As marijuana legalisation spreads across the United States, many states allow personal production. When growing cannabis, you should buy cannabis seeds to get started. After that, there are many aspects to consider, such as fertiliser selection, correct watering, growing area, etc. On the other hand, lighting is one of the most crucial parts of cannabis growing.
Because light is required for the photosynthetic process, all plants, including cannabis, need light to survive. If you’re growing marijuana outdoors, the sun will be your light source, but if you want to grow it indoors, you’ll need some form of HPS or LED grow lights. Your marijuana plants will not grow properly or produce flower yields to their maximum potential if you do not use proper flower lighting.
When it comes to flowering cannabis using LED grow lights, finding the right lighting solutions is crucial. You can explore options and learn more about LED lighting on this webpage. Simple Lighting offers a variety of LED strip lights that could be beneficial for your cannabis cultivation needs.
LED Lights for the Flowering Stage: The Best Flowering Light Cycle?
When growing marijuana indoors, your marijuana plants do not receive environmental cues indicating which season it is and what they should do. Instead, you must tell your plants through the use of LED flower lights.
How long should I keep my grow light turned on?
Growing marijuana plants at different stages of development necessitate an extra time commitment from you. It takes 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness to grow a seed from seed to vegetative. A minimum of 18 hours of light with 6 hours of darkness is required during the vegetative stage. You will need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness during the flowering stage. Your plants will not flower if they do not get 12 uninterrupted hours of darkness because it will not seem like they fall to them until they have 12 hours of darkness.
Outdoor cannabis plants flower in the fall when daylight hours become shorter, and the sun descends lower in the sky, signifying to the plants that their annual life cycle is drawing to an end. The light period on your plants must be reduced from 18 hours to 12 hours after approximately eight weeks of vegetative growth to simulate this environmental change in the day cycle.
You’ll also need to adjust the number of red wavelengths that the plants receive in conjunction with the shift in light time. While there are various ways to achieve this, using a white LED vegetable light will not do. Additional red LED grow lights will be needed.
The term “spectral distribution” refers to the distribution of wavelengths emitted by a light source over the electromagnetic spectrum. When deciding which grow lights to purchase, it is crucial to consider the spectral dispersion of the light. Spectral distribution of fixed light Plants in the vegetative and flowering stages benefit from LED grow lights, which are intended for both. This set of lights will provide maximum intensity throughout the growing season; however, adding more red wavelengths will help your marijuana plants generate a higher yield when it comes time to bloom. It is possible to use red light to notify your plants of the upcoming fall season when the sun is lower in the sky and has more red tones in the sky. This will signal the beginning of the revered blossom stage.
The majority of growers believe that LED lights for marijuana are effective during the vegetative stage but not during the flowering stage. This common myth will become a reality if you do not understand how to use the technology correctly.
Is it important to keep grow lights on for 24 hours?
The use of grow lights 24 hours a day is not recommended. For marijuana plants to grow correctly and provide the necessary yields, they require a combination of light and darkness. Your plants’ respiration mechanism may be hampered by 24 hours of direct sunlight. It is possible that your plants’ flowering will be delayed for several weeks if they are exposed to 24 hours of light.
Light Distance During Flowering
LED Grow Light Wattage | Minimum Distance | Maximum Distance |
240-400w | 16” | 30” |
450-550w | 20” | 30” |
600-850w | 24” | 26” |
900w+ | 26” | 42” |
Plants that bloom under grow lights
Red light wavelengths created by your LED flowering grow light will be needed, as stated on Seed Supreme, to achieve the desired results. A 90-watt all-red light is an excellent and economical option for obtaining the additional red wavelengths required. However, make sure to include one in each light arrangement you use. LED lights with a blue (vegetarian) and red (flowering) light switch are available as well. In this case, the problem is that you’re only utilising half of the light’s strength, which results in a lesser cannabis flower production.
How Effective Are LED Grow Lights for Potted Plants?
When it comes to marijuana cultivation, LED lights are excellent, and many producers have indoor LED marijuana grow. If you’ve been using high-pressure sodium lighting (HPS), you might find yourself in a situation where you need to switch to something more relaxed. While LED lights generate heat, they will not be as severe as those produced by high-pressure sodium lighting.
What Kind of Light is the Most Beneficial for Vegetative Growth?
For vegetative development, full-spectrum white light with additional blue wavelengths is the most effective LED light. Unlike the flowering stage, where red lights are used to simulate autumn conditions to initiate the flowering process in the marijuana plants, this stage does not require red lights.
What is the best grow light for flowering plants?
The optimum grow light for the marijuana flowering stage will generate light in all wavelengths but with excessive red light compared to other lights. In other words, you require full-spectrum white light with more red wavelengths in addition to the white light you now have. You may need to combine two or more lights to accomplish this. Some cannabis producers claim to have also included blue wavelengths in their plants’ growth. If you are using low wattage, your lights should be approximately 20″ away from your marijuana plants; however, if you are using high wattage, your lights should be around 30″.