One of the essential factors in ACMPR medical cannabis cultivation is light. It’s what makes your plants grow. It’s what provides them with energy to produce their flowers and leaves- so you want to make sure that they have enough of it without spending too much money on electricity or having a heatwave take over your grow room! The best way to do this is to select an LED lighting system for all stages of plant growth. DE lamps are 20% more efficient than HID lights which means that if you’re using these systems, then not only will your power bill be reduced, but also less carbon dioxide emissions will be emitted into the atmosphere.
Cannabis plants need sunlight exposure for between 12-20 hours per day, so it makes sense to use an artificial method like this one if you can’t give your crop direct access to sun rays daily. With DE lamps, there’s no requirement for separate vegetative and flowering periods since they allow control over red/blue light exposure levels through the use of a built-in timer.
Why cannabis plants need DE lighting systems
- Save energy
- Better quality products- better yield, healthier plants
- Less heat emitted by DE lamps
- Produce more light than HID lights
- Keep your grow room cooler without giving up on the output
- Get better, healthier, and happier plants
- DE lamps are 20% more efficient than HID lights
- With less heat being emitted, your grow room will be cooler inside without the need for air conditioning
- Plants have better health and taste when grown under DE lamps because they lack the harshness of other types of lighting.
With the advent of DE lighting systems, cannabis plants can quickly grow and provide plant growers with a more stable option than HID (high-intensity discharge) lights. They also produce better results in terms of yields and quality. The key benefit of DE lighting is its ability to mimic daylight patterns, which traditional light bulbs cannot do very well.
DE lamps produce more light than HID lights too. DE lamps also enable you to keep your grow room cooler since they don’t emit as much heat as their predecessors. DE lighting benefits include increased yields and better quality cannabis plants that are healthier, happier, and easier to manage than ever before.
DE lighting benefits
- Enable you to control read/blue exposure levels through a built-in timer.
- Plants have better access to the carbon dioxide they need for healthy growth and improved yields.
- Better quality cannabis.
- Ability to mimic daylight patterns during growing periods instead of having separate vegetative and flowering cycles.
- It is perfect for smaller grow areas since they produce less light per watt than their HID counterparts.
- More stable than other artificial options such as High-Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs.
- The room stays cooler, too, when using these bulbs over standard ones like metal halides or high-pressure sodium systems.
- Greater yields in the same amount of space.
- Natural feel since these lights emit less heat than traditional light sources.
Many people are turning towards the DE lighting system to save money. While they may initially be more expensive, the savings in your electricity bill make them worth it over time. The technical specs of DE bulbs also allow for a higher quality light output than other systems on the market today.
Furthermore, many benefits exist with using this type of bulb, which you cannot find elsewhere at all! Be sure that you are getting these amenities when shopping around, or else you will not get what is promised by the product description and sales pitch given to customers before purchase.
Tips on How to use a DE light system for your marijuana plants
The technical specs of DE light fixtures vary depending on the manufacturer and model you purchase. However, many offer a coverage area between 30-50 square feet with around 50 watts per square foot.
DE lights are low heat bulbs that emit very little in terms of IR or UV radiation. This means it won’t hurt your plants like HID lighting systems might if they’re too close to the foliage for extended periods.
How much can I expect to pay? The cost will depend on how ample you grow space but plan to budget at least $100-$200 for an effective system.
How do I set up DE lights? Double-ended fixtures can either be hung from chains or mounted to a wall. Some models have built-in ballasts, and others require an external one. DE lights can be purchased in a variety of colors for different stages of the growth cycle. DE grow bulbs produce light mostly from blue and red spectrums, so it’s not recommended to use DE lighting during vegging.
What is DE Lighting?
It’s a broad term that refers to any bulb used for indoor growing; however, DE stands for “double-ended,” which fits into an E-shaped lamp socket.
DE growers typically look at wattage with regards to how much output you’re getting. The higher the watts per square foot, the more powerful your fixture will be able to penetrate deeper into your canopy without burning or drying out leaves.
How long do DE Lights last?
These high-intensity bulbs can last anywhere from 30 days to a year, depending on the DE grow fixture you use and how heavily your plants are being fed.
How much does DE Lighting cost?
