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In our GWE growing community, a grower recently asked...

"I'm confused about all the different types of grow lights. What's the difference between an LEC grow light and an Induction grow light? What about Plasma or CMH grow lights? They all look sort of similar to each other... and how are they different from LEDs?"

The post LEC vs Induction vs Plasma Grow Lights: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

In our GWE growing community, a grower recently asked…

“I’m confused about all the different types of grow lights. What’s the difference between an LEC grow light and an Induction grow light? What about Plasma or CMH grow lights? They all look sort of similar to each other… and how are they different from LEDs?”

It’s crazy how fast things change! Back in the early 2000s, there were basically three types of grow lights available that worked for growing cannabis indoors. There were Fluorescent lights, Metal Halide lights and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights.

Then a few years later LED grow lights started gaining a lot of traction in the cannabis grow light market.

And now it seems like new types of grow lights are popping up on the market every day! You may have come across names like CMH, LEC, Induction and Plasma grow lights, and possibly more. It can get confusing with all the new terms being thrown around! So today I will explain exactly what each term means, and to expect from each type of grow light when it comes to growing marijuana.

Cannabis needs lots of light to produce good yields, but which type of grow light works best?

Today we’ll cover them all! Let’s start with the newer types of grow lights, and then I’ll compare and contrast with some of the more traditional grow light types!
New(er) Types of Cannabis Grow Lights

Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH)

This is an improved version of a Metal Halide grow light. The main difference is it uses a ceramic arc tube like an HPS grow light, which makes it more electrically efficient. This is why some CMH bulbs look like HPS bulbs until you get close!

Ceramic Metal Halide lights get good results in the cannabis flowering stage, much better than a standard Metal Halide does.

And unlike HPS lights (which look very yellow), CMH lights produce a natural-looking spectrum of light that resembles light from the sun on a clear day!

This makes it easier to spot problems on your plants, and it’s also just nice to be able to see and take pictures of your plants in full color!

In addition, Ceramic Metal Halides produce UV-B light like the sun, which may possibly increase THC and trichome production! However, Ceramic Metal Halide bulbs need a direct path to the plants for the best results. Reflectors and hoods without glass are preferred (more on that in a second) because glass blocks UV-B light from getting to your plants.

Learn more about Ceramic Metal Halide (aka LEC) grow lights

Light Emitting Ceramic (LEC)

Despite the somewhat confusing name, this type of grow light has nothing to do with LEDs!

“LEC” is a brand name (trademark) for a specific model of Ceramic Metal Halide grow light by the company Sun System. LEC stands for “Light Emitting Ceramic” and is a marketing term, not a new type of technology.

That’s why the term “LEC” is often used interchangeably with “CMH” in online grow light listings.

However, the form factor of the 315 LEC model by Sun System (which uses 315W) seems to be particularly effective at growing cannabis. Part of this may be because it was designed to stay cool even without glass, so plants are able to get full access to all the UV-B rays!

In initial testing, the 315 LEC grow light yields about 4-9 ounces per harvest on average, but some growers have written in and reportedly yielded much more! Please contact us if you want to share your results with LEC grow lights and possibly get featured on the website!

Learn More About LEC Grow Lights!

Increased trichome production under LEC Grow Lights

Magnetic Induction Grow Light

A Magnetic Induction grow light is basically an improved fluorescent grow light. Instead of using a filament, it uses induction to power the light. This causes the bulbs to last significantly longer than a regular fluorescent light because the filament doesn’t burn out over time.

They come in bigger sizes than regular fluorescents, but otherwise get similar yields considering the amount of electricity used. They definitely can’t compete with the more powerful lights!

Although Magnetic Induction grow lights actually work pretty well for growing cannabis, I don’t really recommend them because I believe they cost too much (and use too much electricity) for the yields you get. You will get better bang for your buck with many of the other types of grow lights!

Learn more about Magnetic Induction grow lights

Plasma Induction Grow Light

Plasma grow lights also use induction technology, so you know the bulbs will last a long time. However, most Plasma lights on the market today are are obscenely expensive!

Instead of mimicking fluorescents, this type of induction light uses microwave radiation and excited sulfur plasma to generate light. This produces a greenish white light that looks beautiful to people, but unfortunately doesn’t work that great for growing cannabis.

Even worse, Plasma grow lights cause RFI interference which can alert someone to your grow! For security reasons alone, I highly recommend avoiding Plasma Induction grow lights Basically any other type of grow light is better!

Learn more about Plasma Induction grow lights

So how do these compare to more “traditional” grow lights? Let’s do a quick breakdown…

 

More “Traditional” Grow Lights

Fluorescent Grow Lights (CFLs & T5s)

This group includes CFLs and T5s and is one of the most common types of grow light for hobbyist growers of all types of plants. CFLs can be found anywhere, including gas stations, and T5s can be found at most stores with a garden section (like Home Depot or Walmart).

Outside the cannabis world, fluorescents are often used for starting seedlings, as well as for growing various flowers, herbs and vegetables. They are a little underpowered for growing marijuana, but offer a great spectrum and can actually get some pretty decent results when combined with diligent plant training.

Learn more about growing cannabis with CFLs

Learn more about T5 grow lights

Metal Halide

A Metal Halide (MH) is a very powerful grow light that gives off a bluish white light. It is often used for the cannabis vegetative stage and produces fast, healthy green vegetative growth.

The Metal Halide is Part 1 of the “golden standard” of grow lights, and is the most common grow light used by commercial growers in the vegetative stage.

Learn more about Metal Halide grow lights

High Pressure Sodium (HPS)

A High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamp is a very powerful grow light that gives off a harsh yellow light. It is often used during the cannabis flowering stage because its particular light spectrum stimulates bud production. HPS is also one of the most efficient types of grow lights available on the market, and produces amazing bud growth!

Because of these factors, HPS lights get some of the best cannabis yields of any grow light. That’s why HPS is Part 2 of the “golden standard” of grow lights!

Learn more about High Pressure Sodium grow lights

A combination of Metal Halide and HPS grow lights has been used by commercial growers for decades, and even though new types of light are on the market, MH/HPS are still by far the most common type of grow light for those looking to yield large amounts of bud. But that may change over the next few years as grow light technology improves!
​

LED Grow Light

You’ve probably seen these before! An LED lamp is basically a panel containing a bunch of tiny LED diodes. Although there are some full spectrum LED grow lights these days, the light from most LED models usually looks purple.

Although the LEDs from 10 years ago weren’t that great for growing marijuana, modern LED grow lights generally get yields almost as good as HPS grow lights!

Learn more about using LED grow lights for growing cannabis

Quick Summary of Today’s Article

• Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) – Improved version of a Metal Halide grow light that uses a ceramic arc tube, which makes it more efficient. CMH grow lights can be used in both the vegetative and flowering stage.
• LEC Grow Light – LEC stands for “Light Emitting Ceramic” and refers to a Ceramic Metal Halide grow light produced by the company Sun System. In other words, “LEC” is a marketing name for a CMH light in a specific fixture, not a new type of grow light technology.
• Magnetic Induction – Basically a big, glorified fluorescent light. Although they last a long time and work well for growing cannabis, they aren’t much more efficient than regular fluorescent grow lights.
• Plasma Induction – An induction light that produces a greenish light that looks nice but doesn’t get great results with growing cannabis. Even worse, they create RFI interference which is not good for security! Avoid Plasma Induction lights! Basically any other type of grow light is better for growing cannabis indoors.

Compare to More Traditional Grow Lights

• Fluorescents (CFls & T5s) – Cheap to get started, very effective growing spectrum, but a little underpowered
• Metal Halide (MH) – Powerful light most commonly used for the vegetative stage
• High Pressure Sodium (HPS) – Powerful light most commonly used for the flowering stage. HPS lights are considered to have some of the best yields of any grow light. Together, MH and HPS are currently the most popular grow lights used by commercial growers.
• LED Grow Light – These light panels house several small LED diodes and usually produce purple light (though some newer LEDs produce white light). The technology for LEDs has been improving quite a bit over the last decade, and they now get yields that are nearly as high as HPS grow lights.

I hope that helps clear up some of the confusion about all the different types of cannabis grow lights! But if you’re interested in learning more, read an even more detailed breakdown of cannabis grow lights!

 

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Jump to…

More About Cannabis Grow Lights!

How Long Does it Take to Grow Cannabis?

10-Step Guide to Getting Started Growing Cannabis

How to fix 99% of cannabis plant problems

 

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]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/do-i-need-side-lighting?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-i-need-side-lighting Fri, 12 Aug 2016 19:39:15 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/newsletter_issue/do-my-cannabis-plants-need-side-lighting/ by Nebula Haze

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Table of Contents

Is Side Lighting Worth It?

Side Lighting vs Supplemental Lighting

When Is Side Lighting a Good Idea?

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The post Do My Cannabis Plants Need Side Lighting? appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

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Table of Contents

Is Side Lighting Worth It?

Side Lighting vs Supplemental Lighting

When Is Side Lighting a Good Idea?

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Is Side or Supplemental Lighting Worth It For Cannabis Growers?

When growing a cannabis plant indoors, light usually comes from a grow light located at the top of the grow space. This means all the light is beaming down on the plant from above.

Most grow lights point light straight down at the plants

You may have noticed that by harvest time, buds close to the grow light are often the biggest. Should you give more light from the sides to increase the size of lower buds?

Does it make sense to add side lighting indoors? Can you copy the sun and give light from the sides to increase yields?

 

Is Side Lighting Worth It for Cannabis Plants?

So is side lighting worth it for indoor cannabis growers? The answer is unsatisfactory…

Maybe…

Side lighting can be helpful in certain situations, but it’s often unnecessary and may reduce yields/watt compared to adding light from above. Why is that?

It has to do with how cannabis plants respond to their environment. Although buds tend to grow bigger with more light, cannabis plants still favor the upper buds. A cannabis plant can “tell” which buds are at the top of the plant and puts more energy into these “high value” buds even when everything else is equal.

Even when cannabis gets the same amount of light from top to bottom, like with these old-fashioned Phototrons, the top buds are still bigger. That’s just how cannabis plants roll 🙂

Pic by magiccannabus

Cannabis plants naturally put the most energy into upper buds even when the plant is getting tons of light from the sides. Growers have competing theories about exactly why. Perhaps the top buds are most likely to get pollinated by the wind in nature.

To take advantage of this natural tendency, indoor growers often train plants to produce many top buds near the light (as opposed to adding side lighting). This ends up getting you more “bang for your buck” because you’ll get better yields/watt with free plant training than you would with side lighting.

Because upper buds grow the biggest, growers often train their plants to grow bud sites on a flat, table-top shaped canopy. This puts more bud sites at the top of the plant close to the grow light.

Growing “wide” cannabis plants with light on top results in better yields/watt than growing “tall” plants with the same amount of light on the sides

Side Lighting vs Supplemental Lighting

• Side Lighting means specifically targeting the sides of the plant with light to try to increase bud size on the sides.
• Supplemental Lighting means you’re trying to increase overall light levels or change the light spectrum. Supplemental lighting isn’t about giving light from the sides; in fact, generally supplemental lighting is given from above the plant because that gives you more bang for your buck.

Supplemental lighting is common in greenhouses. If you have a spot in your yard that only gets good direct light for a few hours a day, or if you have a lot of cloudy weather at your location, you could supplement with extra light from a grow light while still taking advantage of the free light you’re getting from the sun.

