Magnetic Induction Grow Lights – Grow Weed Easy

Grow Weed Easy – Learn How to Grow Cannabis Tutorials

Nebula Haze — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 22:07:58 +0000

Grow Weed Easy – Learn How to Grow Cannabis

GrowWeedEasy.com teaches you how easy it is to grow weed. Growing weed can be easy when you know what to do, but most “how to grow marijuana” tutorials make it seem like you need a degree in horticulture.

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Even first-time growers produce great harvests when they follow our tutorials.

Who Made GrowWeedEasy.com?

Grow Weed Easy.com was started in 2010 by home growers Nebula Haze and Sirius Fourside. Together, they built a free online “encyclopedia of cannabis home grow” with 650+ expert home cannabis cultivation tutorials about every aspect of growing weed.

GrowWeedEasy.com is now the biggest and most comprehensive source of free home grow information in the world. We show you how easy it is to grow your own marijuana at home.

The GrowWeedEasy.com Ethos

Our Goal: You grow as much top-shelf weed as possible, with as little time and effort needed to grow your desired yields and cannabis bud quality.

Whether you’re a total beginner who wants to start growing cannabis indoors for the first time, or an experienced grower who wants to upgrade your skills to Pro level, this website was built for you.

Looking for a complete harvest system?

If you want dense, beautiful, great-smelling weed, our new digital book gives you our complete harvest system. Follow the straightforward instructions and massively upgrade your results every harvest. A few small changes can make all the difference.

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If you’re reading this right now, you want to grow great cannabis at home.

Cannabis plants isn’t a regular house plant, but learning how to grow isn’t as complicated growers make it seem. We’ve spent the last 16 years breaking down the home grow process so anyone can learn it.

The key to consistent harvest results is simple: follow a proven system developed for home growers.

You could waste an entire grow learning through trial and error…

Or take the shortcut and harvest a sea of fat, dense, beautiful buds that smell great. At home!

Follow our 5-week course and get walked through each part step-by-step. Build by experienced home growers and honed with hundreds of students since 2019, we ensure you achieve great results on your very next harvest.

Learn How To Grow Top-Shelf Weed at Home!

Start Your First Class TODAY!

You may be asking yourself these common growing questions:

“How do I grow marijuana indoors?”

Read this guide on how to grow marijuana indoors. Or check out this article to learn what materials you need to get started growing your own marijuana!

Luckily, it’s really easy to get a cannabis seed to sprout!

“How much money will it cost to get started?”

If you’re considering growing weed, it costs as little as $300 to get started growing or a bit more for a semi-automatic, high-yielding bubbleponics grow system. See examples of yields to expect, electricity use & startup costs for different setups. Read this article to see even more growing styles with different price ranges.

“Where can I get marijuana seeds?”

Check out our How to Buy Marijuana Seeds Online Guide (with delivery to every state of the USA) to safely get your hands on good genetics. Starting with good seeds lets you choose the looks, smell, and effects of your buds!

Learn where it’s safe to buy cannabis seeds online (2026 update).

What do good cannabis seeds look like?

Learn about the best marijuana beginner strains and how to research and find the right strain.

Cannabis buds are generally green, but can also be pink or purple with certain strains.

“How much will electricity cost each month?”

If you’re just growing a few marijuana plants for personal use, it will cost you $20-$100+/month for electricity, depending on what grow lights (electricity) and nutrients you use. On average, I’d say a hobby-size grower might pay about $50/month to grow, but it depends greatly on your setup and local electricity costs! How much will electricity cost each month?

“How can I increase my marijuana yields?”

We have quite a few techniques to choose from or combine! See some of our most popular pages:

Super Cropping – A simple technique to bigger yields
Simplest Guide to Growing Short & Bushy Marijuana Plants
LST (Low Stress Training) – Training your plants can easily double your harvest!
Or check out our page on the controversial defoliation technique

Even More Ways to Increase Cannabis Yields

Increase Light Intensity (plus choose right light for desired yields & possibly add CO2)
Manipulate How Plants Grow (a free way to yield more bud indoors)
Provide Right Nutrients (low Nitrogen in the flowering stage, and remember sometimes less is more!)
Control Growing Environment (let the growing environment work for you)
Harvest Plants Properly (most importantly, don’t harvest early!)
Lastly, it’s important to remember that the strain has a major effect on yields!

Two small cannabis plants can yield several ounces of premium weed!

“How can I grow weed privately?”

Read guide on growing weed indoors without anyone knowing. But remember the most important factors to stealth growing: “No tell, no smell, no sell.” Never tell anyone, not even your best friend, that you’re growing. Be on top of preventing smells, and never ever sell cannabis. Breaking one of those 3 principles is how 99% of growers get found out!

“What if my plants get sick?”

The most common issue a grower runs into is a pH imbalance. Barring that, your marijuana plants likely either have a nutrient deficiency, heat or light stress, or are being attacked by some sort of marijuana mold, pest or bug. Whether you call it weed, cannabis, sinsemilla, skunk, pot, marijuana, or something else, the plant known as Cannabis Sativa is a hardy weed in the wild and can actually be easy to grow indoors at home when you know what to do.

