We all know that natural sunlight is optimal for the growth of plants. But for cannabis growers, they prefer to cultivate the plants indoors for many reasons. The first one is the location where they live in, not all weather conditions are fit to grow weed. Second, there is much more control in the growth of the plant if the growing environment can be managed and controlled which is much more beneficial to the yield and potency of the plant.

You can obtain a lot of types of grow lights in the market that can be used for indoor cultivation. But, not all lights are created with the same performance as well as the cost. There will be differences when it comes to quality, heat production, and electricity consumption. Here are the types of grow lights for weed that will help you with your build.

Types of Grow Lights for Weed 

CFL Lights or Fluorescent Grow lights

CFL means Compact Fluorescent Lights. These types of lights are available all over the market such as home depots and grocery stores. These lights are suitable for small grow boxes at an affordable price.

Pros:

Since these are high demand types of lights, there is a lot of supply, there is no chance of not finding these. Also, these lights are compatible with any fixture since they are built with standard sockets. These are suitable for grow box builds that consume 40W or higher. These are available in varieties of color temperatures that are most beneficial at the vegetative stage of the plants as well as the flowering stage.

Cons:

The lighting output of these bulbs is low compared to HPS or LEDs. But that can be solved by placing the lamps closer to the plants to provide the light that will be sufficient to the needs of the plants. These lights often are effective for small builds alone, if you have larger grow boxes, you might need several bulbs to do the job. 

The CFL bulbs are not very efficient when it comes to electricity and they are not as powerful as other lights. But for beginners who are just starting to try growing their weed, these lights are a good thing, to begin with.

HID Grow Light Systems

High- Intensity Discharge or HID as defined by many are the types of grow lights that everyone covets about. These are the gold standard when it comes to cannabis cultivation society. Many cultivators swearly believe that HID lights affect the yield, quality, and potency of the plants.

HID lights have two main types namely, Metal Halide or MH and High-Pressure Sodium or HPS in short. The main difference of the two is the color gamut that they emit, MH lights produce a cooler color gamut while the HPS lights produce a yellow to red color gamut that is very suitable for the vegetation stage and the other for flowering, respectively.

Expert growers take advantage of the combination or mix of MH and HPS light bulbs for the whole period of cultivation. If you feel like using only one type of light, just use HPS for your build.

Pros:

The advantage of HID lights is that they require a minimal budget to set up compared to other lighting types. They are also easy to operate and maneuver. These have proven the test of time and efficiency by expert growers.

Cons:

Since these types of light are powerful which can reach up to 600w or more, these result in the production of too much heat. This will require you to have an efficient type of exhaust fan to dissipate the excess heat. Also, these lights degrade over time and their life span is limited, unlike LEDS. These bulbs have to be replaced religiously.

These lights are also not compatible with regular sockets, you may need a special socket as these lights will kill your electricity bill as they are power-hungry.

LED Grow Light Setup

LED lights specifically manufactured for cannabis growing have been increasing and growing in recent years. There is no kidding that the LED industry is about to take over. As LEDs become more and more advanced, their technology can now provide more lumens to provide the light needed by the plant without producing excessive heat that can damage the plant surface. However, not all LEDs are suitable for growing. So, you must choose the proper ones.

Pros:

The LED lights are the most energy-efficient type of grow light or any type of light across the world. Which only means that your grow box can be sustainable because it has lower consumption. This can also effectively lower your operating and utility cost. 

Another advantage is that even if they produce so much light, they do not produce a lot of heat. This eliminates the risk of burning your plants, also these lights are very compatible and can even be plugged in a standard electricity outlet.

Cons:

The only negative setback for LEDs is their cost. These lights cost a fortune at first, you need a large investment for these lighting systems. On the other side of the coin, these costs will also be rewarded with the improved amount of yield as well as the potency of your buds.

Summary

Now that you have learned the pros and cons of the types of grow lights for weed, you can now decide what system you will use. That highly depends on the needs of your grow space or box. Also, this will be dictated by the budget that you have and the passion that you have for the industry.