Example of a Greenhouse Supplemented by LED Grow Lights to Increase Yields (A Light Mover Moves Grow Lights Back and Forth)

pic by Heliospectra AB

Another common reason growers use supplemental lighting is to alter the light spectrum, or “color” of the light. Each light spectrum affects how your plant grows and some growers are using the power of LED grow lights (which allow you to choose the exact spectrum) to supplement either outdoor light or the light of other grow lights like HPS. These days it’s pretty common to see growers use LED grow lights to achieve a specific spectrum; it’s also common to see growers combine their LED panel with an HPS grow light to help get better yields and increased flower production.

This grower added red-heavy LED grow lights to help encourage flowering

Supplemental lighting can be a great choice in a lot of situations, but it’s not exactly the same as side lighting, which tends to be less useful most of the time.

 

When Is Side Lighting a Good idea?

Side lighting can be a good idea with fluorescent grow lights like CFLs and possibly T5 grow lights with untrained plants. This is because these types of light don’t reach far down into the plant. In fact, the light from fluorescents is so weak that it’s only good for a few inches. By the time a plant is more than a foot away the light is pretty much useless as far as bud fattening is concerned. Because of these constraints, side lighting can help make sure all buds are within a few inches of a light bulb.

Sometimes side lighting can help with fluorescent lights like CFLs, especially on an untrained plant where most of the buds are far from the top of the plant

However, if you train your cannabis plant to grow short and flat you can increase your yields with the same amount of light because you’ll be able to make sure every main bud is located towards the top of the plant while also getting full light levels.

In other words, even with weak grow lights, you’ll get far better yields by growing plants that are wide and flat as opposed to utilizing side lighting.

These buds got really fat even though they were grown under a small T5 grow light because every bud was near the top and close to the light, due to being trained to grow flat along a screen.

When you get to really strong types of grow lights like HPS and LEDs, their light reaches deep down into the plant. This gives you long, thick buds and without any type of side lighting.

To sum it up, it’s good to get plenty of light to your buds near no matter where they’re located on the plant, as buds that are exposed to light and air tend to grow the biggest. But ultimately you’ll get better yields/watt simply by making sure all main buds are located near the top of the plant and shining light directly down on them from above.

Learn how to train plants to grow flat and wide
(and get the best yields possible with your grow lights!)

 

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Ready to learn more? Learn how to increase….

• Yields
• Bud Quality
• THC Levels
• CBD Levels
• Smell/Taste
• Density
• Bonus: What Determines Yields?

 

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The post Do My Cannabis Plants Need Side Lighting? appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/400w-hps-cannabis-grow-setup-tutorial?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=400w-hps-cannabis-grow-setup-tutorial Fri, 20 May 2016 05:45:39 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/faq/growing-cannabis-400w-shopping-list/ by Nebula Haze

The post 400W MH/HPS Cannabis Grow Setup & Shopping List appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

See Other Examples of Cannabis Growing Setups

400W HPS Grow Setup (For Hobbyist Growers)

• Average Yields: 7-14 ounces
• Recommended 2-6 plants
• Grow space is 3’x3’x6′ or 4’x4’x6′ (bare minimum is 2’x4’x6′)
• $495 to get the simplest version of this setup

 

About This Setup

When you’re just starting to foray into the world of larger grow lights, a 400W HPS is an appropriate first light to try. It’s energy efficient, relatively cheap, and makes for large colas than stretch far down the plant. These light are more popular than the 250W HPS, but less than the 600W HPS, and far less popular than the current line of LEDs or LECs. Still, these lights are a workhorse and will pay for themselves quickly in any medium-sized indoor cannabis grow.

Pros: Cheap, effective, high yields and potency

Cons: Not popular, yellow spectrum is easy to spot by nosy people, some models emit RFI which can alert HAM radio users to your grow

Cost Estimate: $495 to get the cheapest version of this setup (no premium equipment)

Check Out More Examples of Grow Setups

 

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Complete Grow Supply List

This cannabis grow room setup list includes all the supplies you need to get to harvest.

Grow Light

400W MH/HPS Grow Light

• This version is cheap but effective:  iPower 400W MH/HPS All-in-One kit – $120
• More expensive version but has an enclosed hood to help keep heat near the bulb – $190
• Alternative LED Grow Light: HLG 350R LED grow light (a VERY powerful LED) – $550

The iPower 400W MH/HPS All-in-One kit can produce some intense yields for just $120. Much cheaper than LEDs for the amount of yield but gets much hotter!

Grow Space

• Grow Tent Recommended Sizes
  • 2’x4’x6′ (bare minimum viable space) – An example is the CoolGrows 48″x24″x72″ Grow Tent
  • 3’x3’x6′  – An example is the CoolGrows 36″x36″x72″ Grow Tent
  • 4’x4’x6.5′ (recommended) – an example is the CoolGrows 48”x48”x80” Grow Tent – plenty of room to grow!
  • Learn more about grow tents
  • Cost: ~$100
• Exhaust Fan
  • A quality 6″ exhaust fan works best. Avoid small cheap “booster” fans as they usually don’t have enough power to exhaust all the hot air effectively. Hang from inside tent to help keep quiet.
  • Learn more about choosing and setting up an exhaust fan.
  • Example 1: Cheap but loud VIVOSUN 6 Inch 390 CFM exhaust fan. If you plan to use a carbon filter to stop smells, it’s typically cheaper to get a kit that contains both the fan and filter than to buy them separately. Avoid “booster” fans that cost under $35. Although they seem like a good deal, they’re not powerful enough to properly vent heat or use a carbon scrubber. I’ve tried.
  • Example 2: Quiet but expensive AC Infinity CLOUDLINE S6 or CLOUDLINE T6 (T6 version is the same fan but has a digital interface)
  • Cost: ~$110 ($75-160)
• Carbon Scrubber
  • A carbon scrubber and an exhaust fan are used together to clean the air in your grow area.  Learn more about controlling odors.
  • Note: it’s sometimes cheaper to get a kit that contains both the exhaust fan and filter than buy them separately.
  • Recommended: 6-inch Carbon Filter, 6″ x 16″ version
  • Cost: ~$80

Connect the carbon filter to the fan inside the tent like this and smells get filtered before air exits the tent. Totally smell-free cannabis growing! (Click for closeup)

 

Plant Pots

I prefer fabric pots or air pots because cannabis plants grow faster. However, standard hard-sided plant pots also work well and can be watered less often.

• Recommended: Fabric pots between 2-7 gallons (here’s the brand I used last but I just pick what looks good because any fabric pots work great)
• Alternative: Regular plant pots between 2-5 gallons

Cost: $20

Plants grow faster in fabric pots compared to hard-sided pots, but need to be watered more often

Grow Medium (Soil, Coco, Hydro)

Grow mediums can include coco coir or soil (hydroponics for more advanced growers) but if you’re not sure, a coco-based soil like Coco Loco is perfect for beginnners.

• Recommended Soil: One 2 cu ft bag bag of coco-based soil with perlite should be able to fill 15 gallons worth of pots. For example, it will fill 5 x 3-gallon fabric pots.

Cost: ~$40

Coco Loco is a coco-based soil that makes thriving cannabis plants

Nutrients

• You need a “vegetative” or all-purpose plant nutrient for the first part of your plant’s life
• You need a “bloom” or low-nitrogen nutrient for the budding phase
• Many nutrient systems have a nutrient schedule so you give your plants the right ratios for each stage of life
• Always start at half strength with a new base nutrient system because the recommended strength is typically too high for cannabis

Get examples of great cannabis nutrients

Recommended Nutrients: Dyna-Gro Grow + Bloom nutrient combo is excellent, cheap, and easy to use for growing cannabis.

• “Grow” bottle: Give 1 tsp per gallon of water during the vegetative stage
• “Bloom” bottle: Give 1 tsp/gallon of water during the flowering stage

Learn about other cannabis nutrients we recommend

Cost: $25

Dyna-Gro Grow + Bloom is my recommended nutrient system for newbies. One bottle for veg, one for bloom. 1 tsp/gallon. Super simple!

Other Supplementary Items

• Get your seeds – $5-12/seed (on average, can be more or less depending on the breeder)
• 24-Hour Timer (to put your grow lights on a timer so the plants get a day and night period on a schedule). Why do cannabis plants need to be on a day/night schedule? What about autoflowering light schedules? – $10
• Water containers (I personally use a 3-gallon or 5-gallon water jug to mix up nutrients, but anything can work) – Much cheaper at Wal-Mart ($5-15) than online!
• Extra 1/8″ Rope Ratchets (sooooo handy) – These can be used to hang your grow light or carbon filter from inside the tent, and still be able to easily move it up and down without needing any strength. Your grow light usually comes with a set of rope ratchets, but it’s a great idea to get an extra set to hang the carbon filter – $15
• Thermometer/Humidity Monitor with a probe so you can keep track of the temperature inside the tent – $15
• PH Test Kit – Prevent potential nutrient deficiencies by testing the water pH: https://www.growweedeasy.com/ph – $15
• Measuring spoons for measuring out your nutrients (many people already have these) – $10
• Learn about other cool growing tools

Estimated Cost: $495+ plus the cost of seeds

See Additional Grow Setups

The post 400W MH/HPS Cannabis Grow Setup & Shopping List appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/cfl-grow-light-cannabis-grow-setup-tutorial?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cfl-grow-light-cannabis-grow-setup-tutorial Fri, 20 May 2016 02:27:15 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/faq/growing-cannabis-with-cfls-starter-shopping-list/ by Nebula Haze

The post CFL Grow Light Cannabis Grow Setup & Tutorial appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

Important: CFLs are old-school grow lights for growing cannabis. Unless you have a specific reason to use CLF grow lights for growing weed, it’s recommended you use LEDs. They’re cheaper, cooler, and get better cannabis yields/bud quality. Check out a comparable LED grow light setup to this CFL grow light setup: How to Grow 3 oz of Cannabis in a $300 Mini LED Grow Kit – Shopping List & Grow Tutorial

See More Growing Setups

CFL Grow Setup (For Short Spaces)

• Average Yields: 1-2 ounces
• Recommended 1-2 plants
• Grow space is 2’x2’x4’ or larger
• Learn more about growing cannabis with CFLs

 

About This Setup

CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) are what most people used for standard household lighting up until a few years ago. Although they’ve mostly been replaced by the household LED (which can be adapted for the same purpose), they can still be used as a starting grow light for growers who are hesitant to buy a dedicated grow light. You can get these bulbs almost anywhere, and pretty much any of them will work or an entire grow in a pinch. Their wide availability is a huge part of their (former) popularity in the indoor growing world.

You probably won’t need an exhaust fan for cooling in this setup, but if you don’t have an exhaust fan you can’t use a carbon filter, which means you won’t have a great way to prevent smells from leaking outside your grow space.

 

Cost Estimates

• Total Setup Cost: $471.00
• Estimated Monthly Electricity Cost: $27-59/month (based on $0.12/kWH to $0.25/kWh – see breakdown)
• Total Cost for Entire First 4-Month Grow (Setup + Electricity): $707 ($353-707/ounce)
• Total Cost for Second Grow (Nutrients + Electricity): $266 ($133-266/ounce)

Summary of what you need for this CFL grow setup

CFL Grow Journal Examples

The following grow journals feature setups that are similar to this one (though some growers may use more or fewer CFLs) – see what to expect when growing cannabis with CFLs!

• First Timer CFL Bubbleponics Grow – 5 oz in 3 months
• CFL Dresser Microgrow in Pictures – Clone to Harvest – 2.69 oz
• $200 CFL Microgrow – 1.02 oz (this grower cut some corners!)

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Complete Grow Supply List

This cannabis grow room setup list includes all the supplies you need to get to harvest.

