How far should led lights be from cannabis?
Nowadays, there are many types of cannabis grow lights on the market. The main types of cannabis grow lights are HID or high-intensity discharge lamps (HPS), CFL or compact fluorescent lamps, and of course LED grow lamps. When indoor cannabis grow light first became popular in the 1990s, HID lamps were the most commonly used marijuana cultivation grow lamps. This is because they produce just enough lumens to grow marijuana indoors.
However, the price of HID grow lamps is not cheap. Growers who cannot afford to buy them will turn to CFL. Although the efficiency is not high during the flowering period, they can complete the work most of the time. Usually, these grow lights are the only option for growers who operate on a smaller scale or who plant several plants for personal use. Over the years, CFL has gained some popularity, but they will never be as popular as HID lamps, which are trusted by growers all over the world. It seems that the most advanced LED grow light technology has completely changed the greenhouse cultivation and indoor cultivation. Of course, if you don’t want to deal with the inconvenience of building pipes or exhaust systems, LED grow lights are a great choice for you. You can customize and select the desired spectrum using LEDs.
Of course, using LED lights to grow marijuana has many advantages:
1 – cost effectiveness: LED technology is now more widely available and available, which means it is more affordable. Because LEDs are more efficient and use less power, you will also see a reduction in energy costs.
2 – less heat: LED lights emit less heat than most other plant light settings.
3 – more environmentally friendly: compared with other lighting systems, LED lamps consume less power.
4 – high yield: LED lights can produce higher yield in your cannabis plant under colder conditions. LED lights containing ultraviolet light can increase the effectiveness of weed crops and resin.
LED plant grow lights need to keep an appropriate distance from cannabis plants. If they are too far away, it may not provide the required light and heat for plants need. If you are too close, you may burn plants and reduce the coverage area. Growers need to consider two factors – the time to provide light to plants and the amount of light to plants! In addition, there is also a direct correlation between the wattage of LED grow lamp and the distance maintained. The greater the power, the stronger the luminous effect. Cannabis has three main stages: seedling, vegetation and flowering. Different stages of LED growth lamps have different effects on them. The distance between LED lights and plants is also different.
1-seedling
Cannabis seedlings are very fragile and require less light intensity. Too much light will dry the soil, so you should place the LED higher and farther at this stage. Of course, it is difficult to determine the exact distance, because it depends on the wattage of your led plant lamp. As a general rule of thumb, marijuana seedlings are safe between 24 and 36 inches from your lamp.
2 – vegetation
At this stage, your cannabis plant will need more light for photosynthesis, so the LED lights should be placed closer. The distance between the top of hemp crop and LED light source shall be 12-24 inches. If the height cannot be adjusted, the light intensity should be modified. General LEDs have dimming function, which can change the intensity of care through dimming.
3-flowering
When your marijuana enters the flowering stage. Place the LED light 16-36 inches from the crown of the cannabis plant to maximize photosynthesis.
At the same time, be very careful to place the LED lights for marijuana too close to avoid damaging or burning the plants. The red LED is very suitable for the flowering period of cannabis plants to promote bud development and stem acceleration. They also contribute to potency and resin production for healthy yields.
In short, the LED grow light system is the best choice for indoor growth. Because compared with the old / traditional grow lighting system (fluorescent lamp / high pressure sodium lamp / metal halide), LED grow light provides better light power without any harmful chemicals. In addition, they are more energy efficient, helping to save electricity bills. LED plant grow lamps tend to have longer service life (averaging about 50000 hours). For most modern growers, the best option is to obtain full spectrum LED grow lights, enabling them to provide light needs for different kinds of plants easily through different stages of growth.