DE lighting costs around $100-$200 for an effective system, but prices can fluctuate based on wattage, coverage area, the number of bulbs included, etc.
Are DE Light Bulbs safe for marijuana plants?
Yes. DE lights emit very little IR or UV radiation which means they won’t hurt your plants like HID lighting systems might if they’re too close to the foliage for extended periods.
Can I hang DE Lights during vegging?
No – it’s not recommended since these high-intensity lights produce primarily blue and red spectrums that don’t provide the full range of light needed for vegetation. DE lighting is best used during flowering when your plants are more mature and require intense levels of red and blue spectrums to produce THC-filled colas.
Can DE Lighting be combined with other types?
DE lights can’t be combined with any other kind since they’re double-ended fixtures that only accept DE bulbs such as CFLs, HIDs, etc.; however, DE grows lamps can work alongside LED systems if you buy a fixture compatible with both kinds.
Factors to look for when buying a DE light system
This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions on our website. There are many places where it’s possible to find these types of systems, but how do you know which product to choose and whether or not what you’re purchasing will be up to par with what you need? First of all, several vital factors determine if an LED device is suitable for growing cannabis indoors. They include power consumption (or specifically – watts), wavelength spectrum, PPFD output (umol/m²/s) area coverage, design features, and warranty period.
What are the different types of bulbs available with DE systems?
DE lights offer several options in terms of bulbs. Some DE systems do not use bulbs but rely on LED light strips to create the DE effect. These are often more expensive and require specific fixtures that fit into the DE system’s electrical circuit and housing design, inconveniencing many users who want their DE lighting to match existing grow environment designs.
Bulbs available for DE systems: DE bulbs, CFLs, and T12s. The DE bulb has three inches or more in diameter, while the CFL is two to four inches in size. Both these lights produce an adequate amount of light but have their limitations as well.
Compared to DE bulbs, the fluorescent tubes are less efficient when it comes down to yield per wattage used by cannabis plants during vegetative growth stages, making them best suited for flowering cycles only. On the other hand, DE bulbs fit both vegetative and flowering states perfectly with no issues whatsoever! With that being said, let’s take you through some detailed information on how each type works inside your grow room/area…
DE Bulb Details
DE bulbs are the most efficient DE lights available on the market. These DE bulbs come in different shapes, sizes, and wattage configurations, with some of them, have more than one voltage setting (e.g., 120V and 240V). The DE bulb operates at a very high temperature, so it has to be kept away from plants during all stages of growth – seedling/clone, vegetative and flowering cycles.
The DE Bulb emits ultraviolet rays that give off heat but no light, making it suitable for growing cannabis plants! DE systems containing such bulbs can produce up to 150 watts per square foot, while those DE models relying on CFLs max out at 100 watts per square foot maximum capacity! With that being said, there’s no DE light available on the market that can produce as much heat and intensity as DE bulbs do.
To give you a better understanding of things, DE lights with 12″- 14″ DE bulb models generate approximately 35 watts per square foot, while those having larger 18″ or 24″ DE bulbs put out around 50 watts per square foot!
CFLs are smaller versions of T12 fluorescents and come in two-pin configurations – one has two pins (called bi-pin), and the other features four pins (called a quad pin). The number indicates how many wires/pins each type comes equipped with. For example, if we take a quad pin version, there would be eight total connections inside it, i.e., four for pins and another four for wiring to the power cord!
CFL DE lights are best suited for those growers who want more control over their DE bulbs as they come with multiple voltage settings (e.g., 120V, 240V). Although CFL grows lights can produce light at 150 watts per square foot maximum capacity, cannabis plants need anywhere from 250-1000 watts of DE lighting during vegetation and flowering cycles, making them not fit every situation.
The good thing about using CFL DE systems is that you can hang these closer to your plants – up to twelve inches away depending on the wattage used – without worrying about burning or scorching them due to high heat output by such DE fixtures. Another reason why picking up DE CFLs is a solid choice for DE-savvy cannabis cultivators!