Grow Light

• CFL Grow Lights (at least 200W)
  • Start out in the vegetative stage with at least 160 actual (not equivalent) watts of daylight CFL bulbs.
  • In the flowering stage, you’ll want to add a minimum of 80 watts of soft white CFL bulbs. If you want to add more bulbs, add them during flowering for the most value.
  • The light emitted by CFLs won’t go far, so it’s usually a good idea to have more of them and keep them all within 4-6 inches from your plants.
  • Cost: ~$77

   
40 watt CFLs in daylight spectrum (left) for the vegetative stage and soft white spectrum (right) for flowering

Grow Space

• Grow Tent Recommended Sizes
  • 2’x4’x5′ tent – an example is Cool Grows 48”x24”x60”
  • Learn more about grow tents
  • Cost: ~$80
• Exhaust Fan
  • Although an exhaust fan isn’t absolutely necessary for this grow, it’s great for expelling heat and makes it so you can use a carbon scrubber which is strongly recommended.
  • Learn more about choosing and setting up an exhaust fan.
  • Recommended:  4″ AC Infinity CLOUDLINE series of inline exhaust fans. These run quiet and have the ability to turn the speed way down if necessary.
    • S4 is the cheaper, simpler version which works well and gives you basic fan speed controls
    • The programmable T4 version has handy extras like a Temperature/Humidity Probe and Display Screen
  • Budget choice: Vivosun 4″ Fan – 203 CFM (good cheap fan but runs loud)
  • Cost: ~$55-120
• Carbon Scrubber
  • If you don’t hook up a scrubber to your exhaust fan, your tent will rapidly fill the surrounding area with a pungent weed smell!
  • Recommended: 4-inch TopoLite Carbon Filter, 4″ x 10″ version
  • Cost: ~$45

Plant Pots

• Growing medium: Coco coir, soil or hydroponics for advanced growers
• Recommended containers: Smart pots or Air Pots between 2 and 5 gallons (here’s the brand I use)
• Recommended Soil: One 1.5 cu ft bag of Fox Farm Ocean Forest will fill 4 x 3-gallon fabric pots
• Recommended Coco: One 50L bag of Mother Earth coco potting mix will fill 5 x 3-gallon fabric pots
• Cost: ~$70

Nutrients

• Most nutrient systems will come with at least one bottle for vegetative and one for bloom. Many nutrient lines carry 3 bottles or even more!
• Whether it’s on the bottle or online, most nutrient lines come with a schedule. Use the schedule at half-strength in the beginning as the recommended strength is typically too high for cannabis.
• Learn about different nutrient lines we recommend
• Recommended Base Nutrients: General Hydroponics Flora trio (use at half strength) + CaliMagic (use at full strength)
• (Optional) Bloom Supplement: General Hydroponics Floralicious Bloom
• Cost: $50-100

 
General Hydroponics Flora Trio and CaliMagic

Other Supplementary Items

• Get your seeds – $5-12/seed (on average, can be more or less depending on the breeder)
• 24-Hour Timer (to put your grow lights on a timer so the plants get a day and night period on a schedule). Why do cannabis plants need to be on a day/night schedule? What about autoflowering light schedules? – $10
• Water containers (I personally use a 3-gallon or 5-gallon water jug to mix up nutrients, but anything can work) – Much cheaper at Wal-Mart ($5-15) than online!
• Thermometer/Humidity Monitor with a probe so you can keep track of the temperature inside the tent – $15
• PH Test Kit – Prevent potential nutrient deficiencies by testing the water pH: https://www.growweedeasy.com/ph – $15
• Measuring spoons for measuring out your nutrients (many people already have these) – $10
• Learn about other cool growing tools

Estimated Cost: $471 plus the cost of seeds

Check Out Different Grow Setups!

Examples of Similar Setups

Some growers use a reflector that’s been made for CFLs

There are lots of ways to configure CFLs depending on the size and shape of your plants

The post CFL Grow Light Cannabis Grow Setup & Tutorial appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/growing-cannabis-setup-examples?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=growing-cannabis-setup-examples Thu, 12 May 2016 00:05:02 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/faq/growing-cannabis-shopping-list/ by Nebula Haze

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Quick Examples of Common Cannabis Growing Setups

These electricity prices are calculated for the US average electricity cost of $0.12/kWh. Depending on where you live, it can be higher or lower. I've heard from marijuana growers who's electricity costs half as much, but also some who's electricity costs twice that or more. 

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]]> by Nebula Haze

Examples of Common Cannabis Growing Setups

This page will lead you to some setup shopping lists for a handful of the most popular styles of growing cannabis. You can use the information below to help decide which type of lighting you want to use if you don’t already know. The type of lighting you use will steer you towards some guides that will show you everything that’s needed to get started growing potent homegrown cannabis. You’ll get the initial setup cost, the cost to reach your first harvest (the highest cost), and the cost of subsequent harvests (much cheaper after the first).

2’x2′ Grow Tent – Small

• Ultra short edition – 3′ tall
  • 65W – HLG 65 LED Grow Light
  • 1-3 oz per harvest
  • $300 to get started
• Room to grow – 4′ tall
  • 100W – SF-1000 LED Grow Light
  • 2-4 oz per harvest
  • $430 to get started

Example of a 2’x2′ grow tent with 100W LED Grow Light (up to 4 oz)

2’x4′ Grow Tent – Medium

• Standard Power – 5′ tall
  • 200W – SF-2000 LED grow light
  • 5-11 oz per harvest
  • $555 to get started
• Max Power – 6′ tall
  • 300W – Mars Hydro TSL2000 LED 
  • 7-13 oz per harvest
  • $575 to get started
• Over Power – 6′ tall
  • 300-400W range (dimmable) – for growers who go crazy with power
  • Up to 16 oz per harvest
  • $495 to get started with a 400W HPS
  • $745 to get started with 315 LEC
  • $890 to get started with HLG 350R (Massively overpowered LED)

Here’s my current grow inside one of these right now. I think this is the perfect size for most home growers because it can yield many ounces up to a pound per harvest depending on the grow light you use.

200W LED grow light by Spider Farmer (up to 11 oz – see the grow journal)

3’x3′ Grow Tent (Square shape is better in some spaces) – Medium

• Max Power – 6′ tall
  • 300W – Mars Hydro FC-E3000
  • 7-13 oz per harvest
  • $475 to get started with FC-E3000
• Max Power (cold grow room) – 6′ tall
  • 315 LEC or 400W HPS (dimmable)
  • 7-16 oz per harvest
  • $745 to get started with 315 LEC
  • $495 to get started with a 400W HPS

Example of a single hydro plant growing in a 3’x3′ grow tent with a 400W HPS. You could fit more plants if you use pots instead of hydro

Mars Hydro has a remarkably cheap yet effective new 300W LED (harvest up to 13 oz) for a 3’x3′ released in 2025

4’x4′ Grow Tent – Large

• 1+ lb LED Producer – 6.5′ tall
  • HLG Blackbird 600W LED grow light
  • 11-22 oz per harvest
  • $995 to get started
• 1+ lb HPS Producer 6.5′ tall
  • 600W HPS (dimmable)
  • 10-21 oz per harvest
  • $495 to get started

Example of a 4’x4′ grow tent (easily yield a pound – see the grow journal)

Now that you’ve got an overview, let’s look at each of the cannabis grow kits a little closer.

 

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Example Setups for Different Lighting Types

65W LED Mini Tent

Average Yield: 1-3 oz Per Harvest

Initial Setup Cost: $300

 

100W LED Grow Light in Mini Tent

Average Yield: 2-4 oz per Harvest

Initial Setup Cost: $430 to get started

 

200W LED (Only need 5 feet of height)

Can fit in some closets

Average Yield: 5-11 oz Per Harvest

Initial Setup Cost: $555 to start

 

 

300W LED Setup

Average Yield: 7-13 oz Per Harvest

Cost: $575 to Start

 

315W LEC Grow Light

Average Yield: 7-13 oz per Harvest

Cost: $745 to Start

 

350W LED Setup

Average Yield: 8-14 oz Per Harvest

Cost: $700 to Start

 

400W MH/HPS

Average Yield: 7-14 oz Per Harvest

Cost: $495 to start

 

600W MH/HPS Grow Setup

Average Yield: 10-21 oz Per Harvest

Cost: $495 to start

 

600W Premium LED Grow Light Setup

Average Yield: 10-22 oz per Harvest

Cost: $995 to start

 

Although there are larger size grow lights available (1000W and beyond), at that size it starts going outside the scope of a “hobbyist” grower as far as ease and yields. Also, I’ve found it’s typically better to have multiple 300W or 600W lights than one enormous grow light

Learn the basics of growing weed: Beginner’s Guide

These Cannabis Growing Setup Examples Assume You’re Starting From Scratch and Don’t Plan to DIY Anything

I tried to include everything in these lists, as if someone were growing marijuana completely from scratch. For each example I calculated the cost as if you were buying everything online off of Amazon.com from the included links. A lot of these items cost less money if you shop around online or buy them in person, and you may already have some stuff lying around the house already.

For each example I also included a matching grow tent, because I believe grow tents are the best way to create a perfect environment for your plant at a really low cost. But if you want to skip the tent and make your own grow space in a grow box or closet, learn how to create the perfect growing environment for your plants!

2 healthy, manifolded plants under a 600W MH (Metal Halide)

Over the years we’ve had lots of people request “starter” shopping lists for new growers – it can be frustrating trying to figure out exactly what supplies you need to start growing cannabis indoors! So today I decided to make a few comprehensive shopping lists for common setups that include everything from nutrients to grow lights to rope ratchets. I’ll even tell you what yields, electricity cost and cost/ounce to expect with each setup.

If you don’t want to have to figure out exactly what to buy to start growing, this article is for you! I will break down what to expect based on your space limits and desired yields, so you can get the exact perfect setup for your situation.

I need more/different help! Take me to the 10-Step Quick Start Grow Guide

 

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Don’t Forget to Budget Money for Growing Medium and Plant Containers!

Remember to consider the growing medium (not included in totals). Here’s my very general estimate for 1-2 plants (you will need more to grow more plants). So consider you will need to spend an extra $30-125 for your growing medium + the cost of your container.

Choose One:

• Super Soil $40 (for 10 gallons of super soil) + container
  https://www.growweedeasy.com/super-soil
• Soil $30 (for 10 gallons Happy Frog soil) + container
  https://www.growweedeasy.com/soil
• Coco Coir $30 (for 2x coco bricks + perlite for 10 gallons) + container
  https://www.growweedeasy.com/coco
• Hydroponics $150 (to make reservoir)
  https://www.growweedeasy.com/hydro

Compare different growing mediums for growing cannabis

 

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Learn the basics of growing cannabis!

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Jump to…

10-Step Quick Start Guide to Growing

How Long Does it Take to Grow Cannabis?

Where do I get seeds?

Check These 7 Things & Cure 99% of Marijuana Growing Problems

 

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]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/5-secrets-cannabis-heat-control?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-secrets-cannabis-heat-control Sat, 09 Apr 2016 03:58:38 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/newsletter_issue/5-secrets-to-controlling-heat-indoors/ by Nebula Haze

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Table of Contents

1. Supplements That Protect Against Heat Damage
2. Environment Hacks
3. Optimize Your Grow Lights
4. Change Your Light Schedule
5. Heat Resistant Strains

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The post 5 Secrets to Controlling Heat Indoors appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

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Table of Contents

1. Supplements That Protect Against Heat Damage
2. Environment Hacks
3. Optimize Your Grow Light
4. Change Your Light Schedule
5. Heat Resistant Strains

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Are your indoor cannabis plants stressed out by the heat? Controlling heat in the grow room is one aspect of growing marijuana indoors that can be difficult for many of us growers. Grow lights provide our plants with lots of life-giving light, but they also get hot, and big grow lights (even some LEDs) can raise the temperature of a room by several degrees.

