Best Grow Lights for Hydroponic Grow System 2019
Indoor grow lights are an intrinsic part of hydroponics setups as they provide the light needed by plants to grow without the natural radiance of the sun.
There are three main types of lights that hydroponic gardeners use to grow their plants. These are Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL Grow Lights); High Intensity Discharge (HID Grow Lights), which includes both High Pressure Sodium (HPS Grow Lights) and Metal Halide (MH Grow Lights) bulbs; and Light-Emitting Diode (LED Grow Lights) lights. Each category has its own advantages and disadvantages, with a huge variety of sizes, prices, and quality levels for each.
HID-High Intensity Diode Lighting
High Intensity Diode lights are the main lights used by growers. This is because they produce the most useable light for plants and therefore produce the highest yield/m2 and fastest growth rates. They have also been around for a long time so growers are comfortable with them.
HID Grow Lights come in two different varieties of bulb: HPS and MH. Most growers who use HID lighting will use HPS and MH bulbs in their grow room and change the type of bulb depending on the stage their plants are at in the growth cycle.
HPS Grow Lights emit a wave length that is best for plants when they are in their flowering cycle. HPS bulbs are generally used when growers are ready for their plants to start flowering as they will create the largest and most dense flowers.
MH Grow Lights emit a wave length best suited to plants in their vegetative cycle when the grower wants the plants focused on growing more leaves, branches, and root systems. MH bulbs will grow the body and foliage of a plant faster than an equivalent HPS bulb. Growers will generally use MH bulbs early in their plants’ growing cycle and then change to a HPS bulb when they tell their plants to begin the flowering process.
Pros:
There are three main types of lights that hydroponic gardeners use to grow their plants. These are Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL Grow Lights); High Intensity Discharge (HID Grow Lights), which includes both High Pressure Sodium (HPS Grow Lights) and Metal Halide (MH Grow Lights) bulbs; and Light-Emitting Diode (LED Grow Lights) lights. Each category has its own advantages and disadvantages, with a huge variety of sizes, prices, and quality levels for each.
HID-High Intensity Diode Lighting
High Intensity Diode lights are the main lights used by growers. This is because they produce the most useable light for plants and therefore produce the highest yield/m2 and fastest growth rates. They have also been around for a long time so growers are comfortable with them.
HID Grow Lights come in two different varieties of bulb: HPS and MH. Most growers who use HID lighting will use HPS and MH bulbs in their grow room and change the type of bulb depending on the stage their plants are at in the growth cycle.
HPS Grow Lights emit a wave length that is best for plants when they are in their flowering cycle. HPS bulbs are generally used when growers are ready for their plants to start flowering as they will create the largest and most dense flowers.
MH Grow Lights emit a wave length best suited to plants in their vegetative cycle when the grower wants the plants focused on growing more leaves, branches, and root systems. MH bulbs will grow the body and foliage of a plant faster than an equivalent HPS bulb. Growers will generally use MH bulbs early in their plants’ growing cycle and then change to a HPS bulb when they tell their plants to begin the flowering process.
Pros:
- HID lights will initially cost a lot less when compared to some other types of grow lights. They are easy to set up and to operate, and they are proven a proven standardised solution able to get excellent results.
- Powerful HID lights in the 600W range or more can produce big amounts of heat. This means you will need adequate exhausts and vents in your grow room. Also, because HID bulbs degrade over time, their life span is somewhat limited. You will have to replace your bulbs periodically. Some growers get new bulbs every year while others grow with them a little longer.
- HID lights cannot just plugged-in to a regular light socket because they need a special hood and ballast. As such, they are extremely power hungry, and can significantly increase electricity bills.
LED-Light Emitting Diode Grow Lights
Indeed, LED lights had no place in cannabis growing a couple of years ago. Most growers considered them suitable for clones and seedling on lights. LED technology has, however, improved significantly.
The best LED grow lights boast well-thought-out designs and capability. They provide more lumens per watt powered by COB (Chips on Board) technology. In short, you can use LEDs to grow the most demanding cannabis strains without having to worry about light intensity. You’re better off with LED lighting if you were to compare LEDs vs. CFLs, for instance.
When we match the differences between LED and HPS here, it makes perfect sense to conclude that LEDs can compete with or even exceed the performance of HPS lights. It is essential to emphasize, however, that you must get the right one to reap the maximum benefits.
Pros:
- LEDs have an extremely long lifespan relative to every other lighting technology (including fluorescent lights). New LEDs can last 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more. The typical lifespan for a fluorescent bulb, by comparison, is 10-25% as long at best (roughly 10,000 hours).
- LEDs are extremely energy efficient relative to every other commercially available lighting technology. There are several reasons for this to include the fact they waste very little energy in the form of infrared radiation (much different than most conventional lights to include fluorescent lights), and they emit light directionally (over 180 degrees versus 360 degrees which means there are far fewer losses from the need to redirect or reflect light).
- Very high light quality.
- Very low maintenance costs and hassle.
Cons:
- Considering the upside you might think that LED lights are a no-brainer. While this is increasingly becoming the case, there are still a few tradeoffs that need to be made when you choose LED:
- In particular, LED lights are relatively expensive. The up-front costs of an LED lighting project are typically greater than most of the alternatives. This is by far the biggest downside that needs to be considered. That said, the price of LEDs are rapidly decreasing and as they continue to be adopted en masse the price will continue to drop.
CFL-Compact Fluorescent Lighting
Fluorescent lights are a specific type of gas-discharge light (also known as a High Intensity Discharge, HID or arc light). CFL is an acronym that stands for Compact Fluorescent Light. Standard fluorescent lights are available in tubes (generally 48 to 84 inches in length).
CFLs are much smaller. They are still tubes but they are, as the name implies, “compact.” CFLs were designed to replace standard applications for incandescent bulbs as they are both more efficient and longer lasting. Fluorescent lamps produce light by converting ultraviolet emissions with a fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube.
UV radiation is generated in the first place by an electrical charge that is run through the inert mercury glass internal to the bulb. The gas is excited by the electricity and releases ultraviolet radiation as a consequence.
Pros:
Cheapest type of grow lights to purchase. Very low heat output meaning that you can have a simple setup without large extraction fans.
Cons:
Not good for flowering or fruit producing plants, not full spectrum nor very powerful.
Best hydroponics led grow lights
- Eco Farm is a top brand for high quality, professional level LED grow lights. These grow lights range from 120W to 480W, perfect for small to medium sized grow ops.
- Full spectrum and can be used for all growth stages, from seedlings to flowering. These lights are light weight, modular, and easy to hand or daisy chain for a custom lighting design. Each light has a lifespan of 50,000 hours, in part thanks to their built in fans that reduce heat damage.
- With the open hood, double ended bulb design your bulbs are fully utilized and able to project all their power to your plants below with no light wasted. Boasting 30% more efficiency over single ended bulbs, you can expect a huge coverage area of up too 100 square feet. This is the preferred hood of professional growers for its unsurpassed quality, superior spectrum, and amazing price.
- Featuring an adjustable watt range, you can effectively set this lamp to any settings. Experience the ease of use and compatibility for a wide array of double ended lamps. Industrial grade internal components provide steady power, increased PAR, eliminates flicker and boosted yields.
Conclusion
With the availability of all these lighting systems and the right information, your plants now stand a chance of growing to be healthy.
Comments
Post a Comment