Best Lighting for Cannabis Growing

Let's take a look at the best lighting for cannabis growing.

There are 2 Types of High Intensity Discharge Lights (HID)

 High Pressure Sodium (HPS)

HPS lights are great for flowering. They have a lifespan of around 18,000 hours, or 12 to 18 months.  HPS lights give off a lot of heat. Small HPS bulbs, 100 and 250 watts should be hung about 2 to 3 feet above the cannabis plants to avoid burning.

Medium sized HPS bulbs, such as 400W and 600W should be hung about 4 feet above the cannabis plants, while large HPS bulbs, 1000W and up, should be hung about 4 to 6 feet above the plants. HPS lights lack in the blue color of the spectrum, so they are not very good for the vegetative growth period.

Some of the best HPS lights for cannabis growing are made by:

-Hortilux

-Lumatek

-SolisTek

Metal Halide (MH)

Metal Halide bulbs primarily emit light in the blue spectrum of colors.  They are great for the vegetative growth period.  Metal Halide bulbs do not last as long as HPS, only about 10,000 hours.

Other Types of Lights for Indoor Cannabis Growing

Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL’s)

CFL lights are commonly used in the early stages of the cannabis plants life.  They do not give off much heat so they are also used a lot inside tents and tight spaces.  CFL’s come in various wattage amounts. We recommend at least 42 watts.

Common sizes for growing cannabis are 42W, 65W, 85W, 125W, and 250W.

CFL’s are cheaper than HID lights and are a good choice for indoor tent grows.  You can use them throughout the entire plants life if you want.

Light Emitting Diode (LED’s)

LED lights have come a long ways in recent years. Prices have dropped, and they have become the go-to choice for many cannabis growers. LED’s can have all the colors that cannabis plants need, all in the one light. LED’s are bright, use a small amount of energy in the room, and produce less heat than HID bulbs.

They are usually sold in flat sheets, that give a nice amount of light evenly across a canopy of plants. Although still more expensive than HPS and MH, LED’s can save a grower money over time. And the latest advancements in technology are at times blowing HID lights away.

Some of the highest rated LED lights for marijuana growing are from:

–California Light Works

-HydroGrow LED

-Blackdog LED

-Kind LED

-Bios Lighting

Induction Lighting

Induction lighting is somewhat of a newcomer to the cannabis industry, although the technology itself has been out for hundreds of years. They are unique in that they use induction or electromagnetic fields to transfer power. Whereas other types of lights rely on electrical connections or electrodes.

There are numerous names for induction lighting going around:

• Plasma Grow Lights
• Magnetic Induction Grow Lights
• Full Spectrum Plasma Lights
• Sulfur Plasma Grow Lights

Magnetic induction lights do not give off much heat and last a long time, on average around 100,000 hours. They do not require a ballast at all.  Instead, they can be plugged directly into an electrical outlet. They are quiet since there are no cooling fans running while they are on.

They are currently one of the hottest topics amongst cannabis growers.  Some growers swear by their ability to out produce any other light on the market today.

Some popular brands for induction lights for cannabis are:

-Inda-Gro

-Rocket Plasma

-Alphalite

To learn our most recommended types of lighting for growing weed, and tips from top cannabis growers visit Cannabis Training University.