Best Distance to Place LED Grow Lights for Microgreens (2025 Guide)
Why LED Grow Light Distance Matters for Microgreens
Lighting is one of the most important factors when growing healthy, strong microgreens indoors.
If your LED grow lights are placed too close, you risk burning or stressing young seedlings.
If they are too far away, your microgreens can become weak, leggy, and stretched out searching for light.
Finding the correct distance ensures:
Strong, compact growth
Rich color development
Maximum nutrient density
Faster harvest times
In this guide, based on real indoor growing experience, I’ll show you how to position your LED grow lights properly for the best microgreens results.
Today we are going to discuss the most crucial need of indoor microgreens that is "the best distance to place your led grow light from your plants." Distance from your greens under artificial grow light is the most important thing because the growth of your plants requires the calculated amount of the sun for photosynthesis.
Before we discuss what is the best distance to place your led grow light from your plants, we would include a piece of the necessary information that every grower curious to know about grow lights.
The lights we used in our experiment are:
T5 Hight Output (Fluorescent Light with 6400k temperature – 54 watt)
T5 LED tubes (temperature – 18 watt)
Different Types of Grow Lights (Quick Overview)
Before diving into LED distances, here’s a quick look at other lighting options:
Incandescent lights: Produce more heat than usable light. Not recommended for microgreens.
Fluorescent lights: Cooler and cheaper but less energy-efficient than LEDs.
HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights: Powerful but expensive and heat-producing.
LED Grow Lights: Energy-efficient, low-heat, full-spectrum — the best choice for growing microgreens indoors today.
Why Do I Need To Grow Lights For Microgreens?
Sunlight is one of the essential elements for plants to grow. For the photosynthesis process, plants require the sunlight as fuel. To simulate the sunlight, you need to choose the right way to grow-light. One more good reason to use artificial lights is during the winters or for the eager gardener who uses their growing greens indoor for home decoration.
All the lights available in the market are not suitable for your plants; some may cause your plants burning with the high intensity or others cannot be enough for optimal growth due to lack of spectrum. Blue light considers as more cooling than the red light spectrum.
What Type Of Grow Lights Can We Use For Plants?
We are going to discuss four different types of grow lights that are available on the market; each kind of light is different from the other that we are going to discuss in detail.
Incandescent Bulbs
Fluorescent Lights
High Intensity Discharge (HIDs)
Light Emitting Diode (LEDs)
Incandescent Bulbs:
These are the cheapest bulbs that you can use for your plants. Incandescent bulbs produce a lot of heat and consume much electricity. You should place them away from plant foliage. Because of producing more red wavelengths, it will not make a wise decision. Usually, we use in the combination of Fluorescent light to balance the full spectrum of light, especially when you’re trying to encourage the plant to bloom.
The cost of the light is not much, but the extra care of the plants will take place at high risk to keep them safe from melting. In a professional set up the cost of maintaining temperature and ventilation is high, whereas the life span is short of these light that is almost 1,000 hours.
Fluorescent Lights:
Including T5's, Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL's), and T12's; Fluorescent grow lights have many types. As long as it's not too warm like Incandescent produces lights, you can't provide much light to your greens with these types of grow lights. It is safe to hang close to your greens as 6" to 8".
Fluorescent grow lights have many types, as long as it's not too warm…
High-Intensity Discharge Grow Lights:
Since they give a greater variety of colors in the light spectrum and more closely mimic natural sunlight, the HID lights are much more appropriate for general hydroponic growth. They produce a lot of heat, though, and you may need to buy cooling fans to keep your plants fresh.
There are two types of high energy release lamps: halide-metallic lamps and high-pressure sodium lamps. Metal halide lights can transmit light at the blue end of the spectrum, making them best suited to the vegetative stage of plant development, while high-pressure sodium lights, transmit light at the red end of the spectrum. HPS lights are ideal for plant growth as well as flowering, and the light they give helps plants to develop quickly and grow more flowers.
Note: Try to keep an eye on the development of the plant as you may need to change the lighting as the plants get bigger. If you do not, the lights may be too close to the plants and may burn them. Hold the lights for seedlings from the top leaves at least 8 "away. Once the crop begins drying out quickly, reset the distance a little farther.
Light Emitting Diode (LEDs):
LED lights offer some operational advantages over more natural growing lights. Since they produce very little heat, they have little chance of burning your plants, in addition. LED rising lights need a higher front cost, however, because they can last from seven-to-ten years before you need to upgrade them, they can save more money in the long run, use a fraction of the energy of other light types. Some studies also show that for hydroponic gardens, LED light is even more impactful.
LED lights are typically distributed in a range of colors to be used in acceptable vegetative development stages. A green LED light is also accessible, which is invisible to plants and thus enables your hydroponic garden to be treated and managed without interrupting your photoperiod.
Indoor Plants Under Observation-facts:
Balanced Light:
The sunlight comprises the complete spectrum of light like the rainbow colors: red, yellow and blue, and violet. Much as plants that thrive in the sun outside, indoor plants are best to grow in full-spectrum bulbs that create a cold and warm light combination that matches the natural spectrum. They are useful for seedlings as well as houseplants, culinary herbs, and other seeds. Also balanced pH is important, more about right pH Water for microgreens, click here.
The Intensity Of Light For Plants:
Typically, plants native to tropical and shade forests do not need as much light as those grown in dry, sunshine climates, including the Mediterranean and southern Mexico.
Some houseplants, such as African violets and begonias, can be 10 to 12 inches away from a light source. Leaf plants may be located up to 36 inches away from an illumination source, like ivy or philodendron. Many blooming species, such as orchids, gardenia, citrus, require a much higher strength of light to flower and yield results.
Plants Need Rest:
Whatever plants you grow, you have to give them a rest. When it's dark, plants breathe, a vital part of their development. The rest balance for successful growth affects many biological processes, including the growth rate and the production of buds and fruits. A timer designed in a power strip allows it simple to reach the correct amount of time.
Our Experience: Fluorescent vs. LEDs
Both Fluorescent and LEDs are the best choices as a supplement of your greens, as of our experience, microgreens require a full spectrum of light like other plants but not highly intensive. The best distance to place your led grow light from your plants or fluorescent light is 12” to 16” away from tray.
The lights we used in our experiment are:
“Karlis’ Tip:
When I first set up LED grow lights for my microgreens at home, I learned that small adjustments made a big difference.
After sowing a tray, I start with my LEDs about 14 inches above the plants. Then after 2–3 days, I check the seedlings:
If they’re stretching too much, I lower the light by 1–2 inches.
If they look stressed or curled, I raise the light slightly.
A few small tweaks early on can completely change your microgreens’ health, color, and harvest success!”
Final Recommendation for LED Grow Light Distance
Based on both general lighting guidelines and my own growing experience:
Place LED grow lights about 12–16 inches (30–40 cm) above your microgreens trays.
This distance gives enough intensity for strong growth without burning delicate shoots.
If you use a very low-wattage LED or grow very light-sensitive varieties (like amaranth), you can raise the light slightly.
Pro Tip: If your microgreens start leaning or getting "leggy," move the light closer by a few inches. If leaves curl upward or look stressed, move the light slightly away.
By adjusting carefully during the first few days, you can dial in the perfect setup for lush, healthy, nutrient-rich microgreens at home.