Quick Heat Stress Tip: Of course, the best thing you can do is control the heat. But if that’s not possible, sea kelp extract can help cannabis plants deal with heat and quickly recover from heat stress (use at 1 tsp/gallon).

Each cannabis strain is a little different and some plants can handle hotter temperatures than others, but most plants start suffering from heat stress when their temperature gets over 85°F / 30°C.

Temperatures above 85°F / 30°C often causes problems, but if it’s not too severe plants may still grow slowly.

Some sensitive cannabis strains from cold climates (most often the short, squat, Indica strains with huge leaves) may start showing heat stress if the temperature rises above 80°F / 27°C. To avoid heat stress, you must keep your grow space below a particular plant’s comfort threshold.

Too much heat, especially over time, can greatly harm or even kill your cannabis plants.

But it’s not just plant growth that benefits from ideal temperatures. Controlling the temperature in the flowering stage has immense benefits to bud quality.

Buds that develop in a good environment reward you with increased density, terpene levels, and overall THC levels/potency.

On the flip side, too much heat harms bud development in the flowering stage by burning off smell/potency, discoloring buds, and causing buds to grow loose or airy.

Developing in heat can make buds look “ugly”.

Heat or light stress can cause a plant to keep making new growth on the parts of the buds that are closest to the light. When you see these top-heavy oddly-shaped “fist” buds, it’s usually the result of heat and/or light stress.

What can you do to protect your cannabis plants from heat damage?

This tutorial will teach you tactics that you can use to control temperature and fix heat problems to produce a plant paradise. You also get tips to help your cannabis plants thrive even if the grow space is getting too hot.

This tutorial shows you how to deal with heat so you grow healthy plants with beautiful potent top-shelf buds.

 

1.) Supplements That Protect Against Heat Damage

Some supplements can help protect your cannabis plants so they are more resistant and/or recover more quickly from heat stress.

However, many different companies offer supplements and it can be confusing to decide which one – if any – is best for your garden.

Try to get supplements and nutrients from the same company

For the most part, there is no best supplement for heat (or anything really). A lot of different supplements will get you to the same place in the end. Because of that, when possible it’s a good idea to choose supplements made by the same company as your nutrients instead of trying to find the “best” supplement.

This is because during the process of creating a complete nutrient lineup, nutrient companies specifically test their supplements to make sure they work together with the nutrients in their lineup nutrients without causing lockout or other unexpected problems.

So if you’re using the General Hydroponics Flora Trio nutrients, for example, it’s much safer for your plants to add supplements by General Hydroponics if possible. If you were using Botanicare nutrients you’d look at the supplements that Botanicare carries, etc. Learn about different types of nutrients for growing cannabis.

Use supplements to help protect your plants from heat damage if temperatures are rising too high

Seaweed Kelp Extract

One of the best inoculants against heat stress is a surprising gift from the ocean; seaweed! As a bonus it contains small amounts of trace nutrients and minerals. Many different nutrient companies use seaweed kelp extract as part of their supplement lineup, which means you have a lot of choices to choose from if you want to incorporate seaweed into your grow.

A few companies offer seaweed extract by itself, like organic Bloom City Liquid Seaweed. Liquid Kelp is a lovely choice for those growing outdoors or in super soil as they contribute to a healthy soil web matrix. Suitable for soil growers who want to avoid using mineral-based nutrients, but can also be used in coco or hydro (just make sure it doesn’t clog any nozzles).

Pure sea kelp extract is a great organic heat stress supplement. Use at 1 tsp/gallon.

If your nutrient company doesn’t offer a specific Sea Kelp product, you can almost always find sea kelp extract as an ingredient in one or many of their supplements. For example, General Hydroponics has a great all-in-one supplement called Floralicious Plus that contains several ingredients that work together to not only protect your plant against heat with seaweed extract, but can help it to produce better in other situations, too.

Or if you’re growing with Fox Farms nutrients, their Kelp Me Kelp You supplement not only has seaweed but also other ingredients that can make cannabis plants more hardy. So a great marijuana supplement for heat stress.

When starting out with supplements, it’s often best to start with something that matches your base nutrients and has sea kelp extract as an ingredient, like Floralicious Plus by General Hydroponics.

Silica Supplement

Supplementing your plants with extra silica (listed on the label of supplements as Potassium silicate) is not usually needed for healthy plant growth. There is almost always some amount of silica available, and plants don’t need a whole lot of silica to survive.

That means if your plants aren’t stricken with a (super rare) silica deficiency and are living in a great environment, adding extra silica might not give you tangible benefits. However, if your cannabis plants are under specific types of stress or are generally living in adverse conditions, extra silica can make life easier for your plant.

Silica (listed as Potassium silicate ) helps make plants more resistant to heat. Examples: General Hydroponics Armor Si and Dyna-Gro Pro-Tekt. It’s especially helpful to give extra Silica while your plants are still growing stems and leaves, as the silica gets incorporated into the cell walls.

The most popular silica supplement for marijuana plants may be Bloom City Silica Boost. (Use at 1 tsp/gallon, stop several weeks before harvest)

Plant roots with access to silica (Si) happily drink it up and the silica gets incorporated into plant cells, increasing the strength of individual cell walls. These “armored” cells help improve the hardiness, vigor, and structure of the plant. Kind of like sending your plants to the gym.

Benefits of Silica Supplements

• Plants supplemented with silica are generally more resistant to heat or cold stress as well as some types of disease.
• Silica increases the microscopic “abrasiveness” of leaves, which can act as a deterrent to pests and herbivores (like deer). In fact, if you’ve ever been given a paper cut by a piece of grass, you can thank silica for making those “sharp” edges.
• Silica helps plants get the nutrients they need. Silica is effective at making phosphorus more available to the plant, which can be helpful in the flowering stage when the plant is going through phosphorus at a much higher rate due to the process of making buds.
• Silica can also help the plant roots better absorb micronutrients (including boron, copper, iron, manganese and zinc) while making it harder for the plant to absorb certain toxic substances like aluminum and salt/sodium.

So again, silica won’t magically increase your plant growth, but it can help make up for some problems with the environment. Because of this, nearly all professional nutrient companies carry a quality silica supplement as part of their lineup.

I like Armor Si by General Hydroponics, but again that’s because they make my base nutrients. There is a silica supplement available from almost every major nutrient company out there and you’re least likely to run into problems if you go with the company that matches your nutrients.

Armor Si by General Hydroponics is an excellent silica supplement, especially if the rest of your nutrients are from General Hydroponics.

Note: Silica supplements (or more specifically, their main ingredient Potassium silicate) will raise the pH of your water, so you may need to use a little bit extra PH Down. Learn more about pH.

Root Health Supplement (Essential for Hydroponic Growing in Heat)

Not only does heat bother your plants above ground, but the roots may also become diseased. When growing cannabis hydroponically (and to a lesser extent when growing in soil or coco) it’s very easy for your roots to start running into problems like root rot when the temperature starts getting too high.

Cannabis plants in hydroponic systems are prone to root rot if you don’t give them a root supplement. Especially if it’s hot!

Full Tutorial – How to Get Rid of Root Rot

The types of microorganisms that attack roots thrive in hot, wet conditions without much oxygen. Unfortunately, in hydroponics your water can’t hold as much dissolved oxygen when it’s hot, and dissolved oxygen is one of the best ways to fight off root disease.

So it’s sort of a double-whammy for plants grown hydroponically when it gets too hot in the grow room: they’re getting less oxygen AND becoming more vulnerable to root rot.

Besides using an air pump with large air stones to create lots of bubbles in your reservoir (learn more about growing cannabis hydroponically), the best thing you can do to keep roots healthy is control the heat.

Unfortunately, as you know, controlling the heat is often easier said than done.

There are some products that are made up of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms that specifically fight root rot. These work by out-competing the bad microorganisms in your water reservoir and populating your reservoir with friendly ones that actually help your roots.

Drooping is often the first sign your plants are suffering from root rot

Plants with root rot may also start getting what looks like various nutrient deficiencies, but the true cause is actually the unhealthy roots

 

My product of choice for fighting root rot is Hydroguard by Botanicare. Normally I only use nutrients and supplements by General Hydroponics but in my experience, this product has been the best for fighting root rot in DWC / hydro, so I use it specifically. I’m definitely not saying it’s the best root supplement out there, but it’s the best one I’ve ever used and I want to recommend something I know for sure will work. It doesn’t change the pH of the water, and it doesn’t interact with other supplements. I’ve seen it actually fight root rot directly, even when it’s hot, and I never go a grow without it.

I highly recommend Hydroguard as a root supplement for any hydroponic grower struggling with heat or root rot

I’ll be honest, I grow hydroponically in San Diego, and my grow room is too hot during the summer. I used to suffer from root rot but as long as I use 1 teaspoon per gallon of this supplement in my reservoir, I see white, healthy roots even in the heat.

I realize this isn’t a direct method to combat heat; rather, it’s a way to help deal with the consequences of too-high heat when it can’t be controlled. It’s best to control the heat in your grow area, but if that’s impossible Hydroguard will help keep your roots healthy in DWC / Hydro! It’s cheap and a little bit goes a long way. A 1-quart bottle will last you more than one grow!

 

2.) Environment Hacks

Add CO2 to the Air

Plants can easily survive in temps up to 95°F (35°C) when the air is being supplemented with extra CO2. However, for CO2 to make a difference to your plants, you need relatively strong grow lights (i.e. HPS, LEC, or big LEDs). But for those with strong grow lights, adding extra CO2 can result in faster growth as well as making it so plants can better handle the heat.

Learn how to add CO2 to your grow

Choose Soil or Coco (Hand-Watered Grow) Over DWC/Hydro

Growing cannabis hydroponically can give you some of the fastest growth rates of any style of growing, but as mentioned earlier, hydro does not really play well with hot temperatures because too much heat tends to trigger root problems and slower growth.

We talked about supplements that help prevent root rot for hydroponic plants, but the next step is to cut out the water reservoir altogether and go for a hand-watered grow. That’s because hand-watered plants are inherently much more resistant to high temperatures. Not only are the roots relatively safe from the heat (unlike in hydro) but the growing medium can hold a lot of oxygen no matter what the temperature (a lack of oxygen at the roots causes major problems in hydro).

Plants grown in containers or in the ground tend to be more resistant to heat compared to hydro.

Soil in regular containers is probably the most common way to grow cannabis indoors, and that combo works great.

But when it comes to growing in hot temps, coco coir may be a better choice than soil. In particular, coco coir inherently has properties and hormones that encourage healthy root growth and promote hardiness against heat.

Soil is a good choice, but coco coir is even better when it comes to heat.

Use Smart Pots or Air Pots (instead of hard-sided pots) 

Choose a Smart Pot (fabric pot) or Air Pruning Pot (plastic pot covered in holes) to let air in and help cannabis plants with the heat. These pots help increase evaporation from the sides of the root ball, which not only reduces the chance of overwatering but also helps keep roots healthy and heat-resistant by providing plenty of oxygen from the sides.

Use Smart Pots (fabric pots) instead of regular containers as further protection against heat. These coco-grown plants were regularly exposed to temps that crept up over 85°F (30°C), and although that wasn’t ideal they made it to harvest just fine.