Growing Medical Marijuana

“Medical marijuana” has become a household name. The body of evidence for medical marijuana in the treatment of cancer and other illnesses is growing every day. And for those who need medical marijuana, growing weed indoors is the perfect way to ensure a safe, regular supply of buds, for cheap.

In fact, when you grow weed indoors for personal use, you often end up with way too much. If you catch the growing bug like I did, and if you start enjoying the process of tending your cannabis garden just for the sake of gardening, you’re going to have to find a way to press, cook, freeze, and concentrate all your extra buds. 🙂

As you probably know, both medical marijuana and recreational cannabis have been decriminalized or legalized in many places around the world and weed is becoming legal in more places every day! Yet there still aren’t many simple indoor “how to grow weed” guides for beginners (even for those who legally grow, such as medical marijuana users and those who live in places where marijuana is legalized for personal use).

If so, I know how you feel. It can be hard to weed out all the bad information on the internet and find well-researched, free tips or instructions on how to grow your own cannabis. That’s why Grow Weed Easy.com aims to be a simple online resource that explains from start to finish what you need to do when growing cannabis so you can learn how to grow cannabis with great yields and potent buds, even if you only have a small grow space like a closet or even a computer case.

We’ve grown cannabis out of closets and have gotten ounces of buds and you can too. Grow Weed Easy.com covers many popular cannabis cultivation topics, including:

A comparison between different cannabis grow lights including experience-based information about LED grow lights
A page that teaches you the basics of how to grow weed
Detailed how-to weed growing tutorials
How to start growing weed tomorrow (simplest cannabis growing guide!)
Grow 4 oz with a 100W LED <– An Easy Way to Start Growing!
Our famous grow guide that teaches you how to grow weed using bubbleponics (hydro).

Start Growing Weed Today!

Grow Weed Easy is run by a panel of experienced cannabis growers, including the founders Nebula Haze and Sirius Fourside, who originally teamed together to bring you GrowWeedEasy.com. Due to the demand for more marijuana growing information, we’ve also started an inbox magazine all about how to grow weed, with additional tutorials, tips, and tactics sent to you each week. Simply sign up to start getting free expert growing articles delivered to you! All the information available at GrowWeedEasy.com is completely free and we regularly update the site and make new additions.

Looking for a growing book?

If you are interested in doing a bit of reading or would like to know more about the science behind marijuana hydroponics or horticulture, I strongly recommend viewing our page of Marijuana Grow Book Reviews. Read reviews of marijuana grow books. We would love to hear about your experiences with growing cannabis. Whether you are a pro grower already or are just starting your first plant, we have learned so much from our readers both beginners and masters! If you have any suggestions, comments, concerns, or just want to ask some questions about your marijuana grow, please contact us!

Happy Growing!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside

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The post Grow Weed Easy – Learn How to Grow Cannabis Tutorials appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

LEC vs Induction vs Plasma Grow Lights: What’s the Difference?

Nebula Haze — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 18:02:17 +0000

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!

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

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

Link Guide to Growing Cannabis Tutorials

Nebula Haze — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 03:08:57 +0000

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…

Common New Grower Topics

Problems & Symptoms

Plant Training (Indoor Tricks for Bigger Yields)

Grow Mediums

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

Plant Care Tutorials

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

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

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!

Safety & Preparation

Just for Fun

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

Submit Pics

Want More?

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

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

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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Magnetic Induction Grow Lights & Plasma Grow Lights: Do they work?

Nebula Haze — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:27:55 +0000

by Nebula Haze

Table of Contents

Introduction

Different Types of Induction Grow Lights

Plasma Induction Lights
Magnetic Induction Lights

Should You Get Induction Grow Lights?

Bonus Pictures: Magnetic Induction Grow Lights in Action

Induction Grow Lights For Growing Marijuana

Indoor cannabis growers are always looking for the best way to increase their yields without having to increase the money spent on the grow. And tuning into the perfect cannabis grow lights for your setup is one of the best ways to maximize your yields.

But which grow light do you choose? How do you deal with heat or ventilation? What will make it easiest for you to grow? It can be tough to control heat and electricity use with many grow lights, and it’s tempting to listen to marketers that claim to have all the answers for you.

And in recent years there has been a lot of marketing for magnetic induction & plasma grow lights for growing cannabis.

Are induction grow lights the answer to bigger yields with less heat and electricity?

Are these results typical for induction grow lights?

Induction grow lights go by a lot of names, so you may have heard about them without even realizing it.

Some names for induction lighting include…

induction grow lights
plasma grow lights
full spectrum plasma lights
sulphur plasma grow lights
MPS grow lights
sulphur lamps
High Efficiency Plasma lamps
HEP lighting
magnetic induction grow lights
electrodeless lamp
electrodeless vacuum tube
fluorescent induction lamps
and probably others I don’t know about…

These all use a similar type of technology to produce light.
But do these lights live up to the marketing hype?

There are a few different induction grow light models appearing on the market today. These “new” grow lights are supposedly longer-lasting and more efficient than any other grow light.

Supposedly induction lights

get bigger yields than MH/HPS
use less electricity
produce almost no heat

…ultimately they’re supposed to give you better results and bigger yields when growing cannabis.

