Indoor weed growers need to grow lights for their plants. Their choice of grow lights are focused on either LED or HID grow lights. Each one of them has its advantages over the other. Indoor growers understand which grow light is better than the other.
The main problem for an indoor weed grower is the absence or scarcity of sunlight. Weed, just like other plants, need photosynthesis for growth. This process requires an ample supply of sunlight. In the scarcity or total absence of sunlight, the plant needs an artificial source of light that will approximate sunlight.
Indoor plant growers have learned to use grow lights as either a substitute or to supplement sunlight to ensure that their plants receive ample light for growth. The most popular types of grow lights are the HID or High-Intensity Discharge lights and the LED or Light Emitting Diodes light. Different indoor growers have their preferences as to the type of grow lights for weed.
LED Grow Lights
The LED grow lights have become very popular among many indoor weed growers. Growers have chosen the LED to grow lights over the HID grow lights because of various reasons, which include the following:
- LED lights have a longer lifespan
- LED lights a have a higher energy conversion efficiency
- LED lights provide good color rendering and temperature
- LED lights have a low decline of light efficiency
- LED lights have an instant startup at full potential. There is no more waiting to get the full potential of the lights
- There are no toxic materials in the LED lights
- LED lights require low maintenance cost
- LED lights have a low heat output
- LED grow lights require a bigger initial investment as they cost a lot more than HID grow lights, but indoor growers save money in the long run
There are good LED grow lights that are available on the market for the indoor weed growers including the following:
- Advanced Platinum LED Series P300 12-band LED grow light – Dual Veg/Flower Full Spectrum
- Galaxyhydro LED Grow Plant Light 300w Hydroponic Plant Grow Lamp
- MarsHydro Mars300 and Mars600
- KingTM 1200 w Power Full Spectrum 360-860nm 10 bands Plants Grow and Bloom
- TaoTronics E27 Growing Lamp 12 in Best 3 Bands Growing Combination (660nm and 630 nm Red and 460nm Blue)
- EcoSuma 120-Degree Beam Angle Big Irradiated Area 12w E27 Tri-Band Spectrum
HID Grow Lights
HID grow lights are tube-shaped lightbulbs that are hermetically closed and full of gas. The lightbulb generates light when the gas inside is ignited by a ballast that sends electrical charge between the electrical conductors, which are usually tungsten filaments.
While LED grow lights have become popular among many indoor growers, there are still many growers who prefer to use HID grow lights as they are inexpensive and have proven to be highly efficient. There are some shortcomings that indoor growers experienced with the HID grow lights including the following:
- HID grow lights have a poor color rendition
- HID grow lights consume more energy
- HID grow lights are more costly to maintain
- HID grow lights have a comparatively shorter lifespan
- HID grow lights are noted for their slow startup
- HID grow lights have a low color temperature
The High-Pressure Sodium Bulb is one of the more popular HID grow lights on the market. The Gavita Pro 1000 (906050) is a newer model of the HPS grow light. The Gavita Pro is a double-ended HPS bulb that comes with a professional 1000-watt high-frequency electronic ballast.
This grow light is adjustable to 600/660/750/1000/1150 watts. It has a solid-state design that produces 2000 μmol/sec PPF. The double-ended HPS bulb degrades slower than traditional single-ended HPS bulbs. It still has an output of 90% of the original intensity after 10,000 hours. It is more stable than traditional single-ended HPS bulbs, allowing them to have a 10% increase in light intensity and PAR output over traditional single-ended HPS bulbs. The Gavita HPS bulb has higher performance because the ballast comes attached to the reflector to prevent any RF interference.
Conclusion
Both LED and HID grow lights have their advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to cost efficiency, most of the LED grow lights require a bigger initial investment but are cheaper in the long run because of the longer lifespan. HID grow lights are generally cheaper than LED grow lights but the newer versions of HPS bulbs are more expensive than the traditional HID bulbs.
They also have longer lifespans than the traditional HID lights. The choice between LED and HID grow lights boils down to the personal preference of the indoor grower and the needs of the plants that they are growing. It is, therefore, not necessary to continue debating on the merits of each type of grow light and just leave the choice to the preference of the individual grower.
