Grow Room Lighting

Whether you’re new to growing or you’ve been doing it for decades, you’ve probably figured out that choosing the best lights for indoor growing is important. Grow light selection is not a decision to take lightly, especially if you want your plants to meet their full potential.

Grow Lights

Grow lights are essential for indoor cannabis cultivation. Grow lights replace the sun and help to grow your plants and buds. Because light is like food for cannabis plants, a lack of light can cause a plant to produce little bud.

Indoor cannabis cultivation is usually done with at least one of three artificial light sources: HID, CFL, and LED. Growers often use a combination of grow lamps. There are many other lighting options, some more outdated. We will focus on the most commonly used lighting by lighting technology used by current cannabis growers, emphasizing practical advice for grow room lighting.

HID Grow Lights

HID stands to High Intensity Discharge. These lights are well-known for their high brightness and light output. These lights have been used in some of the most impressive commercials around the globe. Special gas-filled bulbs are used to make the lights. They have two electrodes. The electricity flows from one electrode to another and interacts with the bulb’s gas, creating a bright light.

LED Grow Lights

LED grow lights provide energy efficiency by a higher light output for growth and a pleasant light quality. LED Grow Lights create the perfect indoor garden space for you and your plants. LED grow lights offer a full spectrum light that mimics natural light. This gives plants a balanced range of red, green, and blue light. Although the spectrum is different, white LED grow light emits a similar amount of red and blue light, with an added green light that makes it appear white.

Ceramic Grow Lights

Ceramic Metal Halide grow lights (CMH) use ceramic arc tubes similar to those in HPS grow light instead of the traditional quartz. Ceramic arc tubes work at higher pressures than quartz glass tubes. This allows manufacturers to create more distinct variations of the spectrum than they could with other technologies.

Fluorescent T5

The advantage of T5 tubes over T8 is their ability to be mounted in one continuous run on a ceiling. These tubes can also produce the most accurate color temperatures, so you will get great results, no matter what temperature.

Double Ended (DE)

A Double-ended, or “DE,” light is a gas-filled tube lamp with connectors at either end and snap into the fixture. DE lighting systems are better for plant growth because they offer a more uniform light distribution. DE bulbs are also slower to degrade than traditional single-ended lamps. Double-ended lamps still produce approximately 90% of their original intensity after 10,000 hours.

Plasma Grow Lights

Plasma lights, a fairly new type of grow lights, boast a full spectrum unmatched by other lights. Plasma grow lights can emit light without the use of filaments or electrodes by using electromagnetic induction. They use a particular bulb called a light-emitting Plasma (LEP) bulb to do this.

There Are Many Grow Light Bulbs For Growing Cannabis.

Proper bulbs can help growers’ plants flourish better since these lamps provide high amounts of wavelengths and promote photosynthesis in cannabis plants.

• High-pressure sodium grow light bulbs
• Metal halide grow light bulbs
• Ceramic Metal Halide horticulture lightning

Many metal halide grow lights and CMH horticulture lighting rods are available on the market today. Growers may choose HPS or metal halide lamps with a color temperature of around 2700K-3000K to mimic natural sunlight since these horticultural lights provide high amounts of red spectrum wavelengths, promoting photosynthesis in plants like marijuana.

• Horticulture fluorescent tubes with an output of about 3000 lumens per foot (lumens/ft)
• Horticulture compact fluorescents bulbs with an output of 1100 lm/ft at least six inches above plant height during a growth phase

Growers need to remember that HPS lights are more expensive than horticulture fluorescent tubes, but they also have a higher lumen output per watt of electricity used.

Grow Light Accessories To Help With High Yield And Potent Buds

Ballasts

A grow light ballast is the component that controls electricity flow to your lighting system. It’s crucial for growing cannabis, but not many growers know much about them.

There are three main types of grow light ballast available today: low magnetic voltage (MLV), electronic low voltage (ELV), or microprocessor-controlled multi-voltage (MPMC). A good choice if you want a high-quality ballast from one of the most trusted brands in hydroponics, Gavita offers both ELV and MPMC models as well as an extensive line of reflectors for their range of HPS and MH lamps.

