

The dank, the sad and the hot of cannabis grow lights HPS, MH, CMH and Grow Lights: These lamps can be installed like regular household bulbs and merely need to be wired safely. Fluorescent lamps also use a chemical reaction to produce light and are usually in the form of large "energy saving bulbs" or CFLs. These lights should be housed correctly in a reflector. HID lamps require a transformer or " ballast" to operate. These bulbs include High Pressure Sodium (HPS), Metal-Halide (MH) and Ceramic Metal-Halide (CMH). High intensity discharge (HID) are bulbs that produce light via a chemical reaction in the bulb when ignited.


These are assembled fixtures that need only be mounted and plugged in. Light emitting diode (LED) lights are the latest technology in grow-lights, using semi-conductors to produce light. Cannabis Grow Lights Buyers Guideįrom LED and fluorescent to HID, there are different grow-light options for different applications and preferences. Modern light producers have however identified that a broad spectrum of light is far better for overall plant growth. This caused many grow-light producers to focus on only these wavelengths. Early research suggested that the most efficient wavelengths of the light spectrum for photosynthesis are red and blue. No matter how strong the light may be, the plant cannot use green light for photosynthesis and cannot grow. The easiest bad example of this would be an all green light. However, no matter how powerful the light may be, if the spectrum is not correct, the plant may not grow as desired. There are still many unknowns when it comes to the "best" light spectrum. Is there an optimal cannabis grow light spectrum? The more light provided, the more nutrients and CO2 the plant will require and the more it will grow correctly. The ideal amount of light for early stage growth ranges from 200-600µmol and flowering growth between 600-1200µmol. This means that the light must produce enough "energy" or photons and these photons must also be in the correct colour to induce photosynthesis.Ĭannabis requires higher amounts of light than other plants, especially when in the flowering stage. Plants use particular colours of light to best complete different processes. Photons are measured in ppf and ppfd, with the former being the amount of photons the light source emits and the latter how many photons are delivered in a period of time. The more photons being delivered to the plant, the more photosynthesis it can undergo. This measurement is then translated into a photon flux density reading, i.e how many photons are being emitted from the light source. In order to measure how much energy a light produces, we use a special sensor that translates light into an energy reading in μmol or "micro-moles". Light is measured in two ways: spectrum and energy and the two are directly related to each other. How is light measured and how much light does a cannabis plant need? This is easily done by connecting your grow-light to a timer. This is done by manipulating the amount of light the plant is exposed to, i.e the photo-period. Grow-lights are also used to increase particular desirable traits in plants and benefit different stages of growth. The range of light that a plant uses is known as photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). Grow-lights are artificial light sources that are designed to provide a source of light that the plant can use. In cases where you cannot use the sun or there is not enough sunlight, a " grow-light" makes for an ideal addition to your grow.