Air pruning pots are plastic but have holes in the sides, which accomplishes the same thing as fabric pots (gets more air to the roots) and makes them more heat-resistant.

Growing cannabis with coco coir in fabric pots is one of the best ways to grow if you want your plants to be able to resist the heat.

Keep Roots Cool

Your plant is much more resistant to heat if the roots don’t cook too, whether you’re growing in a pot or in a hydroponic reservoir. If you can find a way to help keep the roots around 70°F (21°C), your plant will suffer less and recover more quickly from a hot spell.

Watering your plant regularly when it’s hot will keep roots from drying out and help them stay cool. If the sides of the pots are getting hot from the grow light, put your potted plant inside a bigger pot (or find some other way to block the pot from direct light. This can help keep roots significantly cooler.

If the sides of pots are getting hot from the light, put the whole plant in a bigger pot to create an air gap and keep the roots out of direct light

Use Fan Placement to Reduce Electricity & Bring Down Temps

Air conditioners can easily control the heat in any room but they use a lot of electricity, which can get expensive really fast! Unfortunately, a lot of growers are using an AC (or just dealing with too much heat) when they could actually reconfigure their fans to be able to maintain the right temps without needing an AC at all.

Proper fan placement can also help save costs because if you use fans more effectively you can use less of them. A lot of fans can use a surprising amount of energy that can really add up over time. That means you don’t want to fill your grow space with tons of fans if you don’t need to.

Being smart about fan placement and investing in electrically efficient fans can save you a lot of money. 

Exhaust Fans

The most effective way to control heat is to use an exhaust fan to vent hot air out of the grow space. Make sure your exhaust fan is set up to make sure you have the most cooling power. Here are some tips:

• Grow space is mostly sealed – Your grow space should be mostly sealed for an effective exhaust system, with just ports for air to come in near the bottom of the grow space, and a port for your exhaust fan to blow air out from near the top of the grow space. I highly recommend getting a grow tent for smaller grows to make this super cheap and easy. A grow tent with a strong exhaust fan creates a breezy plant environment that may not even need many other fans. As an added bonus, a grow tent makes it easy to control smells with a carbon filter so no one can smell your plants even in the same room.
• Strong exhaust fan – Your exhaust fan should be strong enough for the size of your space or tent. Avoid cheap ducting fans as they don’t move enough air to cool your grow light. Learn more about choosing the right exhaust fan.
• Vent air from top of grow space – Heat rises to the top of your grow tent/area, so make sure your exhaust fan is located at the top of the tent pointing out.
• Intake holes – You want holes to intake air, about 4x the size of your exhaust hole if possible. When the intake hole is too small it’s hard on your fan, the exhaust won’t be able to vent as much hot air. With grow tents, the intake ports are already built-in so you just leave them open so air can get through.
• Input fresh, cool air – The intake hole should have direct access to cool, fresh air. The inside of the grow space is always going to be at least a few degrees above the temperature of the intake air, so if the intake air isn’t cool the grow space will be even hotter. Cool air stays lower to the ground, so make sure your intake ports are as close to the floor as possible.

Learn more about setting up exhaust system.

Ducting

Keep all ducting as straight and short as possible. You want a short direct line to the window so that hot air is immediately vented outside. Try to avoid using anything in the window that restricts airflow. Though it’s often necessary to use some type of screen to make sure no one can see in, try to do the best you can to obstruct airflow as little as possible. How can I set up an exhaust that looks normal from outside?

Try to keep any ducting as short and straight as possible.

Window Fan

It may seem simple, but a window fan can be surprisingly effective at venting some of the heat if the grow light is raising the overall temperature of your room. In some cases, a window fan can cool your room by several degrees, which can help keep your plants cool. I sometimes call this a “No-Ducting Exhaust” but honestly it’s more like a ‘poor man’s exhaust’ if this is the only thing you’re doing to vent out heat. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t help,

If grow lights are raising the temperature of your room, a window fan can help vent heat and cool the room down by a few degrees

In order for a window fan to cool a room most effectively, there needs to be some sort of “intake” for cool air to get in. It’s like a bigger version of an exhaust system. A separate open window in the same room is perfect, though an open door can also help, especially if there’s an open window somewhere in the house. However, even in a completely closed room, a window fan can help keep temps down somewhat in the room because it helps vent out heat from the grow light. Although blowing air out is often the most effective, if the air outside is really cool sometimes it helps to blow air in. Experimentation is good.

Clip-On Fans

Small fans help ensure there is a gentle breeze around your plants and buds. This helps plants grow faster, helps buds develop more dense/tight, and reduces the chance of issues like white powdery mildew or bud rot.

Some specialty clip-on-fans are designed specifically to attach to the poles of a grow tent.

Oscillating Fans

Oscillating fans are perfect for reducing “hot spots” that form in the grow space. Certain grow lights can cause major hot spots. If it’s most hot directly under the light, using fans to blow that heat away from your plants can make a huge difference in how much heat they experience.

In addition to oscillating fans, using a strong-enough exhaust fan with a big intake hole helps keep everything moving so hot spots don’t form. In fact, a smallish grow tent with a good exhaust fan may not even need extra fans because the exhaust fan itself will make the entire tent breezy.

Just be aware that adding oscillating fans doesn’t bring down the overall temperature in the tent. Fans only move air around. So if the entire grow space is already hot, adding more fans isn’t going to help.

Learn more about how to effectively set up oscillating fans in the grow room.

 

3.) Optimize Your Grow Light 

There are several ways you can optimize your grow lights, up to and including upgrading to better ones.

Get the Right Size Grow Light (a smaller grow light doesn’t necessarily mean lower yields!)

Grow lights that are optimized for your size grow space tend to reduce problems with heat. Too much heat hurts yields by making plants grow poorly. On top of that, too much light (light stress) can prevent buds from fattening and make plants more sensitive to heat.  That means having the right size light for your space will help prevent the space from overheating. When buying a grow light, many manufacturers list which size space the particular grow light is optimized for (aka 2’x4′ or 4’x4′). Try to match the right size grow light to your space.

In some cases, getting a smaller light can actually increase yields, especially if the heat is out of control with your current light.

 If you’re struggling with heat and plants are constantly heat stressed, consider stepping down the light. These plants grew better after the grower turned down the power.

These plants were also getting way too hot. The grower started getting better yields when they took one of the LED panels out of the space.

Side note: I’ve found that older and “blurple” colored LED lights tend to put out far more heat than modern LED panels. Buds also don’t fatten as well under them.

Avoid blurple LEDs for growing weed!

Use an LED Grow Light

When it comes to heat control, LEDs are hands-down the best cannabis grow light. As of 2025, multiple newer LED grow lights have proven to be incredible at growing cannabis. These modern LEDs have been developed using real cannabis plants and live up to the LED hype, producing amazing yields and beautiful bud quality.

In my experience, nearly all newer LEDs run cooler per watt than other grow lights like HPS, or CMH/LEC.

On top of the fact that LEDs produce less heat compared to other lights, cannabis plants under LEDs typically can stand higher temperatures. So LEDs give you a light that puts off less heat and plants that can stand more heat. If heat is a concern, you want to go with LEDs.

Note: LEDs perform poorly in the cold. If you deal with cold in the grow space, HPS or CMH/LEC may be a better choice since they produce more heat and plants can stand cooler temperatures under them.

There are a lot of LEDs to choose from and the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. If you’re interested in getting your first LED and aren’t sure which one to get, Spider Farmer brand LEDs are a good mix of quality and price. They get a good rate of growth in the vegetative stage and better yields/bud quality than many LEDs in the same price range. I recommend avoiding generic LEDs (like you would buy from Alibaba) because they usually get hotter than expected for the wattage and often produce poor yields or bud quality.

The Spider Farmer SF-2000 LED grow light uses 200W of electricity and produces relatively little heat.

In my most recent grow, the Spider Farmer SF-2000 produced over 10 oz in a 2’x4′ grow tent, or over 1.5 grams/watt. The plants grew quickly and well. I got the buds lab tested and it produced more terpenes and THC than the other LEDs I tested at the same time. A great choice for under $200.

My friend used the Spider Farmer SF-1000 (100W and costs $90) in a 2’x2′ grow tent and produced several ounces. This light can be kept 8″ (20 cm) away or even closer for some plants, which makes it effective for small spaces.

Learn about other popular LED companies for growing cannabis.

Reduce Power

Many LEDs and other types of grow lights are “dimmable” which means they have different power settings that allow you to reduce the power of your light. For example, you might be able to set your grow light to 75% or 50% power. In these modes, your grow light will use less power and give off less light/heat. If there’s a heat wave coming up, it might be helpful to turn down the power until things cool down.

Raise Grow Lights

Raising your lights tends to help bring down the temperature experienced by the plants, especially with big fluorescent lights, CMH/LEC, and MH/HPS grow lights. Getting a lot of light can make plants more likely to suffer from heat, so another bonus of moving your lights further away can help them be more heat-resistant.

Note: If I need to raise my grow light higher than the normal hanger allows, I use zip ties to attach the grow light to the top of the tent. However, make sure to leave at least a little air gap so you don’t have a hot lamp touching the top surface of the tent directly (this can be a fire hazard).

Raise grow lights (if possible) when the plants are getting too hot to help reduce the heat they experience and especially reduce heat on developing buds. Sometimes a few inches can make a difference.

Learn more about how far away to keep grow lights from your plants.

 

4.) Change Your Light Schedule

Opt for 18/6 Light Schedule in the Vegetative Stage

Many growers give their plants 24 hours of light a day in the vegetative stage to produce the fastest growth. Yet turning the grow light off for several hours each day helps keep the temperature down, especially if lights go off during the hottest part of the day. The 18/6 light schedule is suitable for all plants in the vegetative stage, and for auto-flowering strains from seed to harvest.

Plug your grow light in an electrical timer to control the light schedule

Side Note: Although plants do grow faster if they’re getting 24 hours of light a day, you get diminishing returns after 18 hours of light a day. Cannabis plants benefit from having a night stage, and that helps make up for the lack of extra light. The difference in growth between 18/6 and 24/0 isn’t very noticeable (the increase in growth may not justify the extra electricity and heat).

Learn more about cannabis light schedules here.

Set Your Dark Period for the Hottest Part of the Day

This is a super simple solution to help control the heat for growers who get high temperatures in the middle of the day. User your timer to set your “Off” time to happen during the hottest hours of the day and you’re done. As long as you make sure plants don’t get light during their dark period, they won’t realize their “day” is during your night.

 

5.) Start with a Heat-Resistant Strain

Some strains are inherently more resistant to heat than others. For example, strains that originated from the equatorial region, including many Sativa and Haze strains, can resist much higher temperatures than strains that originated in colder regions, such as many Indica strains.

• Tall strains with thin leaves tend to be relatively heat-resistant
• Short, bushy strains with fat leaves tend to be more sensitive to heat
• Check the strain description to see if it mentions anything about temperature

Here are some strains that are heat resistant, easy to grow, and produce great effects.

Photoperiod (Traditional) Strains

White Widow

• Legendary strain
• Buds produce smooth relaxing effects that are great for enjoying with friends
• Overall easy-to-grow and resistant to heat and mold
• Has a surprisingly short flowering stage (8-9 weeks) for a Sativa-dominant strain, and doesn’t get too tall
• Great yields even if you mess up a little
• Get White Widow from Seed Supreme (ships from USA)

White Widow is a legend!

