The Pros and Cons of Using Lamps in Cannabis Crops

Investing in new technologies can be a risky move, especially when the results are not proven. Fortunately, as Indoor garden Lights become more popular, reports of their efficiency and ability to improve yields are attracting more and more growers.

With each passing day, new technology or equipment arrives on the cannabis scene promising better yields or lower costs. Like all things in life, promises like this are easy to say, but hard to keep.

LED grow lights could be the next future lighting systems

With the lumens rising per watt emitted and the promises of better yields and more natural light spectra, the stats behind LEC lamps, also known as CMH lights, look encouraging. But are they worth considering? And what limitations does the Indoor garden Lights market have for needing modernization?

The problems of current lighting solutions

Today, those who want to grow indoors must rely on a lighting system that is sufficient to stimulate the photosynthesis process of plants. The most used options can be divided into four main categories: fluorescent lamps (CFL), metal halide (MH), high-pressure sodium (HPS) and light-emitting diodes (LED).

CFL bulbs remain the most common among novice growers who focus on a small number of plants. They can be found easily in any hardware store and produce an average amount of light, technically sufficient to grow plants to harvest (as long as all other environmental parameters are kept optimal).

MH and HPS Indoor garden Lights lamps: commercial installations

MH and HPS lamps form the cornerstone of lighting systems for hobby growers all the way to large-scale commercial installations. The first type of lamp is suitable for the vegetative phase, while the second is used for flowering. Despite their different uses, they both have something in common: very high running costs.

And if on the one hand, these lamps offer impressive production yields, on the other the sector is moving towards increasingly efficient and ecological alternatives that are making MH and HPS more obsolete every day.

Become the best option for growers

If we then consider the latest arrivals, Indoor garden Lights offer the entire light spectrum emitted by the lamps listed above, but with much lower operating costs and temperatures. They have quickly become the best option for growers learning to adapt to their own nuances. Today, however, LEC lamps, or light-emitting ceramic bulbs, have arrived on the scene.

What are LECS?

Let’s get to the heart of the matter. What are LEC lamps and why are they sometimes called ceramic metal halide (CMH) or metal halide discharge (CDM) bulbs? Fortunately, all of these terms are used to mean the same thing, and as this technology takes hold, they are becoming interchangeable.

An Indoor garden Lights is the best ceramic discharge tube, rather than the quartz version of regular MH lights. The result is a more natural color, which produces more lumens per watt and lasts much longer. The most common model of LEC device is the 315W one, with a color temperature of “4200K”.

With fierce competition from LED lights (a seemingly complete lighting solution), what benefits does an LEC lamp offer?

The advantages of Indoor garden lamps

First, the color of the light produced by this latter lighting device is much more natural. The natural color of cannabis is much easier to observe throughout Indoor garden Light’s life cycle. This might seem unimportant, but it is instead essential to check the health of growing plants and if there are any problems that can be quickly recognized by their color variations.

As a point of reference, HPS lamps emit predominantly yellow light, while LEDs emit one with a purple hue.

The light spectrum provides an additional point of divergence

LEC lights emit UV-B rays, which according to some reports improve the production of trichomes during the vegetative phase of cannabis plants. The result is a considerable increase in yields, but the verdict on how much yields can improve is still based on assumptions.

Two other advantages are the lifespan of the LEC lights and their easy connection without the use of external power supplies. These are in fact integrated into the device and installation is much easier.

Disadvantages of Indoor garden Lights

No lighting solution is perfect and even LECs have some disadvantages. The UV-B rays emitted by these lamps are harmful to humans. To avoid any damage to the skin and eyes, appropriate safety equipment must be used. At present, the high costs of installing LECs can be daunting.

As a recent technology, it costs a lot more than traditional bulbs like CFLs, although this is somewhat of a double-edged sword. Initial costs are higher, but the long-term running costs lie between HPS and LED lamps.

Will LEC lamps change the rules of the game?

The advantages of Indoor garden Lights seem to outweigh most of the disadvantages. Better yields with less watts, combined with UV-B rays and lower running costs. For the moment, the only real contenders for LEC lamps are LEDs. While LED lights offer similar benefits, without emitting too much heat, they can never match the better yields offered by LECs.

 If you plan to grow cannabis in the future, you will see a return on investment thanks to LEC devices. If your HPS or MH systems no longer work, it may be the perfect time to invest in newer and more efficient technology.

Which LED lamps should I buy to grow?

Buying good Indoor garden Lights for growing cannabis will ensure you have a bountiful harvest of trichome-covered buds. You will need to know the power and the light spectrum to make an informed choice. Animals tend to respond to lumens (the intensity of light), while plants react to the frequency of light. Therefore, in the latter case, it will be important to check all the parameters of the lamp. Incredibly bright light, but with the wrong frequency, will not give you any results in cultivation.

Different models of led lamps for growing cannabis

There are three main types of Indoor garden Lights, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. If you take your cannabis cultivation seriously, higher-quality models will give you significantly better results. Since LEDs last for years, if you plan to grow for long periods of time, we recommend that you invest in a good lighting system right away.