Except for Gavita grow lights which offer ELV models for larger wattages (400W – 1000W), both MLV and MPMC units use an internal transformer that steps up the household voltage from 110 volts to as high as 600 volts! The higher voltages allow smaller wire sizes because less current is required over shorter distances between the power source and lamp fixture.

Here are some disadvantages and a few of the most common problems with ballasts: hums, flickers, too hot to touch, or sparks when you plug them in.

Hoods & Reflectors

Today, grow light hoods are often utilized to grow cannabis in an indoor environment and allow for the perfect amount of lighting and heat that will lead to optimal growth for your marijuana plants. Grow lights can be hung directly over top of your weed at any height; however, most people choose to hang them right above their plant’s canopy.

The grow light hoods can be adjusted to be closer or further away from the marijuana plant, making it easy to ensure each part of your cannabis receives enough lighting and heat for optimal growth.

Grow light hoods will eliminate all shadows in your grow space, which means you won’t need any other additional lighting during your growth. The grow light hoods will ensure that your cannabis receives the correct lighting, heat, and airflow. The reflector is excellent because it allows for all of your grow lights’ heat downward, keeping them away from your canopy, which can cause damage or even burn leaves when too much heat comes through the top part of the plant’s growth system.

The grow light hoods and reflectors can be bought online, in your local grow shop, or even at a much lower price from another grower who has decided to upgrade their equipment. Make sure you keep an eye out for deals when looking into these specific items because they are essential parts of the weed growing process!

Top Products Comparison Table

How to Choose a Grow Light

As soon as you start doing your research, you’ll see that there’s a lot involved in the process of buying Canada grow lights. The first step is to decide on the type of bulb.

There are 3 main light categories to choose from: LED, fluorescent, and high-intensity discharge like ceramic metal halide (CMH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS).

Each grow light type has its own set of pros and cons. But the main thing to remember is that you can’t just use an ordinary lightbulb that you would use in the lamp on your bedside table. Hopefully, you already know this by now, but hey, ya never know.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Grow Light in Canada

Deciding on bulb type isn’t the only major consideration. There’s a lot more to think about when choosing the right light system for your plants, including grow room size, color spectrum, ease of use, build quality, power consumption, heat output, and cost.

Grow Room Size/Number of Plants

Choosing grow lights based on the available grow space is a major consideration in the buying process. If you haven’t measured the size of your ACMPR grow room yet, immediately stop what you’re doing and go get your measuring tape.

The general rule of thumb (or should we say green thumb?) is that for every square foot of the grow room, you need about 30 watts of power. So before you go any further, take your measurements so that you can compare them to grow light wattages.

Light Color Spectrum

Cannabis plants thrive under a wide range of light wavelengths, which is why so many growers choose lights that emit the full color spectrum (AKA, full spectrum grow lights).

Ease of Use/Flexibility

Throughout the growing process, you’ll have to adjust the position and intensity of your lights. The best cannabis grow lights allow a grower to easily fine-tune their placement so that the plants stay happy to the end.

Build Quality/Materials

Cheap, Chinese-made grow lights won’t get you very far. And if they do, you can’t expect to use them for as long as a durable, well-made system.

Power Consumption

There’s no way of getting around the increased electricity bills – your lights will be running for at least 12 hours each and every day. But you can at least make an informed decision by paying attention to each grow light’s power consumption and electricity output.

Heat Output

One of the most common causes of stress in cannabis plants is overheating, and choosing a grow light system that gives off too much heat is the main culprit.

Cost & Warranty

Trust us when we tell you that it’s worth it to splurge a bit on the best lights for indoor growing. You’re not doing your plants any favours by skimping on this aspect of your grow room. That said, there are a few cheap grow lights on our list that are perfect for beginners.

Full-Spectrum LED Grow Lights for Your Canadian Garden

Full-spectrum LED grow lights are quickly growing in popularity, and a lot of growers are ditching their old HPS lights and opting for LEDs instead. LEDs come with a lot of perks, like less heat output, easy setup, and better efficiency.

