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How to Choose the Best Marijuana Grow Light for Beginners

As a novice, growing cannabis might be challenging because there are many considerations to bear in mind. But one of the most crucial is light. You must, in particular, ensure that you choose the best light for your strain and grow area and that you maintain those lights on an exact schedule. 

It may seem that you can simply use any type of grow light and get satisfactory results, but this couldn't be further from the reality. For various plants and growing environments, different lights are designed. Others may emit too much heat and cause burning while some may not give enough light, leading to withering and poor development. Researching the best lights for cannabis might take some time, especially if you have no prior experience with growing. 

Types of Marijuana Grow Lights

There are many different kinds of grow lights, but the most typical ones you'll find in a grow room are listed here. Within each of these types, there are several modifications, and new technologies and lighting are always being developed.

HID Grow Lights-

 HID (high-intensity discharge) is a general word that includes MH and HPS bulbs. 

Light for HIDs appears as an arc between two nodes inside the light bulb. The difference between MHs and HPSs is the gas that is present in these bulbs. Typically, HID bulbs cost more than the reflecting hoods that carry them.

The cost of both types of HIDs is typically low, but they both consume a lot of electricity. The plants require a lot of heat and light from HIDs to swell and become potent. However, they can malfunction, run hot, and contain heavy metals.

CFL Grow Lights-

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are fluorescent lights that resemble the ones in offices and schools but are smaller.

These fluorescent lights work well for vegetative development and are inexpensive and effective. They won't significantly increase your electricity costs.

The drawback of CFLs is that growers typically need another type of light to complete plants because they aren't ideal for flowering plants. Simply put, CFLs don't produce enough bright light for plants to swell in size.

LED Grow Lights-

Compared to HPSs, MHs, and CFLs, LEDs (light emitting diodes) are relatively new to the cannabis growing industry, but they are swiftly establishing themselves as the preferred lighting source. Though initially more expensive, LEDs are far more efficient and are better for the environment and your electricity bill.

One LED can normally be utilized for both vegetative and blooming development, and they typically run a lot cooler than HIDs, so you might not need additional cooling equipment in your grow area.

How to Choose the Best Grow Light?

Cannabis grows lights come in a wide range of parameters, and their strength and efficiency are historically determined by their wattage and lumen ratings. The community hasn't fully embraced or grasped modern technology, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which have recently entered the market and boasted new lighting vocabulary.

With the use of this technology, we have now determined key variables that demonstrate the impact that good lighting may have on cannabis grow operations. The light's output specifications are perhaps the most important factors to consider when choosing the grow light for indoor growing.

Type of Lights

As we discussed above, to produce cannabis, a variety of lighting systems are available. Recent advancements in lighting technology have largely been driven by the desire for high-quality indoor cannabis. CFLs, high-power fluorescent tubes, customizable spectrum LEDs, and extremely efficient digital ballasts have all been developed over the past two decades.

Light Intensity

Will the lights provide your plants with what they need to thrive? Here is where science comes into play. You must have a fundamental knowledge of the metrics. Optimizing the growing environment for your plants to achieve the greatest outcomes requires an understanding of parameters like photosynthetically active photon flux (PPF), photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD), daily light integral (DLI), and the light spectrum.

Number of Grow Lights

Most home growers just need one or two lamps. Most states only allow six or twelve plants to be cultivated at a time, and one or two lights should be adequate. If you run two different rooms, one for vegetative plants and the other for blooming plants, you'll need two lamps.

The number of plants that will be cultivated and the available area will determine the size of the light. Except if you're growing in a big greenhouse, you'll just have one tiny light. One huge, eye-catching light fixture can be preferable to two smaller ones if your basement is spacious and open.

Spectrum of Lights

Before settling on lighting for indoor marijuana production, you need to have a basic understanding of the light spectrum. Several types of illumination are required for cannabis plants, depending on their stage of development. For instance, plants require blue light while they are in the vegetative stage. The red wavelength of light is particularly useful while flowers are in bloom. You ought to seek out items with a variety of colors as a result.

Heat Emission

HID and MH cannabis growth lights provide heat in addition to light. The quality and texture of marijuana plants could be harmed by the added heat. 

Water Resistance

No matter how you cultivate your plants, there will be water involved, and occasionally your lights will get splashed. Make sure they can withstand the occasional splash of water without abandoning you in the dark.

Cost 

You must determine your budget before making a grow light purchase. As more states allow marijuana for adult use, home-growing is becoming more common, and growing technology is advancing quickly. You may spend as little as $100 on a subpar LED light or $2,000 on a high-end, cutting-edge LED light, depending on your demands.

Warranty

Look over the warranty. A high output quality light should have a warranty that lasts at least five years. The price of materials and labor to replace your lights will go down the longer they endure.

Final Thoughts

Get out there and begin your adventure now that the best lights for indoor growth have been clarified.

You need lights if you have an indoor cultivation arrangement. Based on your space, your requirements, and, of course, your money, you can decide whether to use CFLs, HIDs, or LEDs!

Growers should identify their primary goals before choosing the best lights. For growers, the cost is frequently a key concern, and HIDs can excel in this regard. Just keep in mind to account for all long-term costs, such as the purchase price, electricity costs, and replacement prices.