penetrates deep layers of foliage, unifying development
Red - increases leaf area, growth rate and final yield
Far-red - regulates photomorphogenesis and influences "shade avoidance "* response.
* Shade avoidance: when the plant perceives too much far-red, it interprets that it is in shade relative to other plants and stretches to compete. Managing far-red allows you to control height and structure, keeping plants compact and productive.
LEDs with only 2-3 channels do not allow true spectrum control.
In contrast, the 6-channel Tomato+ LEDs with independent curves allow precise spectrum for each variety-even multiple combinations in the same cycle.
An LED may claim a very high PPFD, but if it concentrates it in the center of the surface it creates:
hotspots
leaf burns
uneven growth
What really matters is uniformity.
Tomato+ systems integrate spectrometer and on-board LED chamber to:
detect light distribution
analyze plant height and condition
automatically balance the intensity
This ensures perfectly distributed light on every floor.
Most LEDs get too hot.
Heat = energy waste + lower efficiency + risk of damaging leaves.
Cooling is therefore critical.
In the Horto Professional model, Tomato+ uses liquid-cooled LEDs.
This system offers two key advantages:
it keeps the LEDs at the optimum temperature of maximum efficiency
allows them to get very close to the plants without risk of thermal stress
The result?
Electricity consumption reduced by up to 50 percent compared to traditional air-cooled LEDs.
It means real and continuous savings, cycle after cycle.
In other words: more output, less energy.
The new generation of LEDs is not just a lamp, but an intelligent system:
automatically adjusts the light channels
adapts the spectrum to the growth phase
applies dynamic photoperiods
dialogues with sensors and AI
intervenes to correct potential stresses
The Tomato+ LED module integrates:
6-channel spectrum
spectrometer
camera for AI
dedicated firmware
control via software and cloud
optimization via Dynamic Growth Plans
This means that the light changes according to the way the plant is growing, not according to a timer.
Many manufacturers increase watts to look "more powerful."
In hydroponics, watts do not matter: in fact, they are often a problem.
The parameters you need to evaluate are:
µmol/J efficiency
PPFD uniformity
cooling
tunable spectrum
actual lifetime of the LED
An efficient LED illuminates better, consumes less, and avoids waste.
Look for:
spectrum with at least 5-6 distinct channels
independent adjustment of channels
uniform PPFD
advanced cooling (liquid cooling is best)
optimized power consumption
intelligent control via software
compatibility with data, sensors and AI
Avoidance:
generic "full spectrum" LEDs
high wattages passed off as power
LEDs with hotspots or uneven light
insufficient heat sinks
non-integrated solutions
Internal technical documents show that Tomato+ uses LEDs:
6 independent channels
with integrated spectrometer
with AI chamber
liquid-cooled
with dynamic control of Growth Plans
optimized for energy efficiency (-50%)
designed to be scalable and extremely stable
This makes Tomato+ greenhouses among the world's most efficient in compact indoor growing.
The choice of LED determines the outcome of cultivation: quality, yield, speed and consumption.
Today there are LEDs that not only illuminate, but understand plants and adapt to them-just like those implemented by Tomato+.
Light becomes an intelligent system.
Cultivation, efficient at last.
Thank you for reading this article. Keep following us to discover new content on hydroponics, vertical farming and smart farming.
Tomato+ Team