When it comes to marijuana – there are two types of people in this world. Those who support it and those who are against it. Those who support it can be further divided into those who smoke it and those who don’t smoke it. Those who smoke weed can be divided into those who grow their own weed vs those who buy their weed. Finally, those who grow their weed can choose to either grow it indoors or grow it outdoors. While growing your weed outdoors means you are leaving much to nature, growing it indoors gives you a much higher level of control over the quality of your cannabis, as well as the potency and the strength of your weed!
Why choose an LED grow light over any other kind of light?
LED grow lights are the most efficient, hands down.
You won’t believe how much you can save in electricity costs by switching to, or starting with, a Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights system.
Their longevity is astounding when compared to the lifespan of other grow lights, they make temperature control for your grow room easier than ever, and the better spectrum they offer will boost the yield of your plants.
How the Light Works？
Certain plants grow better during certain seasons. This is because, at different times of the year, the sun is providing them with different things.
LED grow lights work by replicating this process as close to nature as possible within their indoor environment.
Most LED lights are full spectrum.
This means you’re getting blue light, as well as red lights. These lights are at opposite sides of the spectrum of the light provided by the sun, and having these lights allows you to better duplicate the sun’s process.
In order to get the most out of your LED light, you need to find one that provides this spectrum.
Since most do, this isn’t at all a difficult process.
While it all just seems like colors, your plants are actually eating these colors, and they’re an important part of their diet.
Since HID lights are so intense, they dry out the soil much faster than LED light setups. To avoid potentially overwatering your plants, please check the soil instead of blindly following a pre-determined schedule.
Pros
7-pound weight makes moving light a breeze
Designed to optimize the cross-coverage process in areas that contain more than four plants
Can penetrate up to 60 inches past the plant canopy
Lack of ballast simplifies installation
Comes with a power cord and hanging equipment
8-band genuine light spectrum
Comes with Zener protection to maximize life when diodes may blow over time
Covers over six square feet
Bright light
Does not require a ballast
Doesn’t generate much heat
Cons
May require a red UFO light to supplement the flowering stage
The light runs relatively cold so you may need to add a heat source
SUNRAISE QB3000 Dimmable LED Grow Lights with IR
Pros
Bright light
Worth the price
Full-Spectrum
Has Infrared
Generates little amount of heat
Ideal for boosting flower development
Energy efficient
Cons
Fans are quite loud
Some buttons tend to be lost
What Features Should You Look For In Best LED Grow Lights?
If you’re convinced LED grow lights are right for you, then you’re probably wondering how to choose the right brand. To help you on your quest, let’s run through a few significant features.
Just because most LED grow lights are easy to set up doesn’t mean you can’t run into problems. Here are two of the most common issues people have with LEDs and how to fix them.
The best LED grow lights will be full spectrum. This means that on top of providing red, blue and green light, full spectrum LED grow lights will also give infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light. This will allow you to provide the correct light throughout the entire growing process without having to switch bulbs or utilize different grow lights.
LED grow lights will come with some sort of wattage number attached. Very high watts will produce greater light than LED lights with low watts. However, just knowing how many watts a light produce isn’t the most helpful metric. After all, watts are only a measure of electricity.
What you really should consider is the amount of light that is being produced by those watts. And the wavelengths that are being produced. Knowing how much light the LED is capable of providing, and the type of light (as related to the colour spectrum) the LED diodes can create, are much more effective parameters to consider.
As mentioned above, when comparing LED lights to incandescent and CFL light bulbs, LEDs tend to be more efficient than older lighting technology. However, not all LED grow lights are the same efficiency-wise. It depends on quality.
The fact of the matter is that a good LED build is only 80% efficient. The other 20% is converted to heat.
If you want to ensure that your LEDs are as efficient as possible, it is okay to spend some cash. Remember, these things should last for decades. Which takes us to our next point, durability.
If you are considering your LED purchase as an investment, then you will want to keep it around a long time to make it worth your while. Purchasing an LED lighting system that comes from a trusted brand, is constructed from high quality materials and is protected under some sort of warranty is the best course of action. Peace of mind that your purchase is protected is priceless.
Don’t Burn Your Buds – Avoiding Light Burn
Yes, LED grow lights are less intense than HIDs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t burn your buds. Many COB LEDs can be just as bright as high-grade HIDs.
Unfortunately, there’s no optimal distance for every LED light. Figuring out what works best for your buds requires daily monitoring and experimentation. Always inspect your flowers for warning signs of light burn, which includes yellow fan leaves, brown-edged leaves, and bleach-white buds.
In general, you should keep your LED grow lights at least 18” away from your plants during the flowering stage. During all other stages of development, you might need to keep your LED lights between 20 – 30” away for optimal growth.
Watch Out For Overwatering
One mistake that experienced cannabis growers make when using LED lights is overwatering their plants. Usually, this is an issue for growers who are transitioning to LEDs after using HIDs.
Light Cycles and Growth Cycles
For your plants to bud as best as possible, you need to pay careful attention to how much light they’re getting during certain parts of their development, as well as how much darkness they’re getting.
You’re not only trying to replicate natural day, but also natural night.
Seedlings and clones require the most amount of light to get started
Sometimes, 24 hours of light is completely suitable for these stages of the plant.
The important thing is that you’re providing no more than six hours of darkness for these plants that are really depending on the light to get strong.
Plants in the vegetative stage will require 18 hours of light to reach their fullest potential.
The six hours of darkness they receive is vital in giving them a break. This darkness is like their sleep, and it’s helping them store their energy appropriately.
Overtaxing your plants can cause premature death before you even reach the flowering stage.
It’s very important you let them have their rest.
During the flowering stage, energy conservation is the most important. It takes a lot of your plant to produce a healthy bud, and they’ll need to rest for an amount of time equal to their growth.
A good rule here is to divide the light cycle directly in half. One hour of rest for every hour of growth is crucial, so 12 light hours and 12 dark hours will give you the best result.
These light cycles are best handled by placing your lights on a timer.
If you’re sleeping or away from your grow room when the light needs to be turned off or on, your plants are going to suffer.
They require a strict routine that they can predict. They can’t afford to be in darkness or under light for too long because it will compromise their health.
Always set your lights on a timer for strict regulation.
Full spectrum lighting is the revolutionary future of all indoor gardening. The advantages of the lights far outweigh the negatives.
If you seek robust vegetative growth and an ample harvest, then you should invest in LED lighting.
The three full spectrum lights reviewed in this article are all ideal for most grow rooms.
The seven LED grow lights reviewed in this article have all been proven to be ideal for most indoor grow spaces.
Just consider your indoor garden growing environments so you can optimize the capacity of your spectrum lights and maximize plant yields.