Why do we use a grow light?

Growing cannabis under lights indoors are something you might have heard about but haven’t attempted. Many people believe growing cannabis under lights is a costly and complicated business but the truth is anyone with even a little gardening know-how can set up lights for growing plants indoors.

It might be that the climate you live in just doesn’t suit your favorite plants or you could see vegetable crops dying or not grow big or tasty enough in your back garden.

Searching the internet for all the information can be frustrating and mean you don’t have all the facts you need before attempting to set up your own grow room. By bringing together all the relevant information, you’ll have a good idea of how to start your own growing as soon as you’ve finished this blog.

In this post, we explore the light spectrum for growing plants and give you all the advice and information you need about starting your own indoor garden.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Put simply, a grow lights for indoor plants will help your plants or crops flourish in a place where there is little or no natural light. You might live in a Nordic country or in a climate that sees the shorter amount of daylight hours at certain times of the year. This is when a grow light will help you continue to keep your plants healthy.

The right amount of light is absolutely crucial to a plant’s survival. A plant needs to be able to photosynthesys to live. This is where a plant takes in light and converts it into a chemical which is then used to give the plant food and water. A by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen, which means the harmful carbon dioxide on our planet is turned back into oxygen by this process.

A weed grow light will replicate the spectrum of light that is similar to our sun although you can buy specific lights to boost specific plants. Growing plants under lights have been done since 1868 when Russian botanist Andrei Famintsyn used the process in his research – so it has definitely been a tried and tested method for a long time! Without the right amount of light, a plant will grow long and thin and any vegetables or crops will be small and bitter (think about tomatoes if you’ve not put them in a place with enough sun).

When you purchase produce from the grocery store and the items have a tart or bitter tastes, this usually means they were grown without adequate light.

COLOR

Different colored lights do different things for each plant. The problem is there is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of lights on sale have different colors, combinations, and strengths. There are a lot of different opinions but the science shows plants only need two color lights – red and blue.

The ideal LED you should use for growing your plants should be a red LED, a blue LED or UV LEDs. There is some more in-depth information about spectrums and wavelengths that perform the best but this is the basic information you should know.

The reason for this is that all green plants absorb UV light, blue, red and infrared spectrums but the green and yellow is not used as well. It doesn’t mean that green and yellow lights are completely useless, but it does mean that you won’t see as good results as you will if you’re using a red or blue light.

So, if you’ve already invested in some lights but you aren’t getting the results you were hoping for, then have a look at the colors of your lights to see if that will make a difference. If this was the issue, then you should begin to see a positive result within 24-48 hours.

CHOOSING A GROW LIGHT

Choosing a grow lights for indoor plants can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the process, especially since there are so many different types of lights you can use to grow plants that it can seem overwhelming. The main types are Fluorescent Grow Lights, HID Grow Lights, CMH Grow Lights, LED Grow Lights (light emitting diode).

FLUORESCENT GROW LIGHTS

Fluorescent grow lights are cheap but last a lot longer than an incandescent bulb and don’t get as hot. In terms of colors, fluorescent lights give off a blue light and these lights are pretty easy to install. You will recognize these lights from offices and warehouses where the long thin tubes are pretty recognizable. A lot of garages and outbuildings may already have these lights installed so you may have half the set up already if you check.

Fluorescent tubes are measured by their diameter. Each “T” represents one-eighth of an inch. A T5 Fluorescent grow lights is five-eighths of an inch in diameter, a T8 would be one inch in diameter, and so on. T5s are best used during the propagation stage of plants, since they run cool.

Pros of T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights

• Generally less expensive than other types of grow lights.
• They emit light that covers a larger area than most other types of grow lights.
• They typically have a much longer, useful life that other kinds of grow lights.

Cons of T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights

• Are not useful during the vegetative stages of growth.
• Are not useful during the flowering stages.

HID Grow Lights

Eco Farm 750W HPS Grow Light

HID grow lights(HPS grow light/ MH grow light), are large-bulbed systems that create light by igniting a gas inside the bulb. HIDs are available in two types:  MH grow lights(Metal halides)  and  HPS grow lights(high pressure sodium). There is a third type, which is a hybrid between the two, as well. All types of HID grow light kits work by arcing an electric current between two tungsten electrodes which then ignites the gas in each particular bulb.

Metal halide lamps burn gas that produces lighting on the blue end of the spectrum which is beneficial during the vegetative phase of a plant’s development. High pressure sodium lamps produce light on the red to orange portion of the spectrum and are useful during the flowering stage of a plant’s cycle.