The first induction-based lighting was demonstrated by the famous inventor Nikola Tesla in the late 1800s. Learn a little more about the history of induction lighting. The technology was basically the same then as it is now – a way to make lights using induction or electromagnetic fields to transfer power instead of an electrical connection or electrodes. That’s why induction lights are sometimes called “electrodeless lights.”

So in other words, induction lights are a lot like regular lights, but they do not use electrodes or filaments to get power to the light. Since those are the parts of light bulbs that tend to break first, induction lights have a much longer lifespan than pretty much any other kind of light on the market today.

Magnetic Induction Grow Lights

So does this translate into bigger yields for cannabis growers?

When it comes down to it, from a cannabis grower’s perspective there are two types of induction lighting you need to familiarize yourself with:

Plasma Grow Lights
Magnetic Induction Grow Lights

Plasma Grow Lights

Plasma grow lights generate light by exciting sulfur plasma with microwave radiation. The color produced looks beautiful, almost like sunlight… But just because it looks like sunlight to humans doesn’t mean it looks like sunlight to plants.

The huge problem with sulfur plasma grow lights is they are missing important parts of the light spectrum that are important to plant growth. What that means is when your cannabis plants are under just plasma grow lights, they aren’t getting as much of the type of light they want. Plasma grow lights also may cause electromagnetic interference, which can interfere with Wi-Fi, cordless phones and satellite radio.

I first covered plasma grow lights in 2010. Read my full 2010 review on plasma sulfur grow lights, which is still surprisingly relevant today. In the last several years, there has been essentially no improvement in the induction lighting technology. How could there be? You can’t change the type of light produced by excited sulfur.

I Highly Recommend You Don’t get a Plasma Grow Light!

Right now a 300W plasma grow light goes for about $800+, but these lights aren’t even as effective for growing marijuana as a $99 230W T5 Grow Light (which also uses less electricity).

There have supposedly been some improvements to plasma sulfur grow lights, in an attempt to generate more light that is useful for growing plants, but there’s no evidence that the technology has significantly changed. Saying it’s now “improved” without any facts to back it up sounds a lot like more marketing speak.

The truth is, plasma grow lights are not ready for primetime, and honestly it looks like they may never be a good choice for cannabis growers.

There are not many pictures showing happy cannabis plants under Plasma Grow Lights, and many of the growers growing under them have since switched to more effective grow lights due to poor yields and performance

Just because this plant looks ok doesn’t mean that other grow lights aren’t better!

No one seems to want to use plasma grow lights for long, and there also aren’t many new vendors jumping on board with this technology to sell new models.

In fact, I believe (hope?) that plasma induction grow lights have fallen off the growing marijuana market for good, now that the initial hype has died away. Unless someone comes up with a major breakthrough in the technology, it seems like plasma grow lights are not going to work for marijuana growers.

However, a different type of induction lighting, “magnetic induction grow lights,” are starting to pop up everywhere.

Unlike sulfur plasma grow lights, these magnetic induction lights are based on current grow light technology (they are essentially an electrodeless fluorescent light), and these grow lights have proven to be much more effective for growing marijuana.

Magnetic Induction Grow Lights

Magnetic Induction grow lights seem to be the “hot” type of cannabis induction grow lights on the market today. They give off a wonderful spectrum of light for growing cannabis, and they look like something out of a science fiction movie.

And the current magnetic induction grow lights work great in situations where fluorescent lights do well.

This is because magnetic induction lights are basically the same thing as a fluorescent light, only without a filament. That’s why these lights are sometimes called fluorescent induction lights, or electrodeless fluorescent lights.

In other words, magnetic induction grow lights are made with similar technology as regular fluorescent lights (like CFLs or a T5), except these lights use induction instead of electrodes to supply energy to the bulb.

Because the filament is usually the first thing to break in a fluorescent bulb, magnetic induction lights last much longer than regular fluorescent grow lights, and stay at their initial brightness for thousands of hours longer. They also come in unique form factors (different sizes and shapes) and are available in much bigger sizes than regular fluorescent lights.

What’s the difference between magnetic induction lights and fluorescent lights?

Magnetic induction lights are made in different shapes and are available in much bigger sizes than your standard fluorescent
Magnetic induction bulbs last much, much longer than regular fluorescent lights

Magnetic induction bulbs are often round or rectangular, with one side blue and the other side red. While these bulbs produce a great light spectrum for growing cannabis, they aren’t magical! It’s important to manage expectations if you’re considering a magnetic induction grow light.

Be wary of too-good-to-be-true claims when it comes to magnetic induction grow lights! Even though they are good lights, some unethical sellers will lie to you!

As far as magnetic induction lights, I think of them like big, odd-shaped fluorescent lights. If the price, shape, and brightness are good for your setup then you’ll be happy with these.

I’d consider getting a high-power magnetic induction grow light like this if it were a quarter of the price! And the price is sort of the biggest problem with magnetic induction grow lights…

Even though magnetic induction grow lights can produce nice plants, they cost an arm and a leg!

It’s possible that magnetic induction grow lights could be a nice option in the future for those who want longer-lasting fluorescent grow lights… But only after the price comes down.

