Best Ceramic Metal Halide Lights (CMH Grow Lights) For Growing Cannabis 2020
The only disadvantage indoor WEED growers have over outdoor growers is the lack of natural light from the sun. However, this disadvantage does not deter indoor growers from getting the best out of their cannabis. Indoor weed looks healthier and it grows faster than that grown outdoors.
What you may consider a disadvantage is therefore an advantage. Indoor growers can control the growth of the crops by using nutrients, water and an effective lighting system. Cannabis grow lights are therefore a necessity for every indoor weed grower. There are different types of indoor grow lights that weed growers use for the different cycles of crop growth.
What are Ceramic Metal Halide grow lights?
Actually, Ceramic Metal Halide (or CMH) grow lights are not new; they were first developed in the late 60s, and it’s not until recently that they are acknowledged and used commonly as grow lights.
Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) or Light Emitting Ceramic (LEC) are two different terms, but both refer to the same technology. So basically, we can use these two interchangeably. In this article, I’ll mostly use CMH.
A CMH grow light is like a Metal Halide (MH) bulb, but while a MH bulb uses a standard quartz arc tube, CMH is built with a ceramic arc tube. This is similar to the material used for HPS grow lights. So that’s can be said that CMH is a mix between MH and HPS.
Since it uses ceramic arc material, CMH grow light is less degradative than both MH and HPS with up to 20,000 hours of lifespan. CMHs can operate at a higher pressure and emit stronger light output than HIDs as well.
The Sun System Light Emitting Ceramic Metal Halide line of lights is by far the best option on the market in 2020. Nothing else really comes close in terms of quality. Naturally, that means it’s a bit more expensive than most competing brands, but if you can afford it, it’s worth the extra cost.
It includes everything you need to light your plants, so you can just plug it in and start growing. You get an all-in-one hood reflector, which means it contains the ballast needed to power the lamp. The bulb socket is at the top of the hood, so the bulb hangs vertically. This makes for a more even light spread than a horizontal bulb.
The inside of the hood is 98% reflective German aluminum with 95% reflective textured corners. This ensures optimal output and uniformity, meaning you are losing as little light as possible from the reflection and there are no hot spots that can burn your plants. It gives you a coverage area of 4 by 4 feet.
Kicking things off is the powerful Yield Lab Professional Series 120/220v 630w Dual Bulb CMH Open Wing Complete Grow Light Kit. This CMH grow light kit offers dual Yield Lab 315w 3100K CMH bulbs to give your plants a strong light to grow under with a balanced spectrum of blue and red wavelengths to mimic the high noon sun. In fact, these bulbs are so balanced they even offer your plants an extra UVB spectrum most other MH bulbs leave out.The open wing design of the reflector also helps dissipate heat toward the top of the light instead of down toward the canopy of your plants. As well, its dimmable ballast allows you to decide whether you want 50%, 75%, or 100% of this CMH’s light, so if you’re looking for a powerful light that can still keep things relatively cool, the Yield Lab Professional Series 120/220v 630w Dual Bulb CMH Open Wing Complete Grow Light Kit is the kit you’re looking for.
The Eco Farm 630-Watt CMH Dual Open Grow Light Fixture comes with nearly everything you need to get started. The fixture and suspension cables and bulbs are included.
When it comes to coverage, this system can be used in a 6-foot x 6-foot area, allowing you to have a larger growing space without needing additional lights. The light has been optimized for the bloom phase, meaning there is more red light, but still offers full-spectrum light to support all growth phases.
However, with its larger coverage area, it could allow indoor gardeners to get the coverage they need with a single light instead of two.
We’ve extensively explored CMH technology, not only do they save you energy and produce less heat per watt used and provide very good light spread, but they’re also a complete-cycle growing solution suitable for most green and flowering crops with their balanced spectrum output, UV supplementation and the capability to be hanged in any position over the canopy.
The only downside right now is their high price, which hopefully will decrease as they flood the market and become a more accessible option for growers looking to step up their grow.
Comments
Post a Comment