Purple Thai

• Thrives in higher heat and humidity than most strains
• Grows tall and stretchy so you need to train the plant to reduce the height (or it may grow into your light)
• Pretty potent at 22% THC but still more of a “head high” (it may even be suitable for day use for high-tolerance people)
• Get Purple Thai from Seed Supreme

Purple Thai laughs in the face of heat!

Afghan

• In addition to doing well in the heat, this strain is overall easy-to-grow and resistant to pests and mold
• Buds produce very heavy effects (a “brain melter”)
• Great yields and bud quality
• Get these Afghan genetics.

This Afghan plant thrived in burning hot temperatures during a heat wave.

Sour Diesel

• Withstands heat and light better than most strains I’ve grown
• Strong fast plants that tend to be stretchy/tall (not the best choice for small spaces)
• Buds are consistently potent and high quality
• Takes 12 weeks in the flowering stage but rewards with huge yields
• Get these Sour Diesel genetics.

Sour Diesel is the plant on the left. It produced over 9 ounces on one plant.

This bud from that Sour Diesel plant grew within 8″ (20cm) of a 600W grow light in the middle of a heatwave. The plant on the right suffered tons of damage despite being further away. On the other hand, the Sour Diesel buds came out huge and potent with a little heat foxtailing on top buds that were closest to the grow light.

 

Auto-Flowering Strains

The Ruderalis hemp ancestor of all auto-flowering strains originated in the frigid cold climate of northern Siberia. These plant’s developed the auto-flowering trait so they could complete their whole life cycle during 2-month Arctic summer. Unlike photoperiod plants, these plants didn’t have the luxury to wait until the sun told them winter was coming. They had to complete their whole life as fast as possible. As a result of the cold climate of their ancestors, auto-flowering strains tend to be sensitive to heat. However, some breeders have bred out the trait by crossing with heat-tolerant strains. The following is an example of a heat-resistant auto-flowering strain that also produces great buds.

Amnesia Kush Auto

• Gets a bit tall, but usually not too bad since it’s an autoflowering strain
• Excellent “day” buds with a pleasant mental buzz
• Get Amnesia Kush Auto from Seed Supreme (ships from USA)

Get Amnesia Kush Auto for your garden!

Auto Blackberry Kush

• Beginner-friendly
• Resistant to heat as well as plant stress in general
• Incredible fruity smell
• “Body stone” that keeps you glued to the couch
• Get these Auto Blackberry Kush genetics.

An Auto Blackberry Kush plant in a DIY setup

Dos Si Dos Auto

• Easy to grow (can handle some mistakes)
• Smooth, relaxing effects
• Above-average yields
• Buds smell of citrus with hints of cake or cookies
• Get these Dos Si Dos Auto genetics

Dos Si Dos auto by Barney’s Farm is known for its yields, bud quality, and fast growth.

 

If you have experience with a great heat-resistant cannabis strain, please contact us!

 

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Most importantly, take extra good care of heat-stressed plants – try to baby them as best you can!

 

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Jump to…

Growing Cannabis with Super Soil

How to Use Coco Coir as a Growing Medium

Top-Fed DWC (Bubbleponics) Tutorial

How do I produce top-shelf buds every time?

Where can I get seeds?

 

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The post 5 Secrets to Controlling Heat Indoors appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/link-guide-growing-cannabis?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=link-guide-growing-cannabis Mon, 01 Feb 2016 03:08:57 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/faq/link-guide-to-growing-cannabis-tutorials/ ...lights Environment Create the Perfect Growing Environment Temperature Tutorial 5 Secrets to Heat Control Control Humidity for Better Buds How to Use Reflective Walls to Increase Yields Indoors How to...

The post Link Guide to Growing Cannabis Tutorials appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

In addition to the search bar, this link guide helps you navigate through the Grow Weed Easy website. Learn about growing topics you won’t find anywhere else! This is a shortened list of all our cannabis growing tutorials, as the website has over 500 articles and tutorials!

Full List of EVERYTHING on GWE  ← Over 500 Articles & Growing Tutorials!

Start Here – Beginner Grow Guides

• Complete Beginner’s Guide
• How do I start growing my own weed indoors? (get help choosing your setup)
• How to Grow Weed in 10 Steps
• Simplest Cannabis Grow Guide Ever!
• How Long Does It Take to Grow Weed? (Marijuana Growth Timeline)
• 3 Steps from Beginner to Legendary Grower
• Complete New Grower’s Shopping List

Cannabis Life Stages

• Germination
• Vegetative Stage (Getting Bigger)
• Flowering Stage (Making Buds)
• Harvest

Choosing…

• Best Type of Nutrients
• Choosing the Best Grow Light
• Soil vs Hydro
• How Many Plants Should I Grow?
• What Part of the House Should I Grow In?
• What Setup Should I Get?
• Best Strains for Beginners
• Where to Get Seeds (including the U.S.)

Common New Grower Topics

• How Much Will Electricity Cost?
• Stealth Growing: How NOT to Get Caught Growing Weed
• What Equipment Do I Need?
• Germinate Your Seeds
• 7 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I First Started Growing Weed
• How to Save Money When Growing Weed
• How to Store Weed Properly (so it never loses smell or potency!)
• Ask Questions & Get Answers From Real Growers! (In Our Free Growing Community)
• Cannabis Grower’s Glossary

Problems & Symptoms

• Cannabis Problems Guide
  • How to Help Yellow Seedlings
  • How to Fix Yellow Cannabis Leaves
  • How to Fix Curling and Clawing Cannabis Leaves
  • What Causes Dry or Crispy Leaves?
  • What Causes Brown Spots on Cannabis Leaves?
  • What Causes Bananas (“Nanners”) on Cannabis Buds?
  • Is This Nutrient Burn on My Marijuana Plant?
  • What causes red stems in cannabis plants?
• Diagnose Your Sick Plant
• Bugs & Other Cannabis Pests
• How to Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies
  • Which Nutrient Deficiencies are Caused by pH? (picture guide)
  • How to Stop Flowering Stage Nutrient Deficiencies
• 7 Reasons Why Cannabis Plants Grow Slow
• 5-Step Remedy That Fixes 99% of Grow Problems
• All-Natural Pesticides – Safe Up to Harvest!

Plant Training (Indoor Tricks for Bigger Yields)

• Simplest Plant Training Guide Ever!
• How to Control Height of Indoor Cannabis Plants
• Complete Plant Training Guide
• Breakdown of Techniques​
  • Low Stress Training (LST) Tutorial
  • Topping vs FIMing Tutorial
  • LBH’s Famous ScrOG Tutorial
  • Supercropping: Magic Technique to Control Cannabis Plant Height
  • Sea of Green (SoG) Tutorial
  • 12-12 from Seed – Flowering Plants Early
  • Nebula’s Manifold Tutorial
  • How to Manifold Clones
  • Nebula’s Bud-Based Defoliation Tutorial
  • Alternate Defoliation Tutorial ​
  • What is Re-Vegging / Monstercropping?
• How Can I Train an Auto-Flowering Plant?
• 7 Unfortunate Plant Training Mistakes

Grow Mediums

• What’s the Best Growing Medium?
• Soil vs Coco vs Hydro
• Basic Soil Guide
• Organic Soil Compost Guide (Super Soil) – Just Add Water!
• Coco Coir Guide
  • Coco Coir: The Most Flexible Cannabis Grow Medium
• Hydro/DWC/Bubbleponics Guide
• “True” Organic Growing vs Just Using Organic Nutrients
• Can You Use Miracle-Gro?

Nutrients

• Which Nutrients Are Best For Growing Cannabis?
• Soil Nutrients
• Coco Coir Nutrients
• Hydroponic Nutrients

Grow Lights

• 5 Best LED Grow Lights 2025 (Yields, Speed, & Bud Quality)
• Compare Types of Cannabis Grow Lights
  • Fluorescents (T5s) – Good for Seedlings Only (not powerful enough to produce potent buds or big yields)
  • CFLs (Spiral Bulbs) – Not Recommended (LEDs are much better)
  • LED Grow Lights – Recommended for Most Home Growers
  • MH/HPS Grow Lights – Good Alternative to LEDs, But Run Much Hotter
  • CMH / LEC Grow Lights – Good Alternative to LEDs, But Run Much Hotter
  • Plasma / Magnetic Induction Grow Lights – Not Recommended (poor cannabis growth)
• How Does Light Spectrum Affect Marijuana Plants?
• How Far Away Do I Keep My Grow Lights?
• You Can Actually Give Plants Too Much Light?!
• Grow Light Upgrade Guide: Yields & Potency Explained
• Cannabis Grow Lights: What’s the Best Size?

Best LED Grow Light Articles

• 5 Best LED Grow Lights 2025 (Yields, Speed, & Bud Quality)
• LED Grow Lights: Too Much or Not Enough Light?
• LED Grow Journal: Mars Hydro TSL-2000W vs Spider Farmer SF-2000
• LEC vs LED Grow Lights: Side-by-Side Cannabis Grow Journal
• Nebula’s Auto-Flowering Grow Journal (Topping vs Natural) – cannabis plants are grown under LED grow lights

Environment

• Create the Perfect Growing Environment
  • Temperature Tutorial
  • 5 Secrets to Heat Control
  • Control Humidity for Better Buds
  • How to Use Reflective Walls to Increase Yields Indoors
  • How to Make Plants Grow Faster with CO2
• Where’s the Best Place in the House to Grow Your Plants?
• How to Control Odors
• How to Set Up an Exhaust
• How to Set Up a Grow Tent for Better Yields (and Stealth)

Plant Care Tutorials

• Cloning
  • How to clone weed in a cup of water (easy!)
  • How to make cannabis clones with an aero cloner
• Intro to Plant Training for Bigger Yields Indoors
• How Often to Water Plants
  • The Easiest Way to Water Plants & Remove Runoff
• How (and When) to Transplant Cannabis
• Male vs Female Plants
• When to Harvest?
• Drying & Curing

How to Improve…

• Yields
• Bud Quality
  • 7 Environment Effects on Bud Quality
  • The Secret to Excellent Bud Quality
• THC Levels
• CBD Levels
• Smell/Taste
• Density
• Bud Color (How to Grow Pink or Purple Buds)
• Glitter (Make Buds Sparkle with More Trichomes)
• Bonus: What Determines Yields?

Buying Seeds

• Where to Get Seeds
• How to Find the Right Strain
• What are “Feminized” Seeds?
• Which Breeders to Trust?
• Photoperiod vs Auto-Flowering Cannabis Strains
• Bag Seed vs Hype Seed: Is it worth it to buy cannabis seeds?

Recommended Strains

• Best Autoflowering Cannabis Strains for Yields & Potency
• List of Sugar-Dusted Strains (Heavy Trichome Genetics)
• 10 Cold-Resistant Cannabis Strains
• 14 Heat-Resistant Cannabis Strains
• Which cannabis strains stay short? (Best strains for small spaces)

Auto-Flowering Strains

• Nebula’s Guide to Cannabis Auto-Flowering Strains (Photoperiod vs Auto-Flowering)
• Should I “Top” or Train an Auto-Flowering Plant?
• What’s the best light schedule for auto-flowering strains?
• Nebula’s Auto-Flowering Grow Journal (Topping vs Natural)

Edibles

• Decarboxylation: How to Decarb Your Weed (crucial step for just about every edible recipe)
• Best Weed Butter Recipe
  • How to Make Great Brownies with Weed Butter
• Canna Caps
• How to Make Cannabis Gummies (Weed Gummy Bears)
• How to Make Cannabis Tinctures
• How to Make Hash Oil (aka Cannabis Extract Oil, Rick Simpson Oil, or RSO)

Extracts (No Solvents Used in Any Recipe)

• Solventless Extraction Showdown – Bubble Hash vs. Dry-Ice Hash!
• Dry Ice Hash (Made with Dry Ice)
• How to Make Bubble Hash (Made with Ice Water)
• How To Make Your Own Homemade Rosin (dabs)

And Lots More!