Benefits of Magnetic Induction Lighting

Great light spectrum that works great for growing cannabis (just like fluorescent lights)
Replace them far less often: no electrodes or filaments means a longer life, and magnetic induction grow lights can be run for up to 100,000 hours
Magnetic induction lights don’t lose light intensity nearly as fast as MH or HPS grow lights; they stay close to their full initial brightness even after running for tens of thousands of hours. Because these lights stay bright for so long, they are popular for stadium lighting and other types of lighting where bulbs are difficult or expensive to replace
Instant-On – induction lights turn on instantly and don’t need time to warm up like MH/HPS bulbs
The bigger size and unique form factor of induction lights can make them a great choice for supplemental or side-lighting, for example in a not-quite-bright-enough greenhouse, since they last a long time and are easy to install
Deeper penetration into the plant canopy than CFLs or T5 grow lights

Cons of Induction Lighting

Poor light penetration into the plant canopy compared to MH/HPS lights – never use an induction light to actually replace an MH/HPS setup!
Expensive to buy compared to other grow lights
Doesn’t have built-in cooling options – you may need to point a fan at the bulb to disperse heat if you’re using big bulbs
Produces far less lumens/watt than its major competitor, the HPS. In other words, with a magnetic induction lamp you’re getting less light for the same amount of electricity compared to an HPS. More light = more energy = bigger buds.
Lots of fake claims by sellers – buyer beware!

Magnetic induction grow lights work well as a supplemental grow light. They can also be used by themselves, as demonstrated here, and get similar results to the same wattage of other types of fluorescent lights.

Some greenhouse growers with limited light (including the world-famous grower Ed Rosenthal) have reported positive results from using magnetic induction grow lights in a greenhouse. A greenhouse might be a great choice for induction lights since it can be difficult to change lights, and induction bulbs will likely never need to be replaced. They also might be a good choice for short spaces where an MH/HPS light would not work.

However, in a sealed room with plenty of height, where the magnetic induction grow lights are the only source of light, the results are less remarkable. As a primary source of light when growing indoors, magnetic induction lights seem to perform about as well as really big fluorescent lights.

Should You Go Out and Invest In Magnetic Induction Grow Lights?

Remember, magnetic induction grow lights are basically just big fluorescent lights without electrodes or filaments. No matter what the vendors try to say otherwise, don’t fall for some of the outrageous marketing claims!

If you’re looking for a magical grow light that doesn’t produce any heat, uses next to no electricity, and produces humongous yields compared to LEDs, MH, or HPS grow lights, then you’re kidding yourself. Magnetic induction grow lights just aren’t what you’re looking for.

But…

If you’re looking for a type of grow light that is low heat, uses a relatively low amount of electricity, has a good form factor for your grow area and you hate replacing your fluorescent bulbs, then magnetic induction grow lights may be the right choice for you.

This is a 400W magnetic induction fixture that plugs right into the wall

So… do induction grow lights work?

What about claims that induction lights are better than HPS grow lights? Do they get bigger yields for less electricity? Do they run cooler?

Well… the truth is there’s pretty much zero evidence that any of these bold claims are true.

In fact, if you simply look at the specifications of each light, you can see exactly how much light (lumens) each light gives off per the amount of electricity (watts). Now lumens isn’t the perfect measure of how much light is getting to your plants, but it’s a good starting estimate.

Note: The amount of light produced by each type varies depending on the bulb size and model. The way you position your plants compared to the light makes a big difference in how much light they’ll receive. Leaves close to the bulb get more light than leaves further away.

HPS – 85-150 lumens/watt

Metal Halide – 65-115 lumens/watt

LEDs – up to 105 lumens/watt

T5s – 70-105 lumens/watt

Plasma Induction – up to 100 lumens/watt (but not in the right spectrum of light for optimal plant growth)

Magnetic Induction – up to 80 lumens/watt

CFLs – up to 85 lumens/watt

It’s easy to see that HPS grow lights beats all the others by a landslide!

Plasma induction grow lights don’t work well for growing cannabis and get poor results for the amount of electricity they take. Even though they produce a nice amount of light, the light isn’t great for growing cannabis. I highly recommend against getting a plasma grow light – they’re expensive!

Magnetic induction lights can definitely grow some amazing plants, but no more than you could achieve with a similar brightness made from fluorescent lights. Magnetic induction lights won’t produce more light or less heat than MH/HPS grow lights using the same amount of electricity. And considering that we’re talking the difference between HPS lights and a type of fluorescent light, that actually makes a lot of sense.

Wait, aren’t induction lights getting better every day?

No, the induction grow light scene isn’t like LEDs where they are actually improving the technology every year. With induction itself, the technology has not changed much since it was first demonstrated in the 1800s.

Occasionally a new company will try to re-ignite the fire about induction grow lights, claiming they’re better than MH/HPS or LED grow lights. Companies that lie about these lights are preying on new growers who get taken in by the science-y sounding terms and incredible claims, without realizing what they’re actually getting.

Ultimately, when someone is saying that induction lights will give you better yields (for the same amount of electricity) than HPS lights, it’s a bunch of marketing speak because no one has been able to demonstrate that’s true! Not in over half a decade!

If you search out videos and grow journals, you’ll see that cannabis growers who’ve tried induction lighting have generally not been that impressed. Especially if they tried to switch over from MH/HPS or LEDs thinking they were getting something stronger. People who go in with the wrong expectations are sure to be disappointed!