Some growers even claim that LEDs produce more resin on buds, especially when combined with HPS lights. If you’re ready to try your luck with high-quality LEDs, check out these top picks for LED grow lights.

Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED Grow Light

Our #1 Choice

The Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED has a powerful output but only consumes about 100 watts of electricity. This is the highest light output LED available right now, and a lot of growers are saying that this light helped them to get a greater yield by up to 40%.

The design of the Spider Farmer hydroponic light is simple, easy to use, and easy to adjust when needed. It delivers the full light spectrum from UV blue to infrared, giving off everything that plants look for in natural sunlight. If you’re looking for a powerful LED, this is the one.

MARS HYDRO TS 1000W Led Grow Light

The Mars Hydro isn’t as strong as the Spider Farmer grow light, but it’s still one of our favourites. We’re loving the reflective aluminum hood that helps to increase light intensity up to 20%. The max yield from this LED is 2.5 grams per watt, which is more than the average LED grow room.

Similar to the Spider Farmer, this LED is all about delivering maximum intensity while cutting pack on power consumption. There’s not as much heat dissipation with the aluminum hood, and the adjustable dimmer feature gives you more control over light intensity during different stages.

Cheap Grow Lights for Beginners or Budget Growers

Growing with an ACMPR license doesn’t need to be an over-the-top extravagant endeavor. If you want to do it cheaply, you can… especially with one of these cheap grow light options that are perfect for both beginners and budget growers.

Sun System Grow Lights

The Sun System is an HPS 150W light, and even though it’s not the most powerful, it definitely gets the job done. It’s super lightweight, making it easy to set up and easy to adjust, but the main thing we’re loving about the Sun System is its affordable price tag.

If you’re a professional grower with thousands of plants, this isn’t the light for you. But if you’re a beginner on a budget looking for small grow lights, there’s really nothing bad to say about this simple HPS. It comes with a reflective aluminum insert, vented housing, and a 7-ft power cord.

Wills Full Spectrum 600W

Best for Beginners

The Wills 600W is another one of the most budget-friendly Canada grow lights on the market, but that’s not the main thing we appreciate about this LED. This LED light gives off the full spectrum of colors and has the highest possible lumen output per watt. 

The most-loved feature of the Wills is its adjustable light spectrum. Plants thrive on different light spectrums in different phases, and this model takes that into account. You can change the light color output by flipping either the “Veg” or “Bloom” switch on the control panel.

CMH Grow Lights for Rock Solid Buds

Many growers prefer ceramic metal halide for their improved color output and better lumen per watt ratio than HPS bulbs. If you’re one of these growers, here are 3 CMH lights to consider for your grow room.

VIVOSUN 5-Mode-Adjust 315W CMH/CDM

Every true grower knows the name Vivosun, a company that manufactures everything a grower could ever need – including a high-quality 315-watt CMH light fixture. This light is capable of covering a 9-square-foot space in veg and 6-square-foot space in bloom.

Of all the lights for indoor growing, this one is great for growers looking for high light intensity for medium-sized grow rooms. The CMH bulb is included with the ballast fixture, so no need to purchase a bulb separately.

BloomGrow 630W CMH CDM

The Bloom Grow 630W light fixture comes with an advanced adjustable ballast that was designed for higher efficiency and no electromagnetic interference. The aluminum hood is rated at high reflectivity, so you can count on your plants getting plenty of light for photosynthesis.

One BloomGrow light can cover a grow space of 16 square feet during veg and slightly less during the flowering phase. This is an amazing choice if you’re willing to spend some cash on your grow lights (CMH bulbs don’t come cheap).

HPS Grow Lights for Indoor Growing

We’ve tooted the CMH horn, but now it’s time to say some good things about HPS grow lights. HPS bulbs are efficient, intense, and they output more red-spectrum light than CMH.

The debate on HPS vs CMH will continue until the end of time, but if you’ve decided to side with HPS, here are 2 great high-intensity options.

