The Cannabis Growlight Battle

All plants, including cannabis plants, need light to thrive. When grown outdoors, the plants with the best access to sunlight usually grow best. This is similar to operating indoors, although they have little access to sunlight. Grow lights are an artificial medium to provide cannabis plants with robust and nourishing light to initiate a perfect growth and flowering phase.

LED grow lights

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are the new kids on the cannabis block. This technology is quickly gaining popularity among indoor growers around the world. When it was first developed, producers assured growers that it would provide increased growth, higher yields, and an overall increase in potency in plants. The low cost appealed to growers, but they were soon disappointed as early products failed to deliver on promises. Instead, they gained popularity as a cheaper alternative to other grow lights with subpar results.

LED manufacturers have gone back to the drawing board and have come out with newer and better products. These new LEDs may be close to HPS in terms of cannabis productivity. Premium LEDs have been tested and proven to produce impressive cannabis plants with increased yields and potency. The same does not apply to normal LEDs.

HPS grow lights

For decades, high-pressure sodium lamps have set the standards for the cannabis industry. These plant lamps come in different sizes, shapes and wattages. They are very versatile and affordable.

The HPS light is modeled after the High Intensity Discharge lighting system, making it relatively cheaper than other forms of grow lights. They are known to have the ideal correlated color temperature (CCT) for growing cannabis and hemp plants.

These lights are similar to Metal Halide (MH) grow lights, but MH lights are better for the veg phase while HPS is for the flowering phase. Experts claim this is because the light spectrum of HPS medium supports flowering better than vegetative growth. They also emphasized that great results can still be achieved using high-pressure sodium lights alone.

LED vs HPS

LED is a relatively new innovation, while HPS has been around for decades. In fact, most of the newer lighting media have built on HPS’ existing design. However, the controversy over which plant light is better is inevitable. Growers on both sides always state that theirs is the better option because it boosts cannabis bud production more than the other. This makes the whole discussion confusing. This is another reason why both grow lights need to be compared.

The debate between LED and HPS mainly revolves around cost, ease of use, safety, energy consumption and yield. The size of your indoor setup, your budget, your preferences, and most importantly, your goals as a grower will determine which of the two you settle for.

costs

Plant lamps are powered by electricity. The cost of running lights for the entire grow cycle can quickly escalate. Grow lights are the biggest power consumers compared to other devices that run on electricity, such as B. the timers of the fans and water pumps. Whichever lighting system you choose, it must be economical and affordable.

In terms of operation and maintenance costs, LEDs outperform HPS. These light emitting diodes use less energy to produce the same level of light. With LEDs, you can save on ventilation and maintenance costs because these devices are much cooler and have a longer lifespan. The main problem is that the initial cost of LED devices is higher than HPS counterparts. However, you must consider the energy costs that would be saved over time.

When looking for a cheap grow light you need to understand that HPS is the only standardized equipment and not all LEDs are premium quality.

user friendliness

LED and HPS lighting systems are relatively easy to use. The instructions are simple.

Premium LED products are full spectrum and work like the sun to provide plants with the required wavebands for all stages of production. Some LED products have switched to color temperature regulation. Setting up an LED grow light system is easy as they require no ballasts. In contrast, the HPS is more difficult to set up. They must be connected to ballasts and timers to function properly. The ballasts are designed to ensure the bulbs are getting the correct current, while the timers help automate the entire lighting system.

yield

This is perhaps the most important heading in this debate. There are dozens of misconceptions on this subject.

The first LEDs that hit the market fell short of expectations. The subpar yields lacked aroma, potency, and flavor, and even weighed less than regular cannabis. As already mentioned, it has been worked on and improved to achieve a reasonable yield.

A premium LED system can now produce a similar yield quality as an HPS system. A few can even achieve better yields than their HPS counterparts provided all other conditions are regulated. Recent information shows that 1000w of HPS light or 0.5w per lamp watt can produce over 450g of buds, while 1 lampwatt of LED light yields 1.16g of buds.

security

Both LED and HPS have security risks. Growing cannabis indoors isn’t a particularly dangerous proposition, but it’s best to take safety precautions with any equipment you use.

With HPS lights, the main safety issue is the high amount of heat generated. Growers can burn themselves if they come into direct contact with the lights. While plants suffer from heat damage, a ballast is an important safety measure in an HPS system as it ensures the lights are not over-powered. The complex nature of setting up this system in a grow room allows for the possibility of human error, resulting in avoidable accidents.

On the other hand, the non-standard nature of LED systems leaves room for safety issues due to power outages, faulty parts, etc.

bottom line

For example, LED and HPS grow lights have their selling points and disadvantages, making them suitable for different types of growers. You can use the above information to make a well-informed decision between the two.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT LIGHTS, READ MORE…

THE GUIDE TO LED GROW LIGHTS FOR YOUR CANNABIS GROW

OR..

WHAT ARE CMH GROW LIGHTS FOR MARIJUANA PLANTS?