Should you get induction lights?

First off, I personally recommend you never get a plasma grow light. But there are times when magnetic induction grow lights might be a good choice. If you’re looking for supplemental side lighting that puts out a great spectrum and lasts forever than magnetic induction grow lights could be perfect for you. If you’ve got a short grow space to work with, but want something stronger/more compact than a T5, than these can be just the ticket.

For everyone else, I highly recommend sticking with LEDs or better yet, MH/HPS. If you’re looking for the best yields and best electrical efficiency, MH/HPS is the way to go!

Here are the plants in my tent right now, under a 250W HPS
(this is the ballast I’m using with a 250W HPS bulb)

I believe HPS lights are a really great choice for both big and small gardens! There’s this idea that HPS lights are incredibly hot, and that’s definitely true for the bigger models. But with a small 250W HPS like the one above, you may not even need to vent the heat (don’t tell on me, but that’s what I’ve been doing…). With cheap startup costs and the best light efficiency on the market today, HPS grow lights are hard to beat!

Jump to…

Cannabis Grow Lights: Breakdown

Grow Weed Guide: Seed to Harvest!

Cannabis Problems & Symptoms

5 Ways to Increase Yields Indoors (with any strain)

Wanna see more pictures of cannabis plants growing under Magnetic Induction Grow Lights?

One of our readers, deesnuts, has been growing marijuana with magnetic induction grow lights since 2011, and he has some pictures he’d like to share showing his results.

Scroll down to see more pics by deesnuts of marijuana grown completely under just magnetic induction lighting!

Magnetic Induction Grow Lights in Action
by deesnuts

Hello, deesnuts here. I wanted to share you what I’ve learned about growing marijuana with magnetic induction lighting over the last few years. And don’t hesitate to check out my videos of marijuana growing under magnetic induction grow lights!

These lights come in all sizes to meet any need, from 40 – 400 watt bulbs.

My main room has five (5) 300W bulbs. I’ve used retrofit kits. These bulbs have it all, low power use & low heat output. In addition to my regular grow room, I have a small starter box with two 40W bulbs (color: one 2700K & one 6500K) plus one small CFL.

These lights have worked well for me, as you can see from the pictures below. All these marijuana plants have been grown completely under magnetic induction lighting.

Magnetic induction bulbs last forever. You don’t see them in stores, but grow stores can’t make money if a bulb lasts 20+ years.

Think about that.

Grow room: 6ft X 6ft X 10ft
Five (5) 300W magnetic induction bulbs
3 lights @ 2700k
2 lights @ 6500K

A 400W Magnetic Induction Fixture

A Brief History of Induction Lighting

The idea of electrodeless artificial lights (induction lighting) was first demonstrated over 100 years ago in the 19th century.

Induction lighting is unique because these lights use induction or electromagnetic fields to transfer power instead of filaments or electrodes. Since these parts wear out first, induction light bulbs last much longer than other types of artificial lights. This makes it a great choice for situations where it can be difficult to change bulbs, like stadium lighting.

In fact, all modern electrodeless lights are closely related to induction techniques that were demonstrated in the 1890s by Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), a world-famous inventor, physicist and electrical engineer.

Despite the benefits (long life, low electricity use, bright light) of Tesla’s induction lighting, a different type of light, incandescent bulbs, became the most popular artificial lighting for the next 100 years. Incandescent bulbs produce less light, use more electricity and generate more heat than induction lights, yet they became the most widely-used light bulbs in the world for most of the 20th century.

Tesla wrote in 1929 about induction-based lighting that “my system is more important than the incandescent lamp, which is but one of the known electric illuminating devices and admittedly not the best.”

Tesla believed that induction lighting was superior in every way to incandescent lights, and in most respects he was right. It’s only recently that incandescent lights are being gradually replaced by other, more efficient lighting, mostly fluorescent or LED lights.

It wasn’t until the last 1960s that the first electrodeless lamp was patented by General Electric, who recognized that these lights would stay bright for longer, and need to be replaced less often. But since then, it’s taken a backseat to fluorescents and LEDS for home or garden lighting. Instead, induction lighting has been mostly used for things like stadium lighting and factory lights.

FOR SERIOUS GROWERS ONLY

You’ve told me you’re looking for a complete guide to growing marijuana that covers everything, from beginner to ultra-advanced.

And utilizing new grow light technology is just one technique to getting seriously killer harvests. If you want to learn ALL the secrets…

Learn from the best!

Invest in the most advanced Grow Bible Available: Growing Elite Marijuana + 6 bonuses (including one-of-a-kind comprehensive strain guide)

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Over 700 pages of pictures, tutorials and advanced insider tips!

Get Instant Access to It All Right Here: GrowWeedEasy.com/growing-elite-marijuana

“I thought I already knew it all, but after I went through this grow bible, I discovered that there were still lots for me to learn so I could increase my yields and grow even more potent buds! I find myself going back to it for new ideas.”

-Nebula

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Please don’t hesitate to Contact GrowWeedEasy.com with any questions.

Happy growing!

If you haven’t started growing marijuana yet, today is the day!

