Many countries around the globe have passed laws that slightly loosened the use of cannabis, encouraging many enthusiasts to grow their marijuana plants. Growers prefer to plant cannabis indoors to give themselves more control over their operation and also to avoid arrests in jurisdictions where planting cannabis is still prohibited. Also, some strains of cannabis grow better in an indoor environment.
For indoor cannabis growers, there is an accessory that is very important for the operation – grow lights. Grow lights are substitutes for the natural sunlight. However, not just any light will be sufficient to grow cannabis or other indoor plants. There are specific grow lights that support successful cannabis grow operations.
What is full-spectrum LED grow light?
The technology of LED grows light is a relatively new one. The constant improvements that research and development have brought allowed manufacturers the ability to produce a LED grow light with a multitude of different emission spectra.
The traditional LED grow light uses a combination of blue and red LEDs, resulting in what people see as pinkish-purple light emitted. This color is the result of mixing blue and red light. Traditional grow lights use this color formulation as it allows the plants to perform photosynthesis most effectively. However, this formulation covers only a narrow part of the entire visible spectrum. It is, therefore, not what is called a full spectrum.
While blue and red light is best at contributing to photosynthesis, other processes affect the health of the plant, which is not simply a matter of the amount of photosynthesis that occurred. Addressing the other processes will mean higher quality crops, higher nutrient content, and improved plant aesthetics.
A full spectrum entails a light that has energy that ranges from ultraviolet to infrared, the natural range of daylight. A light source that produces this type of spectrum will appear white. LED lights are unlike HID lights. HID lights like the iPower Grow Light already produce a full head spectrum of light.
The only difference between HPS and MH lights is the amount of red or blue wavelengths. Weed requires different types of light during different plant growth phases. With HID lights, the grower only needs to swap the HPS and MH lights when the plants shift from vegetative growth to the blooming phase.
A 600w HPS bulb is considered the most efficient HID light in terms of lumen per watt ratings. Other popular HID ratings are 400w, 1000w and 1200w.
Until recently LED was not considered an alternative to HID lights because they lacked white and blueBut not all white lights can be considered full spectrum. Full-spectrum LED light appears to be white because of the use of a phosphor coating. Coating a blue LED with a mixture of green, yellow, and red phosphors allow much wider coverage across the visible spectrum. Phosphors emit light of various wavelengths, resulting in a balanced mixture of colors that appear to be white.
Plants use only a portion of the visible light spectrum for photosynthesis. Such a portion is referred to as PAR. Full-spectrum, then, means that the light emitted covers the majority of the PAR range.
Plants contain chlorophyll and other pigments that absorb certain light wavelengths. By absorbing light, plants can create energy to fuel growth.
Recommended full spectrum LED grow lights
Marijuana and other indoor plant growers may use any of the following:
MarsHydro Mars 300 and Mars 600
Both the MarsHydro Mars 300w and the Mars 600w grow lights are user-friendly and they come with a full-spectrum design for better plant growth indoors. The LED grow light uses the true 5W high-intensity Epistar chip for stronger penetration and higher lumen. Two large cooling fans provide expanded heat distribution.
MarsHydro Eco 200W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Growing Veg and Flower
This LED grow light consumes only 192W ±10% replacing the typical 250W HPS or HID grow lights. It is 70% energy efficient.
MarsHydro Reflector 480W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Veg and Bloom
This Marshydro LED grow light gives users marvelous savings on their energy bills. This grow light runs 60% cooler than HID lights. It has marvelous cooling using silent-forced air intake/exhaust fans.
VIPARSPECTRA Reflector-Series 300W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum
This UK manufactured LED grow light has full-spectrum LEDs, with 12 different wavelengths of light. It gives off a very bright and powerful light.
Phlizon Newest Winter 600W LED Plant Grow Light
Those 600W LED grow lights have full-spectrum LED lights. It has variable light settings for various growth stages of the plants.
Conclusion
Marijuana and other indoor plants growers must be equipped with the accessories needed to successfully grow their crops indoors. Growers need many items to successfully grow marijuana, but none of those items are as important as choosing the grow lights. There are various styles of lamps that growers can use during marijuana indoor operation. LED grow lights have caught the attention of professional cannabis growers.
Whether a grower is just planning or currently growing cannabis but is not happy with the output, it is high time to learn more about full spectrum LED grow lights and why they are an important part of the growing operation.