• How Long Does it Take to Grow Weed?
• Vegetative vs Flowering Stage (Long Days vs Long Nights)
• Germination & Seedling Mistakes
• Simple Guide to Plant Training
• What’s the Best Pot / Container?
• Perpetual Harvest
• What Determines Yields?
• 5 Time-Savers for Busy Growers
• Breeding Techniques
• 7 Gift Ideas for Cannabis Growers
• Grow Journals
• How long can I store nutrient water?
• What is High-Frequency Fertigation?
• Where is it legal to grow weed in the USA?
• See EVERYTHING on the Site!

Safety & Preparation

• Fire Protection in the Grow Room
• Electrical Safety Tips & Tricks
• Prepare Yourself for Growing Emergencies
• Stealth Growing Indoors: How to NOT get Caught Growing Weed

Just for Fun

• Weird or What? Cannabis Mutations & More!
• Creatures on Cannabis (Cute Photo Gallery)
• 10 Gift Ideas for Cannabis Growers

Submit Pics

• Submit Trophy Pictures of your Plants!
• How to Take Better Plant Pics
• How to Fix Yellow HPS Pics

Want More?

• Complete List of EVERYTHING on GWE  ← Full List (Over 500 articles & growing!)

 

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Thanks for visiting! We hope our website helps you find the growing tutorials you were looking for. We’ve written hundreds of growing marijuana articles and unfortunately we can’t fit them all on this page, so we encourage you to use the search bar on the right side (or top of the page for mobile users) to search for articles you don’t see here.

Happy growing!
Nebula & Sirius

 

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Use this “Navigation” page to find the pot growing topic you’re interested in, or click here to see every single page on the website!

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The post Link Guide to Growing Cannabis Tutorials appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/cfl-upgrade-guide?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cfl-upgrade-guide Sat, 26 Apr 2014 23:14:42 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/faq/cfl-grow-light-upgrade-guide/ by Nebula Haze

Growing cannabis with CFL grow lights? Got a very short grow space?

CFLs are one of the only choices for growers with a very short, tiny grow space. If you have at least 2 feet of length and width, CFLs might not not be the best choice for you. Learn more about the strengths and weaknesses for different types of grow lights.

The post CFL Grow Light Upgrade Guide appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

Growing cannabis with CFL grow lights? Got a very short grow space?

CFLs are one of the only choices for growers with a very short, tiny grow space. If you have at least 2 feet of length and width, CFLs might not not be the best choice for you. Learn more about the strengths and weaknesses for different types of grow lights.

If you’ve got less than 250W of CFLs (CFLs are perfect if you’re growing in a very short space) you can upgrade your CFL grow (without changing the electricity bill) by getting more bulbs. Let me explain…

Watt for Watt…
Small CFL Bulbs > Big CFL Bulbs

Growing Cannabis with CFLs – What Growers Need to Know

With CFLs, more small bulbs will work better than fewer big bulbs. So if you have some big CFL bulbs, a great way to upgrade is to get the same total wattage with smaller bulbs.

The light from CFLs is only “good” for the plant at short distances (under 10 inches), so to maximize your CFL grow, you want to get even light coverage over the entire surface of your plant. Basically you want the entire plant bathed in light with no dark or shadowy spots. This can only happen with many CFL bulbs, since each individual bulb has a limited range.

Example: Let’s say you already have 2 x 100W CFLs (a total of 200W). In this case, you can upgrade by switching to 9 x 23W CFLs (a total of 207W). You can improve your yields this way significantly, and it won’t make a noticeable difference on your electric bill.

Remember that you need to get a light socket to plug in each bulb! In the above example, you would need to get seven extra light sockets (since you already have two for the first two bulbs). With nine points of light instead of just two, you will be able to more evenly cover all the parts of your plant with light.

Once you’ve got 250W (or more) of CFLs, most growers will want to upgrade to a more efficient type of light as opposed to adding more CFLs. The only reason you should stick with CFLs at this point is if you have a very short grow space, and can’t accommodate the bigger height required by more powerful grow lights.

For example, if you have 250W worth of CFLs, you will dramatically increase your yields by switching to a 250W (or bigger) HPS. If you keep the same total number of watts, an HID will not give off any more heat than the setup you have now, but will come with additional cooling options. Learn more about CFLs vs MH/HPS grow lights.

 

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Jump to…

$300 CFL Grow Light Tutorial

7 Tips to Growing Top-Shelf Buds

Which Grow Light? | Cannabis Grow Light Guide

How to Remedy 99% of Cannabis Growing Problems

 

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The post CFL Grow Light Upgrade Guide appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> https://www.growweedeasy.com/grow-light-upgrade-guide?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=grow-light-upgrade-guide Sat, 26 Apr 2014 23:08:56 +0000 https://www.growweedeasy.com/newsletter_issue/cannabis-grow-light-upgrade-guide-yields-potency-explained/ by Nebula Haze

The post Cannabis Grow Light Upgrade Guide – Yields & Potency Explained appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

]]> by Nebula Haze

This article will teach you how to increase yields & potency of your home-grown cannabis without going crazy on your electricity bill!

So here's the question: Considering the grow lights you have now, what should you get next to upgrade your yields and potency?

If you don't have any cannabis grow lights yet, this guide will also help you decide which one is right for your space and budget!

Skip the Intro! Which Grow Lights Do You Have Now?

• None (yet)
• CFL Grow Lights
• MH/HPS Grow Lights
• LED Grow Lights

Important Note: If you haven’t already mastered the basics of growing and learned about free plant training methods to increase yields, these are likely a better place to start than upgrading your grow lights.

Getting through your grow without major problems and training your plants to grow more efficiently will give you bigger yields for free, without having to upgrade your grow lights.

But if you've mastered the basics and have successfully harvested a few grows, it may be time to upgrade your grow lights…

Upgrading Grow Lights – Electricity, Heat, Yields & Potency

When you've already maxed out on the yields you can get in your space, or if you're interested in improving the overall quality of your harvested buds, one of the best and easiest way to improve your grow is to upgrade your grow lights.

When upgrading grow lights, many growers have a few concerns, and it can be hard to get to the truth about how your grow lights affect...

• Electricity Use
• Heat Produced
• Yields
• Potency

Electricity Use & Heat

Watt-for-watt, most grow lights give off about a similar amount of heat. Some lights are more efficient than others (for example HPS is more efficient than CFLs, and will produce more light and less heat for the same amount of electricity), but when it comes to determining heat, wattage is a good way to generally estimate how much heat is going to be generated in your grow room.

That means that 400W of CFLs will produce a comparable amount of heat as 400W worth of HPS or LEDs. One of the big differences is how each of the types of lights dissipate extra heat.

While some MH/HPS lights are installed as a naked bulb under a reflector (cheap “wing” style HPS hoods), MH/HPS lights are often encased within an enclosed hood that allows the grower to hook up the light system directly with ducting so an exhaust fan can be used to expel the heat.

LED models are usually built with heatsinks and/or built-in fans to help disperse the heat evenly without concentrating any heat directly on the plants. Even with these extra bells and whistles, it’s still important to use an exhaust system to get rid of extra heat unless it’s naturally cold in the grow room.

CFLs unfortunately don’t have any built-in way to disperse heat because they were not originally intended to be grow lights (or used in huge numbers like they are in most CFL grows). With CFLs, the main way to deal with heat is to keep the grow very small or disperse heat with an exhaust system.

Warning! Be wary of crazy claims! 
If something sounds too good to be true about a grow light, it probably is!

Especially when it comes to LED grow lights, there is a lot of misinformation out there. The truth is that when it comes to growing cannabis, LED grow lights are not currently more efficient than an HPS light when it comes to yields/watt. 400W of HPS will almost always get more yields from cannabis than 400W of LED.

Yields & Potency

When it comes to improving your yields, the most efficient grow light is an HPS. When I say "efficient," I mean the amount of usable light produced for the amount of electricity needed. Because HPS lights are so efficient, using an HPS light during your cannabis flowering/budding phase is the fastest way to improve your yields.

When it comes to improving your potency, LED grow lights seem to help the plant produce more trichomes and bring out the natural odor of the plant, and many growers believe the overall quality and potency of buds is increased when using LED lights during the flowering stage.

A combination of HPS and LEDs seems to provide some of the best benefits of both – big yields plus high quality and potency. This may be because a combination of HPS plus LEDs more closely mimics the autumn sunlight that cannabis plants are exposed to in the wild.

Cannabis plants can use a lot of light, and this upgrade guide will help you figure out the best way to upgrade your grow lights in your budget, but there comes a point when adding more light just doesn’t increase yields any more.

Please note: The further your grow light from the plants, the less powerful the brightness but the greater and area the light will cover. The key is finding the right type of lights that give you both the coverage and brightness you need to achieve your goals.

At some point, cannabis hits a saturation point and just can’t use any more light. This usually happens when a grower has more than 100W of grow lights per square foot. This also can happen when the grower keeps powerful lights very close to plants. In this case, you can actually increase yields even further by sealing your entire grow area supplementing with CO2.

Just remember that adding extra CO2 to your grow room is a waste of time and money unless you’ve hit the maximum amount of light that your plants can use, and you will have to completely seal off your grow area (so it’s basically airtight) in order to supplement with CO2 effectively. It’s important to note that while supplementing with CO2 may increase your yields, it does not affect the quality or potency of your buds..

Ready To Upgrade?

Now that you are prepared with the information you need to upgrade your grow lights effectively, here’s a breakdown of exactly what you need to do. Let's start with an important question…

What Grow Lights Do You Have Now?

• None (yet)
• CFL Grow Lights
• MH/HPS Grow Lights
• LED Grow Lights

 

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I Don't Have Any Grow Lights (Yet) →

Quick Guide to Picking the Right Grow Lights For Your First Grow

Choose CFLs if…

• Height is limited
• Stealth is most important
• Very small budget

​Choose MH/HPS if…

• You have at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) of height for small MH/HPS setups, and 6 or 7 feet (~ 2 meters) of height for a larger setup
• You want to use the most proven indoor cannabis grow lights, ensuring you get the best yields and easiest grow experience
• You want to get big yields without investing a lot of money to buy your lights
• Getting the biggest yields possible is most important to you

​Choose LEDs if…

• You want to use the most cutting-edge indoor cannabis grow lights
• You are willing to do some research to determine the best LED grow light for your space (don't worry, I'll help guide you)
• You have some extra money to spend on your initial setup (LEDs are expensive!)
• Quality (potency, smell, trichome development) is more important to you than yields​

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I Have CFL Grow Lights →

 

How to Upgrade Your Lights:

• If you have less than 150W worth of grow lights in total, your grow is underpowered for cannabis growth (even for just one plant). Cannabis plants need a lot more light than many other types of plants. If you don’t have at least 150W worth of lights, it’s important you add more total grow light wattage to your grow room to make sure you’re giving your plants as much light as they need to grow successfully.

• If you have at least 25” (64 cm) + size of your plants in their containers, you should upgrade to MH/HPS or upgrade or an LED grow light. A general rule is you should have at least  5 feet (1.5 meters) of height for smaller MH/HPS setups or an LED panel, and 6 or 7 feet (~ 2 meters) of height for a larger MH/HPS setup.