If you run into any problems while you’re growing marijuana, you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Use our handy marijuana problem picture guide to quickly diagnose your plant: https://www.growweedeasy.com/marijuana-symptoms-pictures

About the Author: Nebula Haze

In response to the need for more tutorials aimed at new growers, Nebula co-founded GrowWeedEasy.com in 2010 with fellow grower Sirius Fourside.

Since then, Nebula has published dozens of growing articles in print and online, stars in online video lessons, and continues to dedicate herself to serving the needs of the medical marijuana growing community.

“My mission is to show other medical marijuana patients how easy and fun it can be to grow pounds of killer weed out of your closet.”

Jump to…

Cannabis Grow Lights: Breakdown

Grow Weed Guide: Seed to Harvest!

Cannabis Problems & Symptoms

More about MH/HPS Grow Lights

The post Magnetic Induction Grow Lights & Plasma Grow Lights: Do they work? appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Grow Light Breakdown: Heat, Cost & Yields

Nebula Haze — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:27:36 +0000

by Nebula Haze

For the many growers who are unable to cultivate cannabis outside in the free abundant sunshine, grow lights are necessary to successfully grow cannabis indoors. Grow lights take the place of the sun, and power the growth of your plants and their buds. Light is like “food” for your plants, so without a lot of bright light, even a healthy cannabis plant won’t produce much bud at all.

More Light = Bigger Yields!
(up to a point, it is possible to give your plant too much light!)

3 Main Classes of Marijuana Grow Lights

There are lots of options for grow lights that work well for growing cannabis indoors but in the end they boil down to 3 major types:

1.) Fluorescent Grow Lights

T5 grow lights (and other fluorescent tubes)

2.) High Intensity Discharge (HID) Grow Lights

Metal Halide (MH)
High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH, LEC, Light Emitting Ceramic)

3.) LED Grow Lights

LEDs come in a huge variety of sizes and form factors.
When it comes to growing weed, some LEDs get much better yields and bud quality than others.

Note: Some growers may have heard of “Induction” or “plasma” grow lights, which are pretty rare these days but still pop up from time to time. There are two types: “Magnetic Induction” grow lights do okay for growing cannabis but they’re pretty much glorified fluorescent lights. “Plasma Induction” grow lights actually perform pretty poorly at growing cannabis.

Some types of induction lights are well suited to stadium lighting but they just aren’t that great for growing cannabis and they come with huge price tags. Most LEDs are cheaper and you’ll get far better results with them. You can learn more about induction grow lights here.

Note 2: Incandescent light bulbs (old-fashioned light bulbs) are NOT suitable for growing marijuana!

Compare the Pros and Cons of Each Grow Light

1.) Fluorescent Grow Lights

Fluorescent grow lights come in many different shapes and sizes, from twisty bulbs to long tubes. Fluorescents are popular because they make efficient and pleasant lighting for humans, and also work great for herb gardens and other types of low-key indoor gardening without using a lot of electricity.

Read the full tutorial on T5 grow lights.

T5 Grow Lights

T5 grow lights are one of the most easily available types of grow lights and are used to grow many different types of plants. As a result, they’re available in many garden and home improvement stores.

T5s are much bigger/wider than a regular light bulb and usually come as part of a panel. They can often be kept mere inches away from your plants without worrying about burning them because they produce relatively weak light levels.

Note: I’ve noticed some companies are produced “T5” grow lights that are actually LED grow lights, just in the shape of a fluorescent T5. Here’s an example of a “T5 LED” grow light. These can be used pretty much the same as a fluorescent T5 grow light, however, just like old-fashioned T5s, the LED versions are typically underpowered for growing weed.

These vegetative cannabis plants are thriving under T5 grow lights. However, buds tend to stay small if you use a T5 in the flowering stage while buds are forming.

Learn more about T5 grow lights for growing cannabis.

Pros of Fluorescents

Cheap to buy
They don’t use a lot of electricity or make a lot of heat unless you have a lot of them packed together in a small space
Good light spectrum for growing cannabis
One of the best lights for clones, seedlings and young plants, as they tend to be gentle. Big lights must be kept far away from young plants to avoid burning them, which ends up wasting a lot of light and energy. By using smaller lights like fluorescents while plants are still short, you can save quite a bit of money on electricity during those first few weeks compared to using a high-powered grow light.

Cannabis plants flowering under a T5 grow light – when plants are trained (like these ones in a Scrog setup) you can get okay yields from fluorescents. However, the yields-per-watt and the bud quality tends to be lower compared to using more powerful grow lights while buds are forming.

Cons of Fluorescents

Fluorescent grow lights get much smaller yields per watt than the other types of grow lights if you use them in the flowering stage while buds are forming. With fluorescents you can expect about 0.25 grams of buds for every watt of electricity (using the true watts out the wall, not any type of “equivalent” watts), while LEDs and HPS get 2-4 times as much yield per watt of electricity.
The light from a fluorescent lamp doesn’t penetrate far down into the plant so they are best suited to plants that have been trained to grow short and flat; they aren’t powerful enough to support tall plants in the flowering stage.

Summary: Fluorescents are a great choice for clones, young plants, supplemental lighting and can save you money on electricity in the vegetative stage compared to using high power lights when plants are too young to use it all anyway. However, after cannabis plants have moved past their first week or two, you will get much faster growth from more intense grow lights like HIDs or LEDs.