All HID grow kits include the bulb, a ballast, and a reflective hood of some sort to increase the amount of light available to the plants. An HID ballast can be traditional, magnetic ballast that uses coils and condensers to regulate the output, or digital ballasts are also available that use circuitry to regulate the lamp’s outputs.

Pros of HID Grow Lights

• HID bulbs are often dimmable, which can be useful to customize the amount of needed light for a given area.
• If using a digital ballast, all types of HID bulbs can be used without changing the ballast.
• HID lights produce more usable light than fluorescent bulbs.

Cons of HID Grow Lights

• HID bulbs produce high amounts of heat that can burn plants if not monitored or taken into consideration when placing them into a grow room.
• They require additional hardware to operate, such as a ballast and a reflector. Some HID ballast will only operate MH and some will only operate HPS, meaning multiple ballasts may be required.
• The effectiveness of each bulb diminishes over time, meaning that it is important to note how long a particular bulb has been in use and change it before it ceases its usefulness.

CMH GROW LIGHTS

Eco Farm 150W CMH Grow Light Kit

CMH grow lights both also refer to types of single-ended HID lights. They (LEC and CMH) are also essentially used interchangeably with one another as they are the same type of bulb.

An LEC (or CMH if you prefer) light operates in much the same way as its metal halide cousin, but instead has a ceramic arc (like HPS bulbs) instead of a quartz one. Just as in the section above on DE lighting, the pros and cons listed below are as compared to other HID lights.

Pros of CMH Grow Lights

• LECs last on average twice as long as MH or HPS bulbs.
• LECs, because of the ceramic element, burn much hotter than MH, producing a light closer to that of natural sunlight. Due to their insulating value though, they also have a lower heat output, which means there is less likelihood of burning plant leaves as compared to MH or HPS bulbs.
• LECs can produce light spectrum sufficient to support both the vegetative stage of plant growth as well as its flowering stage.

Cons of CMH Grow Lights

• Only magnetic ballasts can be used for LEC bulbs and they cannot be placed on an angle; only straight up and down or horizontal.
• Cost. Being a newer technology, these are still fairly pricey.
• There is a danger to growers due to the amount of UV light produced by LECs. Growers are advised to wear long-sleeved shirts and sunglasses if they are going to be working under any LEC lighting.

LED Grow Lights

Horticulture Lighting Group HLG-550 V2 Rspec

LED grow lights are also relatively new in the world of artificial lighting, but are being widely used. The benefits to using LED grow lights are numerous, but the major obstacle to switching over to them is the high initial cost.

As LED grow lights continue to become a major player in the world of grow lights, it is likely that their costs may continue to drop into a range that is more affordable to most home growers.

Pros of LED Grow Lights

• LEDs are energy efficient and are among the cheapest sources of artificial light to operate. They produce more light per watt than either fluorescents or HIDs. However, there are exceptions to this.
• LEDs run at cooler temperatures. Besides the energy savings, this means that the chance of burning your plants if considerably less than with some other types of grow lights. They are also among the longest-lasting of artificial lighting options.
• They are usually able to be directly plugged into to standard electrical outlets; some types can also be used in traditional light fixtures as well (no ballasts required for LEDs).
• The range of color spectra available is wide and can be customizable and adjustable depending on crop being grown and what stage of development.
• There are many manufacturers producing LED lighting with a wide range of features and benefits.
• LEDs are generally considered to be the easiest grow lights to use.

Cons of LED Grow Lights

• Cost can be prohibitory when it comes to opting for LEDS. They are many times more expensive than other grow light options.
• Some LEDs, in an effort to reduce consumer cost, emit less light than other types of grow lights. You can avoid this if the LED light selected is at least 2.0 micromoles per watt of energy.
• Depending on manufacturer, LEDs are not always strong enough for the flowering phase. This drawback may become obsolete as technology improves, and even now some LED systems do produce enough light, but be sure to do your homework when selecting the right LED for your particular crop.
• Reflectors may be needed to realize the full benefit of your LED lights. This may not be a true “con”, but unlike with HIDs, where it is expected, most LED systems are sold with the contention that no other items are required.

CONCLUSION

Hopefully, you’ve found this list helpful and it will make sure you know where to start when planning your indoor growing. While there are a lot of options out there, this list should have explained what you should be looking for and what to avoid when growing plants under lights. Remember to choose your cannabis grow light carefully and don’t listen to a lot of the false advice and misinformation that is around when it comes to creating your own indoor growpackage. With these tips in mind, you’ll be creating beautiful blooms or giant vegetables in no time.

If you’ve got any other tips for growers who want to use this method, please comment below. And if you’ve found the advice useful, please share this post with your friends and family.