Cannabis grow lights

The gain of grow lights over open-air environments is that you can devise precisely how much light you want the cannabis to receive. Fortunately, grow light technology has significantly grown. You can get increased plant development, bigger buds, and better earnings with good lighting.

If you’re cultivating cannabis indoors, one of the necessary elements is light. Photosynthesis demands light to create chemical energy, which allows the herb to thrive. When growing cannabis plants in the open, they can harness this solar energy, but you’ll need grow lights to imitate sunlight indoors.

This article extensively refutes the use of grow lights and teaches you how to properly setup your grow room lights. To ensure that you are producing the best cannabis for your money.

What is grow light?

They are power-driven lights used when nurturing plants in the house. They deliver a light range that’s either akin to the sun or custom-made to meet the plant’s optimum conditions for growth.

Unlike ordinary incandescent light, grow lights used in cultivating cannabis have a unique light spectrum that aids to increase your reap, control THC levels in the buds, and increase flowering. The cannabis plant responds well to wavelengths other than visible light.  For instance, far-red light can help encourage cannabis stem growth and flowering. Blue light present in slight amounts reduces leaf shrinkage and prevents uneven plant elongation.

Why do we need to setup grow room lights?

Traditional cannabis growing, albeit being more affordable, has numerous drawbacks, including being susceptible to weather changes, natural disasters, and pests. Additionally, you have no control over the light. Enclosed cannabis growing is a perfect way out for modern growers. The use of grow lights brings multiple benefits:

• More extended growing season- The lights can be left on 24 hours, extending the growing time of your cannabis plants.
• Quality cannabis- Grow houses shelter your plants from harsh weather and give you control of the growing environment through heaters, fans and dehumidifiers. Control of light ensures you have a superior product as it grows in optimum conditions.
• Gives growers control the flowering phase- Grow lights allow you to regulate when the plant will move from vegetative to flowering.
•  You harvest all-year-round- Control of light helps you harvest many times a season, all year, although this depends on the light setup you’re using.

Types of grow lights

There are numerous categories of grow lights used in cannabis cultivation. As technology changes, they come with different variations too. However, the standard lights in grow rooms include LED, Fluorescent, and HIDs.

LED

Light-emitting diodes, LEDs, are fast gaining ground in the industry. Almost every LED grow light can be used to cultivate cannabis, but more recent models are more effective and result in rapid plant progression, more plant volume, and improved produce. If you’re using quality LED lights, you should get a product of about 0.5 -1 g/watt. This means that all growers, from small to large-scale farmers, can improve their harvest with grow lights.

Most lamps are full-spectrum. These types add some green light, which boosts healthier plant growth. Red, infrared and far-red rays are convenient in the flowering stage. This means that the light favors every stage of development for the plants.

One major advantage of LED lights is that they don’t get as hot as other lights. This means that they save significant amounts of energy. Additionally, you can easily find them in a store near you and at an affordable rate. They are also easy to install and only need to be placed between 1 foot and 18 inches above the plants.

HID

High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lights are large bulbs that produce an extraordinary amount of heat and light. Using them calls for proper ventilation and HVAC systems to get rid of the excess heat. This means that electricity consumption in such a grow room is very high, requiring a large space. HID lights are typically divided into two categories; MH and HPS.

Metal Halides (MH) are popular among seed growers, especially before the plants reach the blooming stage. Their spectrum is mostly white and requires ballast to operate. The distance between the lights and the plants should be about 30 cm for 250W systems and 50 cm for 600W systems.

High-pressure sodium lights (HPS) are typical for growers looking to induce flowering. They also need ballast to operate, together with a reflector. A 600W bulb covers 2.5m². The lights are typically switched on at night when temperatures are lower because they produce a lot of heat. However, if you’d like to enjoy their benefits during the day, you’d have to invest in a quality HVAC system.

Fluorescent

Fluorescents are available in two main types; T5 and CFL. T5 is long and narrow in appearance, while CFLs are twisted in shape. They can produce warm, cool, or full-spectrum light. Fluorescents are common among growers. They are quite affordable, have low energy consumption, and don’t need the initial investment in HVAC systems because they don’t produce as much heat. On the flip side, they produce lower yields compared to the competitor lights.

How to setup grow room lights

Here are a few fundamental points you should know when using grow lights in cultivating cannabis:

• Spectrum

The light range for growing cannabis is different from other plants because growers are looking to maximize revenue. It would help if you looked to buy full-spectrum lights to stimulate growth and flowering.

• Heat

You’ll need to think about heat and ventilation. If you’re running your grow house in ample space, you’ll want HID lights to produce a lot of light, paired with a robust HVAC system to regulate the heat.

• Distance

It’s critical to find instructions on how far away the lights should be from the plants—the distance changes depending on the bulb size and the nature. For instance, smaller LEDs that produce about 1 watt should be a foot away, while larger bulbs should be about 1.5 feet away, or they’ll burn the plants.

• Cost control

What’s your budget when purchasing grow lights? You can purchase them from as low as $100, but they may be substandard. For about $2000, you can get large LEDs. Consider how long it will take to earn back this money when making your decision. Also, take into account other related utilities such as the electricity bill.

Properly setup grow room lights for better cannabis growth

Fortunately, most hybrid cannabis strains are suited for indoor cultivation. With the multiple benefits of grow lights such as MH and HPS, you can reap splendidly. Additionally, indoor environments allow you to control other elements such as temperature through HVAC systems. Invest in the right equipment and enjoy a bountiful harvest.