Learn more about T5 grow lights for growing weed.

2.) High Intensity Discharge (HID) Grow Lights

HID grow lights are much more efficient than fluorescent lights and are powered by large, oddly-shaped bulbs. They are usually screwed into a reflector or hood to reflect more light down onto the plants. HIDs are great at growing cannabis, but they also get very hot and are usually hooked up to an exhaust to help vent out heat.

Check out the full tutorial on MH & HPS grow lights.
MH and HPS grow lights get hot. They’re great for growing cannabis in a cool grow space, and one of the cheapest ways to start growing big yields.

Check out the full tutorial on CMH / LEC grow lights.
LEC stands for “Light Emitting Ceramic” and is a type of Metal Halide bulb that is built with ceramic like an HPS. Basically it’s sort of like a blend between MH and HPS bulbs. These got really popular around 2018-2020 but have fallen out of favor since then. The biggest benefit of using LECs is they dramatically increase trichome production (“sparkle”) on buds, which makes them a good choice for growers making concentrates by extracting the trichomes.

Metal Halide (MH) Grow Lights

Metal Halide grow lights are generally used for the vegetative stage because they produce a bluish light that vegetative plants love. MH tends to keep plants relatively short compared to other types of grow light. Although this type of light can also be used all the way to harvest, it tends to have reduced yields and reduced bud potency compared to switching to an HPS bulb once buds start forming.

The light from a Metal Halide appears a little bluish, and is well suited to growing cannabis plants in the vegetative stage.

Learn more about MH grow lights.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) Grow Lights

High Pressure Sodium grow lights are often used during the flowering stage because they are very efficient and their yellow light stimulates bud production. HPS grow lights in the flowering stage get better yields per watt of electricity than any other type of grow light available today, which is a big part of why they are so popular.

The light from an HPS appears yellow, and is great for flowering plants because the light spectrum stimulates bud production

Learn more about HPS Grow Lights

Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) & Light Emitting Ceramic (LEC) Grow Lights

These are actually just two names for the same thing. This type of metal halide bulb uses ceramic as part of the lamp just like an HPS. As a result, CMH bulbs are more efficient than regular MH lights (though still not as efficient as HPS bulbs).

“LEC” and “CMH” both refer to Ceramic Metal Halide grow lights, which is a type of HID light that is a bit more efficient than a regular Metal Halide light.

Learn more about CMH / LEC grow lights

Pros and Cons of HID Grow Lights

Pros

Efficient – HIDs are an extremely efficient type of grow light (gets very high yields per watt and produces excellent bud density).
Best HID for Yields – Of all the HIDs, HPS grow lights are the most efficient and the best for the flowering stage when it comes to yields. When using HPS grow lights in the flowering stage, you can expect up to 1 gram/watt if all goes well.
Simple – HID lights are simple to use because they can be hung the right distance from the plants with no guesswork on your part (unlike LEDs), and no need to adjust the lights all the time (like fluorescents).
Cheap Setup – HID grow lights give you one of the cheapest setups to get great yields. For example, a 600W HPS grow light can produce a pound or more and a complete 600W grow light kit only costs about $100-150. Check below for more information.

Cons

HID bulbs get really hot and generate a lot of heat. Because of the concentrated heat production, you will almost always want to put the bulb in a hood and also provide some sort of cooling to prevent heat from beaming down onto your plants and driving up the ambient temperature of your tent/grow room. This is especially important for the bigger lights with power above 250W.
Additional setup – As a result of the heat mentioned above, most growers use an exhaust fan with ducting to vent out heat. Unfortunately, the prospect of having to deal with the fan and ducting scares off many growers from HID lighting.
More parts – HID lighting means a few more parts than other types of lighting. Fluorescents are just the bulb and a fixture and most LEDs are just the light itself. But most HID setups have at least a bulb, fixture, an external ballast and an extra cable if you don’t count the exhaust systems parts, too.

Example of MH/HPS Setups with Expected Yields

400W HID

1.5 – 3.5 oz per month
Electricity: $96/month (including electricity for fans)
Initial Setup Cost: $744.00

600W HID

2.5 – 5 oz per month
Electricity: $128/month (including electricity for fans)
Initial Setup Cost: $780.00

There is a larger size MH/HPS grow light available (1000W), but at that size it starts going outside the scope of a “hobbyist” grower as far as ease and yields. In addition to needing a lot of extra cooling which costs electricity, a 1000W HPS grow light is less efficient compared to a 600W grow light (as far as how much light is put out for electricity used). I think most hobbyist growers would be happier with a 600W, or even two 600W lights, over a 1000W 🙂

HIDs are very well suited to growing cannabis and very easy to use once they’re set up. If your main goal is to get the highest yields possible, then HIDs are the way to go! However, they do require extra setup compared to the other grow lights because chances are you will need a fan to vent out heat from your grow space.

Learn more about MH / HPS grow lights.

Learn more about CMH / LEC grow lights.

3.) LED Grow Lights

LED grow lights are very popular among cannabis growers as an alternative to HPS grow lights. They tend to run cooler and also usually come with built-in cooling that tends to move heat up and away from the fixture instead of beaming it down onto your cannabis plants like a bulb would. LEDs can be plugged directly into a wall and hung over plants. This is easier than setting up an HID grow light which needs you to screw in the bulbs and hang the fixture, possibly using ducting to vent heat. LEDs also have great penetration so they don’t need to be moved frequently like fluorescents.