• If you don’t have enough vertical height for better grow lights, you can usually still upgrade your CFL setup to get more yields in the same space by changing the type of CFLs and how you arrange them around your plants.  

• If height and stealth are a big issue, learn more about growing cannabis in small spaces with Space Buckets.

When You Shouldn’t Upgrade From CFLs:

• If you have at least 150W of grow lights, but haven’t already mastered the basics of growing and learned about free plant training methods to increase yields, then you might want to consider mastering these first. Training your plants to grow better and without major problems will give you bigger yields, for free, without having to upgrade your lights or setup in any other way.

• The only other time you should not upgrade from CFLs to a better grow light is if height is an issue. One of the biggest benefits of CFLs (and fluorescents) is they need less height than nearly any other grow light. If you are severely limited by height, than CFLs (and possible very small LEDs) are your best option.

More About Your Upgrade Options

Why Upgrade to a Better CFL Setup?

• Get better results for the same amount of electricity used by changing the type of CFL bulbs you use, and arranging them around your plant differently.

• Be able to grow cannabis plants even when height is very limited (when you have very little up-and-down room for your plants and lights).

Why Upgrade to MH/HPS?

• Get much better results and bigger yields for the same amount of electricity used. Once you’ve got at least 150-250W (or more) of CFLs, you will dramatically increase your yields by switching to a small MH/HPS, because MH/HPS lights are much more efficient (produce more light for the same amount of electricity) than CFLs. Learn more about CFLs vs MH/HPS grow lights.

• If you keep the same total number of watts as with your current CFL setup, an MH/HPS grow light will not give off more heat than the setup you have now, but will come with additional cooling options. MH/HPS grow lights have a reputation for giving off a lot of heat, but 150 watts of CFLs will give off about the same amount of heat as 150W of MH/HPS.

• If you upgrade to MH/HPS, you can finally stop worrying about having to adjust your CFL lights all the time. MH/HPS lights rarely need to be adjusted compared to CFLs, and are conveniently able to be hung directly above the plants. No need for crazy contraptions to make sure all your CFLs are within just a few inches of your plants!

• Gain the ability to grow bigger and taller plants.

Why Upgrade to LEDs?

• Get much better results for the same amount of electricity, because LEDs are much more efficient (produce more light for the same amount of electricity) than CFLs

• If you upgrade to LEDs, you can finally stop worrying about having to adjust your CFL lights all the time.

• If you keep the same total number of watts, LEDs will not give off any more heat than the setup you have now, but will come with additional cooling options like heatsinks and built-in fans.

• Many growers believe that LEDs seem to produce higher quality buds (more trichomes, higher potency, and they bring out the natural taste and smell of buds) than any other type of grow light.

• Once you’ve got at least 150-250W (or more) of CFLs, you will dramatically increase your yields by switching to a small LED panel.

Important Note about LEDs: LEDs are a popular choice for upgrading grow lights from CFLs, though it’s important to realize that good LED grow lights are still very expensive, and also that 400W of LED is not going to give you more yields than 400W of HPS, no matter what the manufacturer claims about equivalency. Unfortunately when it comes to growing cannabis, multiple tests by growers demonstrate that LEDs don’t live up to the hype of somehow magically increasing yields with far less power. Most tests indicate that yields/watt are actually higher with an HPS light in the flowering stage than LEDs. The price for LEDs is dropping each year, but remember they’re still very pricey compared to a similar wattage MH/HPS light.

 

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I Have MH/HPS Grow Lights →

 

How to Upgrade:

• The most straightforward way to upgrade an MH/HPS setup is to increase the total amount of grow light wattage to your grow room during the flowering stage.

• One way is to add LEDs to your existing setup. Some growers believe that combining MH/HPS with a quality LED panel may be able to improve the quality of your harvested buds, and LEDs seem to perform better with HPS than they do by themselves.

• If you’re most concerned with improving your yields, skip the LEDs and get more HPS power for your flowering stage. This can be accomplished either by upgrading to a bigger bulb or by adding additional MH/HPS units. Adding extra MH/HPS power will tend to give you a bigger return on yields than adding similar wattage of LEDs.

When You Shouldn’t Upgrade From MH/HPS:  

• If you haven’t already mastered the basics of growing and learned about free plant training methods to increase yields, you should focus on those factors first. Training your plants to grow better will give you better yields without having to upgrade your lights.

• When you are already having trouble with heat, you shouldn’t add more grow light wattage to your setup until you get your heat under control. By keeping temperatures relatively low during the flowering stage, you will actually increase the potency of your buds and achieve a better smell. Learn about how temperature affects your cannabis plants.

More About Your Upgrade Options

Why Upgrade The Exhaust System and Control Temperature?

• If it's too hot in the grow room, upgrading your lights won't matter and you'll just end up with a bigger electricity bill

• It’s important to keep the temperature of your grow area under 80°F (26°C) throughout the flowering stage to prevent some of your potency and natural smell of buds from “burning away.” Note: The only exception to this rule is if are supplementing with CO2 in a completely sealed room (which you should never do until you have already maxed on on the amount of light your plants are able to use, so CO2 isn’t a good option for most small-scale growers).

• A properly calibrated exhaust system will help keep temperatures around 65-80°F (18-26°C) while buds are forming, maximizing on the final quality and potency of your buds.

• A better exhaust system helps keep humidity low during the flowering stage, which increases the number of trichomes formed on your buds, especially towards the last few weeks before harvest.

• An effective exhaust system will help growers achieve slightly cooler temps at night (during the dark period), which brings out the natural colors and taste/smell of your strain.

Why Upgrade Your MH/HPS?

• Adding higher wattage MH/HPS bulbs to your grow room (or increasing the number of MH/HPS units) is the most cost-effective way to increase your yields.

Why Add LEDs To Your Existing Setup?

• Many growers believe that LEDs seem to produce higher quality buds (more trichomes, higher potency, and they bring out the natural taste and smell of buds). The best results seem to come from mixing both HPS and LEDS in the flowering stage.

What About Switching Away From MH/HPS To LEDs?

• If you’re thinking about switching away from MH/HPS altogether, and want to switch entirely to LEDs, it’s important you understand that good LED grow lights are still very expensive, much more expensive than purchasing an equivalent MH/HPS. The price for LEDs is dropping each year, but they’re still very pricey compared to a similar wattage MH/HPS light.

• Considering the current state of LED grow light technology, it’s also important to understand that you will not increase your yields unless you increase the total wattage in your grow room. In other words, 400W of LED is not going to give you more yields than 400W of HPS, no matter what the manufacturer claims about equivalency. This has  been proven time and time again by LED grow journals. Theoretically LEDs may be more efficient one day, but the technology has not caught up yet. Unfortunately when it comes to growing cannabis, multiple tests by growers demonstrate that LEDs don’t live up to the hype of somehow magically increasing yields with far less power. In fact, most tests indicate that yields/watt are actually lower with LEDs than with an HPS light of the same wattage. Learn more about what to expect as far as yields from LEDs

• Most LEDs are made to disperse heat in the grow area, which can prevent hot spots from forming directly on your plants. However, LEDs do get hot, and if you have a lot of them you will need to install an exhaust system to keep temps from getting too high and hurting your plants.

• One big benefit of switching directly from MH/HPS to LEDs is that many growers note an increase of overall quality of their buds, even though yields may be lower.

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I Have LED Grow Lights →

 

How to Upgrade:

• Add MH/HPS to your setup to increase your yields dramatically.

• Another option is to upgrade to better LEDs than the ones you have now.

• If you have less than 150W worth of grow lights in total, your grow is underpowered for cannabis growth (even for just one plant). Cannabis plants need a lot more light than many other types of plants. If you don’t have at least 150W worth of lights, it’s important you add more total grow light wattage to your grow room to make sure you’re getting the best results you can.

When You Shouldn’t Upgrade From LEDs:  

• If you have at least 150W of quality grow lights, but haven’t already mastered the basics of growing and learned about free plant training methods to increase yields, you should consider mastering those methods first. It will give you bigger yields for free, without having to invest any more money in lights.

• When you are already having trouble with heat, you shouldn’t add more lights to your setup until you get the temperature under control. By keeping temperatures relatively low during the flowering stage, you will actually increase the potency of your buds and achieve a better smell. Learn about how to lower temps with a stealthy exhaust system.

More About Your Upgrade Options

Why Upgrade The Exhaust System and Control Temperature?

• If it's too hot, upgrading your lights won't matter and you'll just end up with a bigger electricity bill

• It’s important to keep the temperature of your grow area under 80°F (26°C) throughout the flowering stage to prevent some of your potency and natural smell of buds from “burning away.” Note: The only exception to this rule is if are supplementing with CO2 in a completely sealed room (which you should never do until you have already maxed on on the amount of light your plants are able to use, which is unlikely for most small-scale growers).

• A properly calibrated exhaust system will help keep temperatures around 65-80°F (18-26°C) while buds are forming, maximizing on the final quality and potency of your buds.

• A better exhaust system helps keep humidity low during the flowering stage, which increases the number of trichomes formed on your buds, especially towards the last few weeks before harvest.

• An effective exhaust system will help growers achieve slightly cooler temps at night (during the dark period), which brings out the natural colors and smell/taste of your strain.

Why Add MH/HPS To Your Existing Setup?

• Adding MH/HPS to your grow room to supplement your LEDs is the most cost-effective way to increase your yields. There are also a lot of growers who believe the best results as far as bud quality seem to come from mixing both HPS and LEDS in the flowering stage.

• So far no grow lights (not even LEDs) are able to consistently beat HPS grow lights in flowering when it comes to getting the biggest yields for the amount of electricity used (though some of the recent high-powered LED models with large chipsets are beginning to come close).

Why Upgrade Your LEDs?

• Poor quality LED grow lights tend to cause problems with proper growth in either the vegetative or flowering stage. If your plants aren’t growing properly under your LEDs, it’s possible they are not the right kind of LED grow lights for growing cannabis.

• More wattage of LEDs gives you the ability to produce bigger yields. Cannabis plants love a lot of light, and they power the growth of buds with energy produced from light. Many growers believe that LEDs seem to produce higher quality buds (more trichomes, higher potency, and they bring out the natural taste and smell of buds).  

Cannabis plants under a PG400 LED grow light

 

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No Matter Which Grow Lights You Use…

Genetics Are Key to Potency & Yields!

While all the tips and tactics for upgrading your grow lights will help increase your yields with any strain, the genetics of your plant also play a huge role in how the plant grows, how the buds fatten, bud potency and ultimately your yields.

The strains available today get much higher yields and are much more potent than any strains that were around even a decade ago. If you've got cannabis seeds that have been sitting around for a few years, chances are they are not as potent as seeds from a newer strain.

Strain potency, yields, and ease of growth have been improving steadily over the last several decades as hundreds of growers around the world are constantly breeding new strains and improving on old favorites.

Learn about ordering cannabis seeds online
and get the strain you've always wanted!

So even if you do everything right to get bigger yields, you may not get buds as big as the ones you see online or in cannabis magazines. It's an unfair comparison if you're using so-so genetics.

Investing in a high-yielding strain can be one of the best ways to increase your final yields (as well as the overall quality, potency and smell of your buds!). 

Already got your strain? Learn 5 Ways to Increase Yields Indoors (with any strain)!

 

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Jump to…

Learn more About Different Cannabis Grow Lights

How to Grow Organic Cannabis

How to Grow Cannabis with Bubbleponics

$100 Stealth Grow – Space Buckets

 

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The post Cannabis Grow Light Upgrade Guide – Yields & Potency Explained appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

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