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Grow Light Resource Page

What grow light should I to use?

There are several factors to take in to consideration when choosing your grow lighting solution.

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  1. ENERGY COST

  2. INITIAL COST

  3. LIFE EXPECTANCY

  4. YIELD PER SQ. FT.

HID (high intensity discharge) lights include both HPS (high pressure sodium) and MH (metal halide) lights. These lights are great for putting a large amount of light over your grow with an inexpensive upfront cost.

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POSITIVES

  •  Best option growing on a budget

  •  Lower upfront costs

  •  Higher yield weight per upfront dollar spent

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NEGATIVES

  • Light spectrum is not as “dialed in” as LEDs or CMH

  • Higher Energy bill than LED or CMH

LED’s (light emitting diode) are cutting edge technology when it comes to plant lighting. LEDs spectrum can be engineered to give plants the exact wavelengths they need. LEDs are a more cost effective solution over their lifetime when you consider the lower monthly energy bills, less cooling, and no required lamp replacement every year.

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POSITIVES

  • Less wattage can perform equivalent to a HPS or MH

  • Many growers claim to have healthier, higher quality plants

  • Lasts 50,000 hours which is usually about 5-7 years of growing

  • Lower electric bill

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NEGATIVES

  • LEDs don’t penetrate as far down as HPS or MH

  • LEDs are more expensive than HPS, MH, or CMH

CMH (ceramic metal halide) grow lights are popular due to their efficiency over traditional HPS/MH in light output per watt and their fuller spectrum of light that increases the growth, overall health, and yield. CMH lamps have a higher color rendering index (CRI) that more closely mimics the spectrum of the sun.

 

POSITIVES

  • HID (high intensity discharge) lights are the category of grow lights that include both HPS (high pressure sodium) and MH (metal halide) lights. These lights are great for putting a large amount of light over your grow with an inexpensive upfront cost. Although the spectrum is not always as “dialed in” as LEDs or CMH, you often end up yielding more weight from your plants with HPS/MH lights per upfront dollar spent.

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NEGATIVES

  • Because HPS/MH lights aren’t as “dialed in” with their spectra as LED or CMH, you often need more kilowatt hours (wattage) to derive the same weight as LED or CMH i.e., a 600w LED or CMH with all variables held equal will yield more than HPS/MH. That said, it will cost you much more up front to get 600w of LED or CMH than it would for HPS/MH. This ends up meaning you will often pay a higher monthly energy bill using HPS/MH than equivalent LED or CMH for the same square footage of grow space.

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Synopsis

If you’re looking to get started growing on a budget, this is your best option when it comes to upfront costs. It will cost you slightly more per month to operate this system in terms of electrical monthly payments than LED or CMH. On average it will take about 1.5 to 2 years before the initial system cost + monthly electrical costs added together will be more expensive than running a LED or CMH system. HPS/MH systems tend to be slightly larger than LED or CMH in terms of physical fixture size. They usually come in three components: reflector, lamp, and ballast.

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Quick Tips

It’s usually best to hang HPS/MH lights about 36” from the canopy during the vegetative state, and 24” from the canopy during the flowering stage. Choose the “air cooled” option if you expect the room your grow tent is in to be over 78 degrees Fahrenheit (or else you will most likely need a small air conditioner to cool the tent).

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