What is the best grow light, HPS, CMH, or LED?2021 Update

Indoor gardening can be rewarding and cost efficient if you choose the right light for your location and understand the needs of your plants.

One of the crucial elements a cannabis plant needs is light. During photosynthesis, a plant converts light energy into chemical energy, allowing it to grow strong and healthy, and with cannabis in particular, light also fuels bud production.

When growing outdoors you can harness the power of the sun, but in an indoor environment, sunlight is mimicked through the use of grow light bulbs, which aim to display the same spectrum of light as the sun.

Grow lights allow you to control exactly how much light your plants receive, ensuring they get the same amount of light day after day, without the grower having to solve problems with bad weather or cloudy days that happen in an outdoor environment.

Some grow lights are more expensive than others, but also more efficient, saving money in the long run. Some lights are bulky with many parts, some light in weight, and some are better suited for young or mature plants.

There are many different kinds of lights out there, so it can be daunting to know where to begin. Here’s a guide to four basic types of grow lights on the market and the pros and cons of each.

TYPES OF GROW LIGHTS

HID

High intensity discharge (HID) lights are the most popular type of lights for growing indoors due to the intensity of the light that they put out. However, they may not be the best choice if you’re just starting seeds for spring or not growing anything that will flower or fruit indoors. They are quite powerful and often relatively cheap, but their bulbs die sooner than other types of lights and they can cost more than other lights to run every month.

Fluorescent

Fluorescent lights, especially T5 grow lights, are extremely popular for new indoor growers for a few reasons:

• They put out enough light for most indoor growers who are rooting cuttings, starting seeds, or growing vegetative-only plants (lettuce, greens, etc.)

• They are more energy efficient and cost less to run every day

• They are relatively inexpensive

• They come in many different combinations of bulbs and lengths

The most common type of fluorescent grow light is a T5 system, usually with 2 or 4 bulbs that are either 2’ or 4’ long. A great basic setup has 4 bulbs and is 2’ long, making a perfect indoor seed starting or greens garden.

Because T5 lights are less intense than their HID counterparts, they are usually good for plants that are not grown to their flowering or fruiting stage. Many commercial gardeners use T5 lights to start seeds, propagate cuttings, or grow leafy greens and herbs.

MH (Metal halide)

These CMH grow lights bulbs contain mercury and metal halides, produce a blueish light, and are commonly used for vegetative growth. They require a ballast to regulate the current. In the past, ballasts have been big and bulky, but digital ones are now available.

LEDS

One of the newer lighting technologies to come onto the indoor growing scene are led grow lights. They’ve been around for a few years and got a bad rap when they first came on the market due to dubious claims by manufacturers. Thankfully, the industry has cleaned up their act and LED grow lights are now some of the most popular and effective. They use an extremely low amount of energy relative to the intensity of light they put out, and their customizability makes them an excellent choice for beginning indoor growers.

Because they are composed of many smaller diodes, manufacturers are able to customize the light spectrum for specific purposes, like starting seeds in preparation for the spring gardening season.

Whichever light you go with, be sure to consider your unique gardening needs and select the right light for your situation. On top of that, make sure you know how to operate and position your light for maximum effectiveness. Growing indoors may seem daunting, but with a few practice runs you’ll be producing greens, seedlings, cuttings, and more in the comfort of your own home.

Indoor gardening requires a different set of supplies and techniques than traditional outdoor gardening. The key is to recreate the light, water, and temperature of outdoor gardening in order to trick plants into growing as they would in a more natural environment. One key component of successful indoor growing is providing plants with adequate amounts of light. However, this can be difficult to achieve without a sunroom or copious skylights and large windows.

Gardeners skirt this challenge by creating false sunlight with the use of growing lights. But artificial lights are not all built the same and each offer a few pros and cons. Plus, in order to choose the right type of light, you must consider the needs of the plants you intend to grow. With all of that in mind, here are some things to consider when choosing grow lights for your indoor garden.

Location

Using the artificial light from grow lamps allows you to grow crops year round as space allows indoors. However, your individual situation might require anything from a supplemental light source to extend the daylight your plants already receive to full-cycle lighting in a space with no natural light. When evaluating grow lights, think about where your plants will be located and how much supplemental light they will need to induce photosynthesis.

Heat

In addition to light, lamps offer varying amounts of heat. This is a careful characteristic to consider because some plants require more heat such as tropical species. Other indoor plants such as snow peas or lettuce might prefer a cool environment. Crops grown under lamps that get hot to the touch should not be allowed to come into contact with the bulbs. Hot bulbs will burn plants and ruin the crop.

Cost

Every home gardener gives some consideration to cost, and grow lights are no exception to that goal. Small bulbs can cost as little as few dollars each while large operations can run you thousands of dollars.

Spectrum

Another consideration is the light spectrum that the bulbs provide. Without getting too technical, certain types of bulbs filter out the lights in the spectrum that your plants need. This rating can be found on the packaging of the bulbs. A 2700K bulb will be a good starting point for flowers, but is not high enough for vegetables. In general, vegetables require 6500K, which is a wide-spectrum option.

Fluorescent

Fluorescent bulbs are available in a range of sizes and wattage outputs, making them a common choice for the home indoor gardener. The long tubes are ideal for indoor garden boxes while a smaller, compact bulb can still offer some benefits. Pay attention to the output and use a light meter to test different areas around your space. For the typical household gardener, T5 fluorescents do a great job during propagation, but a T8 is required for vegetation and flowering.

LED

Another popular growing light option is LED. This newer technology provides extraordinary amounts of light with very little energy required. Plus, they are relatively inexpensive to operate and can be quite compact. They are also the longest-lasting option. Note, however, that LED lights do not provide any heat. That could leave your plants to freeze in a cold garage, shed, or basement. Also the initial cost to switch over from another system can be high.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS)

You may have heard about HPS grow lights because HPS bulbs have been touted as the most efficient type of growing light bulb. That’s because efficiency is rated on the amount of lumens produced by each watt of electricity. So while LED lights are by far the most energy conserving, the HPS bulbs turn the energy they do use into higher levels of output (85-100 lumens per watt). That makes HPS lights a great choice for areas that receive zero natural light or for large operations that need high output to cover the crops. The big problem with these lights is that they require specialized ballasts to operate. In other words, they can’t run off your regular household electricity 110 or 240-volt source. Also, HPS lights produce a lot of heat and risk scorching plants.

ECO Farm ECOGreen 100W led grow light is best recommend for you.

Pros:

• Offers a full spectrum with the latest white light technology

• Tested and proven to provide the highest yield on plants

• Produces 40% more light to the canopy with less 10W

Cons:

• Produces a little noise that comes from its fan

• The COBs gets too hot than necessary which can burn you

Conclusion

Regardless of type of bulb you decide on, it’s important to incorporate reflective devices in your design. That’s because typical grow lights fan out the light they produce, resulting in a lower lumen reading at the bottom of the grow box than at the top (closer to the lights) and also light lost out to the sides of where the crops are located. Reflection, as the name suggests, reflects the escaping light back onto your plants and maximizes the level of light they receive.

In summary, the truth is that there is no one simple answer to the perfect grow light. Consider your budget and growing needs to make the best decision for your situation.