T12 DE Bulb Details
T12 DE lights are the oldest DE bulbs available on the market (if not counting HID grow lights). These DE fixtures have been used in commercial greenhouses and indoor gardens worldwide since the middle of the last century. With that being said, these DE lights come with old-school four-pin connection setups, which allows them to be plugged into wall sockets directly. At the same time, some other models require ballast (e.g., electronic or magnetic) support to operate correctly. Since they lack pins/wires inside their construction, there’s no voltage tweaking involved either! This makes them one of the most reliable types of DE light produced by many manufacturers out there.
T12 DE bulbs are a bit more efficient than CFL DE lights and can produce up to 150 watts per square foot of DE lighting, while only 12″- 14″ versions generate 35 watts per square foot maximum capacity!
On the other hand, T12 versions with 18″ DE bulb models put out around 50 watts/sq ft, which makes them perfect for cannabis cultivators who want powerful grow lights without investing in high wattage DE systems that come at much higher costs (you’ll learn more about this later on).
Another good thing about using these DE fixtures is their price tag – most standard models go for anywhere between $30-$50 making them one of the most affordable types available on the market today. With all things considered, DE T12 bulbs are worth looking into if you can’t afford DE models with larger DE bulb sizes!
What to consider when buying DE Bulbs for cannabis plants?
Now that we’ve gotten some basics out of the way, it’s time to talk about DE lights themselves. Depending on your needs as a grower, there are multiple things you want to take into account before investing in any new model, all while keeping an eye on the quality/price ratio at the same time. Here are a few of the most important factors every cultivator should keep in mind:
Price
DE light systems can cost anywhere between $30-$100+ depending on wattage and types used, so do enough research beforehand instead of being tricked into buying DE bulbs that are way outside your set budget.
Quality
DE lights should be durable enough to last you for years without breaking down or failing all of a sudden, which means you want models with UL certification for safety reasons (e.g., ETL listed). You also wish to DE fixtures made out of high-quality materials such as aluminum or robust glass housings that will make them look better and prevent overheating issues altogether!
Wattage
The wattage rating on DE systems is usually measured in single watts per hour, so if a model says it’s rated at 400 watts, it can produce light equivalent to four 100 W household bulbs combined over time!
Putting this number aside, cannabis plants need around 100 W/sq ft DE to thrive, so you want DE models that can cover as much area as possible, which is one of the reasons why DE T12 bulbs are such a popular choice for many indoor cannabis cultivators around the world.
Warranty
There’s nothing worse than having your DE light system stop working all of a sudden after it costs you hundreds upon hundreds on electricity alone! As long as they’re UL listed, most reputable manufacturers will offer at least a two-year warranty on their products. Still, chances are high this number goes up if you decide to purchase higher-end DE systems which typically come with five years or even ten-year warranties by default (e.g., Diamond Series). With all things considered, make sure to pick out DE bulbs that are built with quality in mind and will last you for years to come!
Want DE lights but can’t afford them?
As we’ve already mentioned, DE models cost money, so if cannabis cultivation is your primary source of income, there’s a good chance high-end DE systems aren’t an option. If this sounds familiar, don’t give up just yet because there are ways to generate DE light without spending too much cash, all while having the ability to focus on quality instead of a price!
DIY DE lights for cannabis cultivation?
As long as you’re familiar with what parts work together; DE light systems can be very affordable if put together correctly, which means it’s possible to generate high-quality DE lighting without spending too much cash on retail options, all while having the ability to focus more on quality instead of worrying about prices!
Here are few examples:
DIY: if you’re familiar with basic electrical wiring, building DIY DE fixtures can help out save money while still producing high-quality lighting, which means instead of buying ready-made lamps from companies such as Sun Blaster or Hydrofarm; put together your model that’s suitable for personal use! For example, a straightforward project could involve DE bulbs paired up with matching ballasts so that it won’t break your bank either way. The DE fixtures like this are easy to make and will cost you less than $50 in total!
Bulbs & Ballasts
DE models come with bulbs, which means DE lights require separate ballast units (e.g., magnetic or electronic) support, so finding good deals on these items won’t be an issue either way. DE T12 bulbs, for example, can run around $20-$30 a pack depending on the reputable manufacturer and could very well last up to five years without any problems whatsoever (e.g., Hydrofarm DE T12). With that being said, it’s possible to get quality DE light without spending too much cash, all while having the ability to focus more on quality instead of worrying about prices!