Introduction:
In the last blog we discussed the importance of Proper Spacing, Plant Environment and understanding Soils and Mediums. In addition, it is important to highlight that as a grower you must look out for signs of stress and aim to remedy these issues. As well, when the system is dialed in and your plants are thriving, they will do their best when you maintain consistency. For the next topic, we will review some options for Lighting in the market today.
Plant Variable #3: VEG-Lights, HPS & LED Lighting
When it comes to lighting there are many styles and types of lights that can help you achieve the optimal outcome desired. While your plants are growing in their vegetative state, maturing and producing new nodes, they do best under low intensity lighting with lots of blue light spectrum. Vice versa, while in flower stage, cannabis plants like to take up high intensity light, promoting bud site development under red light spectrums.
T5 & CFL Lighting:
In Veg, the ideal and most cost effective light would be something like a T5 florescent/LED or a CFL bulb near the plants.
Advantages:
Cost Effective and use very little additional power to provide your plants the energy needed
Lots of blue rays promoting great stacking and increased node development
Low intensity allows for lights to be positioned closer to the plants in comparison to higher intensity lighting
Disadvantages:
Not powerful enough for bud site production while in flower
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) Lighting:
HPS lights fall under another category called High Intensity Discharge or HID. Many of these lights, other than HPS, are inefficient and mainly used for veg. When it comes to flowering, we recommend HPS under the HID category.
Advantages:
High Intensity light ideal for growing big indoor cannabis plants
Increased bud sizes and yield
Orange and red rays promote faster bud site production
Disadvantages:
Excessive heat discharged from the light may need to be mitigated via ventilation systems to maintain proper temperatures in the grow space
If there is not enough space between the lights and the plant canopy, the plants can get burned and force the buds to foxtail
Energy costs are much higher with HPS lighting
LED Lighting:
Advantages:
Most popular style of lighting and easiest to use among beginners
Has a built-in ballast and cooling system so you do not need to buy them separately
Consumes much less power while still providing a higher output
Said to promote and increase resin production
Generates less heat so plants can grow closer to the light compared to other systems
Disadvantages:
Lower yields than HPS on average
Although it is lower intensity, it still needs space between the plants in order to properly penetrate through the canopy
Higher startup costs
In part 3 of our next blog, we will be discussing Nutrients, their break down and Organics vs. Synthetic. Follow us on Instagram at Canna_Res and on Facebook for more!
Comments