There are many people who, for some reason, are unable to grow their marijuana plant outside. Alternatively, they can choose to grow their Marijuana indoors, but it will need a better setup to replicate the perfect growing conditions. When your marijuana plant is derived from sunshine, it will not yield many sizeable buds. Advanced growers know this, and it is why they use the grow lights. Light is food for the cannabis plant, and a healthy growth indoors requires enough light. The good news, however, is that you can find the best lights online and fast-track your home-grown cannabis endeavors. Apart from the lights, can you buy weed seeds online? From the seeds, lights, and other necessary tools, you can find everything you need for your marijuana plantation online. When choosing the right light for your cannabis plant, you have to consider the following three things.
- Cost
- Heat
- And yield.
When starting, you can get confused by the many available options of grow lights in the market. But there are only three classes of Marijuana grow lights.
Fluorescent Grow Lights
Fluorescent lights are quite popular and readily available. They come in many different sizes and shapes that include tubes and twists on the bulb. Many people prefer using fluorescent because besides being energy-efficient, it is also affordable.
They emit very little heat, and most growers who have limited space should opt for fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs are also easy to connect, making it the best for low-key gardening to save on electricity consumption.
There are two main types of fluorescent bulbs.
The Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)
Anywhere there are light bulbs, you will most likely find the CFL bulbs. Their most significant advantage lies in their size as they fit in extremely tiny spaces that no other bulb can fit comfortably. An example of such a space is inside a cabinet.
T5 Grow Lights
They come as a panel or part of it. These are wider tubes and like the CFL also readily available. Though not as compact, they can still be kept close to plants without the fear of burning them with excess heat.
Fluorescent lights are suitable to use when the marijuana plant are still in their initial stages. They do not emit a lot of heat when the plant needs just a little energy compared to a high powered grow light.
The only con you get when using fluorescent lights is that they will give a slightly lower yield compared to other grow lights. You should not use fluorescent bulbs at the flowering stage when the buds are still forming. For every watt of light, you can expect 0.25 grams of bud per yield. Other grow lights will produce 2-4 times the amount of yield for every watt used.
The High-Intensity Discharge Grow Light (HID)
These are some oddly shaped lagged bulbs that are more powerful than the fluorescent light. To reflect more light downwards towards your marijuana plants, you should screw them to a reflector. HID lights are the best for growing cannabis, but they usually burn very hotly.
If you put them too close to your plants, they can burn from the excess heat emitted by the bulbs. To prevent this from happening, advanced growers usually create a vent to steer away from the excess heat. Using HID grow lights will make your cannabis plant have a higher bud yield when exposed at the flowering stage.
There are three kinds of HID lights. They are Metal Halides, MH, High-Pressure Sodium, HPS, and the Ceramic Metal halide, CMH. The best combination for the highest yield of growing Marijuana is the MH and HPS combo. Growers have used it with successful results, but only if you adhere to the guideline. Whereas it is true, they give the highest yield, HID grow lights are also costly and risky if you are a beginner and do not know when to change the lightings.
As a rule, because of the excess heat HID lights emit, they are suitable for growers with a huge indoor space. The least grow area should be at least 1.5 meters, which is five feet. When the plants are still young and at the vegetative stage, you should start with the MH lights. When the cannabis plant reaches the flowering stage, you should switch to the HPS grow lights.
It is possible to use only the HPS for cannabis growth and still get a better yield as they are optimum in all stages. HID Lights have a high penetration compared to other grow lights and give out thick and long colas.
A basic HID system setup includes
- Ballast. It is useful for starting and maintaining the arc of power necessary to light your bubs without blowing them off.
- Hood. You will use it to reflect the light to the bulbs giving you a wider reach.
- Timer. When on a schedule, it will automatically turn your lights on and off as programmed.
- Exhaust. The combination of a fan and duct will pull away heat from the grow light bulbs and vent them outside.
- Odor control. (Only if needed and you can afford)
- Grow tent. It is essential and highly recommended for a more spacious and controlled environment for growing your cannabis plants.
LED Grow Lights
They are the modern alternative to HID grow lights. They are suitable in all environments and have many perks that make them ideal for growing Marijuana with higher yields. Unlike HID grow lights that emit lots of heat LED lights run a lot cooler. They also come with an inbuilt cooling system. LED grow lights are easy to set up. For a smaller size marijuana plant, you can use a small LED bulb and just hung it over your plant without the need to add anything else.
Although the LED grow lights are cooler, they still give out a lot of heat. Some high wattage LED lighting (above 300W) system will need a vent to let out excess heat. Similar to the HID grow lights, they will also need adequate grow space between your cannabis plant and the lights. Even though some growers prefer the LED grow lights because of convenience, to get higher yields, nothing beats the HID grow lights system.
Finding the best grow light system that works for your cannabis plant depends on your expected results and cost. Small growers need a simple setup, while advanced growers need to know more about each stage of the marijuana plant. With quality seed genes from Home Grown Cannabis Company‘s extensive collection, the best grow lights, and practical growing skills, you are a step away from enjoying quality yields in line with your preferences.