These are my basil plants. The one on the right has cheap LED panel lights+sunlight and premixed nutrients. The one of the left uses a 300w LED and General Hydroponics Flora. Interesting too see the differences. Taste is about the same, but the one with cheaper lighting is stretching a lot, which was expected.
by Lee2026
6 Comments
Cool experiment so these are clones?
300 watts seems like a lot of light for a plant that size. Regardless, very cool test that demonstrates the value of higher light. Your taste observations are also interesting.
I love seeing experiments. Conducting them and seeing the results is always fun, and others can learn a lot from sharing your results. However, this experiment has a lot of issues. Right now, your experiment includes **two different grow environments, two different nutrients, and two different grow systems**, making it difficult to isolate the effects of lighting alone.
For a true side-by-side test, you’ll need **identical conditions** except for the lighting:
* **Same environment** (temperature, humidity, air circulation).
* **Same nutrient formula** and electrical conductivity (**EC**).
* **Same grow system** (whether hydroponic, soil, or another method).
* **Same grow media**
* **Same plant type and age**.
* And **most importantly,** same PPFD reading
Once all these factors are consistent, **then** you can accurately evaluate the impact of different lighting setups.
You should do this again and document everything you do during the time period. I would love to see your results. Plus, it’s yet another reason to keep growing basil. Both plants look good though so…I’d be curious to see more accurate results. Maybe add a third plant that gets ONLY window light?
Baby basil!! Mmmm
300w of LEDs is wild
It’s all about that DLI.
A 300w led is almost certainly too much for that plant. Assuming it’s not getting above 85°f, you could add supplemental CO2 and see vast improvements under the 300w, but that’s super not practical lol
I’ve noticed purple basil is extra sensitive to excess light exposure. It turns a weird speckled green.