Simply hang an LED light over your plants and start growing!

Check out my list of the Best LEDs for Growing Weed in 2025.

Learn more about growing cannabis with LED grow lights.

You might be interested: HPS vs LEDs: LED grow lights finally won.

Avoid “Blurple” LED grow lights (they’re old technology)

Old fashioned LED grow lights were this “blurple” color, almost like a black light, but these aren’t as effective at growing weed as wider-spectrum modern LEDs.

“Blurple” color LEDs are old technology. They tend to get worse yields and bud quality than modern wide-spectrum LEDs that appear with a more white light.

Modern LEDs have wide-spectrum light

Modern LEDs are “wide-spectrum” or “full-spectrum” and their light appears white, bluish, or pinkish. You should see the natural color of all the leaves.

The best LED grow lights to use in the flowering (budding) stage usually have a pinkish-white light because they have a lot of LEDs in the red spectrum.

These LEDs can be used to grow vegetative plants but may cause stretchier/taller growth than a blue-spectrum (“vegetative”) LED grow light.

LEDs come in all sizes, which means they can be used even in small grow spaces to get great yields and bud quality.

A small-yet-effective LED grow light like this Spider Farmer SF2000 is an excellent choice for beginner growers in a 2’x4′ grow tent. Check out my full review of the SF-2000 LED for growing cannabis.

Pros and Cons of LED grow lights

Pros

Less Heat – LEDs almost always have built-in cooling that pushes heat up and away from the plants (unlike HID bulbs which beam heat down on your plants and need to be cooled separately). LEDs are also more electrically efficient than HID or fluorescent grow lights. As a result, LEDs run very cool. On top of that, cannabis plants actually prefer warmer temperatures with LEDs. All in all, for smaller sizes, cannabis growers may be able to get away without venting heat at all.
Easy to Hang – The smaller size LEDs can be plugged directly into the wall and hung up over your plant, without needing to do anything else. You can just plug them in and start growing!
Bud Quality – In side-by-side tests, we’ve found good LEDs seem to increase the THC percentages vs using HPS grow lights. Some growers believe LEDs produce more resinous bud. LEDs also tend to bring out pretty colors on buds like pinks and purples.

Cons

Still Some Heat – Although the LED lamp itself usually does run a lot cooler than a similar wattage HPS bulb, they still produce heat and the bigger sizes like 300W+ may need to be vented with an exhaust fan to prevent the grow space from getting too warm.
Learning Curve – LEDs get slightly smaller yields per watt than HPS grow lights, on average, at least on the first grow, and especially for first-time LED growers. Growers need to “dial it in” and “get the hang” of using their LED grow light model. Since every LED grow light is different, they don’t have a standard distance away from plants like HID grow lights, which are standardized into specific sizes and form factors. There is a learning curve when it comes to getting the best yields from your LEDs. A little experience with a specific lamp can improve your yields by a lot!
Avoid Older Models – Newer LED grow lights (especially since 2021 and later) get significantly better yields than older ones. There have been major improvements in LED tech since 2020, and many growers will find they get much better results simply from upgrading to a newer LED from a trustworthy company.
Extra Distance to Plants – Small LEDs can be kept very close (my 100W LED is great at 8-12″ away) but big LED grow lights (above 400-500W or so) have strong lenses pointed down, and therefore tend to need a lot of space between the lamp and your plants compared to HPS grow lights. That means you need a tall grow space to get the best results with big LEDs. As an example, 300W LED panels should be kept 18-24″ away during the second half of the flowering stage to avoid light burning your buds (buds can be burned from too much light even if the temperature is cool), and some of the bigger models need to be kept 30″ or more away from the buds. That compares to a 600W HPS which can be under 18″ away as long as it’s cool. When in doubt, contact the LED manufacturer!

If you get very high-wattage LEDs, you may need to vent out heat to keep the grow space cool.

Notice that this grow tent vents out a window. This makes it much easier to keep a room cool if you’ve got big grow lights.

For growers who are looking to harvest up to 10 ounces per harvest, about 200-300W of LEDs may be your best choice. At this size, they are super low on electricity, run cool and need almost no setup. They get better yields than fluorescents but don’t run as hot as an HPS of similar wattage.

One great choice in this size is the Mars Hydro SP3000 which uses more electricity but gets significantly bigger yields. Here’s a complete 300W LED grow tent kit from Mars Hydro with everything you need that’s a great deal at $550 for the tent, light, carbon filter, fan, and accessories.

Note: When shopping for LEDs, make sure they contain some amount of green or white (full spectrum) light. Plants grown without at least a tiny amount of green or white light are very prone to nutrient deficiencies and simply don’t grow as well. Learn more about how light spectrums affect cannabis growth!

Learn more about growing cannabis with LED grow lights.

You might be interested: 5 Barriers to Total LED Grow Light Domination!

Now that you are familiar with all the most common cannabis grow lights I hope your choice is a little easier. I wish I’d had this information when I first started growing indoors 🙂 Happy growing!!!

~Nebula Haze

Ready to learn more? How to increase….

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