You want an LED grow light with a high PPFD. That's nice. Now what the heck is PPFD? And why do I want it? I get a lot of questions about various terms that are standard jargon in our industry. And I know I'm partially to blame for that. I try to avoid grow light specific terms in my articles, but I often catch myself using them anyway. Since I can't seem to avoid … [Read more...] about Glossary Of Grow Light Terms
What Does A Grow Light Ballast Do?
Most grow lights need a ballast. With fluorescent lights the ballast is built-in and LED lights don't need one. But if you're thinking of going with HID plant lights, you'll have to buy the ballast separately. The best way to do this is to get an HID grow light kit that includes everything you need (MH bulb, HPS bulb, ballast, reflector, hangers and timer), but if you … [Read more...] about What Does A Grow Light Ballast Do?
Metal Halide Vs HPS Grow Light Bulbs
It can be really confusing. HID, HPS, MH, wtf? So many acronyms and even if you know what they all mean, you then need to figure out which one you want. So I'm going to make your life a little easier by explaining the difference between HID, MH and HPS and helping you decide which one you want. If you're just looking for a quick answer: you want all 3. But that's … [Read more...] about Metal Halide Vs HPS Grow Light Bulbs
Best HID Grow Lights (Top Kits Reviewed By An Actual Grower)
Choosing the best HID grow light kit can be confusing. There are so many options and they all seem similar. They all ARE similar. How do you choose the right one? Here's what we did. We gathered all the lighting kits on the market into a spreadsheet. We dumped the most expensive ones first. There isn't enough, if any, difference between them and lower cost … [Read more...] about Best HID Grow Lights (Top Kits Reviewed By An Actual Grower)
T5 Fluorescent Vs LED Grow Lights (The Lettuce Test)
LEDs are clearly better than fluorescent grow lights, right? Well, not always. It really depends on the LED in question. And on what you are growing. For small grows, you're often better off just using a fluorescent light. This experiment proves that. It also shows the ineffectiveness of using all-blue light for vegging. Sure, plants need more blue light … [Read more...] about T5 Fluorescent Vs LED Grow Lights (The Lettuce Test)
What Kind Of Fluorescent Lights To Grow Plants (Including Weed)?
The short answer is: any type of fluorescent light will help any type of plant grow, whether it is cannabis or lettuce or orchids. But it's not quite so simple. While you can use any type of tube or bulb and see results, you want to provide the kind of light your plants want most. That's how you get the best results. So what type of light do your plants … [Read more...] about What Kind Of Fluorescent Lights To Grow Plants (Including Weed)?
KingLED Grow Light Review (Great Value But One Big Problem)
Top brand LED grow lights are insanely expensive. So how is it possible that a light like the 1000 watt King Plus sells for a fraction of the price? It must not be any good, right? Not quite. While it is true that this light can't match the top brands, it still does surprisingly well. If you take the price into consideration, it may actually be a better … [Read more...] about KingLED Grow Light Review (Great Value But One Big Problem)
Pros And Cons Of LED Grow Lights
LED grow lights are on top of the world. When it comes to farming indoors, LED lighting technology has been soaring in popularity. If it hasn't overtaken traditional lighting systems yet, it will do so very soon. LED lights are the technology of the future and they have a number of huge advantages over other types of horticultural lighting. That said, they also have … [Read more...] about Pros And Cons Of LED Grow Lights
Can You Use Regular Light Bulbs As Grow Lights?
Grow lights are expensive. Regular light bulbs are not. This could be a great way to save money...if regular bulbs work for growing plants. People often assume you need expensive grow lights to make up for the lack of natural light, but they're wrong. You can actually use regular light bulbs to grow plants indoors. But should you use regular bulbs? In some cases, … [Read more...] about Can You Use Regular Light Bulbs As Grow Lights?
PAR Vs Lumens (Differences And Which Is Better)
My light's got tons of lumen, yo! So what? mine has way more PAR! Lumen or PAR? Which is better? And does it even matter? More to the point, what do those terms actually mean? We'll cover that and more. Because it does matter. Indoor agriculture has been booming, with investment in indoor agri-technology solutions estimated at $52 million in the US alone, for the … [Read more...] about PAR Vs Lumens (Differences And Which Is Better)