VIVOSUN Hydroponic 1000 Watt HPS

The Vivosun Hydroponic HPS has a 90%-reflective winged aluminum and has the option for 600W, 750W, or 1000W operation. It comes with HPS and MH grow light bulbs that have a high Photosynthetically Active Radiation rating (this basically means they increase the plants’ rate of photosynthesis.

Double Ended HPS Grow Light for Serious Growers

SunStream 1000 Watt Double Ended

Tons of commercial growers use the SunStream DE 1000W as their go-to light for major grow ops. The ballast comes with adjustable dimming features, the power is compatible with both 120V and 240V, and the whole system is easy to use.

The thing we love most about the SunStream is its protection features, especially the automatic cooling. If the case temperature rises over a certain point, the ballast will gradually reduce the power to cool things down. Most serious growers agree that the SunStream is a solid piece of equipment.

T5 Grow Light for Seeds, Clones and Mothers

Vivosun 6500K T5 Fluorescent Grow Light

Although fluorescent lights aren’t suitable for later phases of the grow, they’re the perfect choice for young plants, seedlings, and mothers kept in the veg state. Fluorescent lights like the Vivosun 6500K T5 are affordable, easy to use, and low on energy consumption.

The Vivosun T5 is better than most; it has a 95% reflective aluminum base, a 2-year warranty, and an 8-ft power cord that is compatible with the standard 120V outlet. We’re not saying that this should be the only grow light you buy, just that it should be one of them.

What types of grow lights are there?

There are 4 main types of grow lights used by ACMPR growers: high-pressure sodium (HPS), ceramic metal halide (CMH), LED, and fluorescent. In our list of indoor grow lights, we’ve focused on HPS, CMH, and LED.

Fluorescent lights (like CFL, T8, and T5 grow lights) are cheap and ideal as grow lights for seedlings, but they are only really suitable for the early phases of an indoor grow operation.

Fluorescent light isn’t nearly as intense, and your plants crave greater light intensity as they grow. This is where LED, HPS, and CMH lights come into play.

Comparing LED vs HPS vs CMH Indoor Grow Lights

HPS and CMH are both types of high-intensity discharge lights, and this name says it all. Both HPS and CMH discharge high-intensity light, which plants tend to like, but this means you have to be extra careful about overheating.

The flaws that come along with fluorescent, HPS, and CMH lights are why we have included so many LED models on this list of lights for indoor growing. LED lights can emit full-spectrum wavelengths, they have a long life and high efficiency, and they’re relatively cheap.

What color light is best for cannabis plants?

Marijuana plants crave a range of light wavelengths, which is why choosing a full-spectrum light is your best bet. Blue light is ideal for the vegetative state, but the yellow to the red end of the light spectrum is better for flowering.

There are a few grow lights we mentioned that offer adjustable light settings. This is a cool feature if you plan on using the same light throughout the entire grow. A light with adjustable spectrum settings allows you to emit only blue light, only red light, or a combination of both.

How to Place Grow Lights for the Best Light Coverage

The answer depends on the type of light you’ve purchased since each bulb type has a different intensity. The stronger the light, the further you need to hang it. Since fluorescent and LED lights don’t give off as much heat or intensity, they can be placed closer to the plant canopy than HIDs.

The main thing to remember is that too much light can be just as harmful as too little. Overdoing the light intensity can cause stunted development, bleached plant tissue, and even physical burning. Here’s a quick guide on how to hang your indoor grow lights:

• 400W HID Grow Light: 12-19”
• 600W HID Grow Light: 14-25”
• 1000W HID Grow Light: 16-31”
• 250-400W LED Grow Light: 16-30”
• 450-550W LED Grow Light: 20-30”
• 600-850W LED Grow Light: 24-26”
• 900W+ LED Grow Light: 26-42”
• T5 Grow Lights: No more than 12”

Conclusion

We’ve covered a lot of high-quality products in this buyer’s guide to grow lights. We can’t say which is best since it all depends on your specific needs as a grower, and the needs of your plants.

Before choosing one, just be sure to consider everything from plant counts and energy efficiency to light intensity and emitted color spectrum.

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