What type of light do cannabis plants need?

For slightly bigger grows, consider a decent LED light anywhere from 400–600W. As there won’t be much heat from the light, you may be okay with a simple exhaust system and a fan. For medium to large growing operations, you can look into high-end LED fixtures and LEC lights, or go with proven HID lighting solutions.

How many watts CFL for seedlings?

Seedlings need approximately 32 watts per square foot of growing area for LED grow lights and 100 watts per plant for CFLs. They also require the right color temperature to grow and thrive, so choose a temperature range of 3,500 to 6,500 kelvins.

What CFL to use for flowering?

The MaxLite is the best soft white CFL bulb right now. It’s a bit pricey, but quite efficient and does a great job during the flowering phase for most plants. Keep in mind that you’ll need to buy at least 4-5 of these to get enough light intensity to actually produce flowers and fruits on your plants.

Can I use regular CFL bulbs to grow plants?

They are sold in tubes (like these, which are good for larger indoor gardens) or compact bulbs that go into a regular lamp socket. These are called CFLs and are best for a few plants or as supplemental lighting. Regular bulbs work just fine, though, especially if your plants are already getting some natural daylight.

Which is better LED or CFL for growing?

CFL systems are great for small spaces, small budgets, or for starting your plants. LED systems give better results than CFL but less results than HID; they produce much less heat, but come at a higher price tag. You can see all of our hydroponic grow light options here!

How many CFL lights do I need for one plant?

The easiest to use is the square foot. When using CFL bulbs to grow a plant with a high light requirement (like cannabis), you want a minimum of 60 watts per square foot. Ideally, you want 100 watts per square foot. And it doesn’t hurt to go higher (though there’s not much point going over 150w).

Do professional growers use LED?

Most professional growers prefer LED grow lights for cannabis, because, unlike traditional HID or HPS, they offer a wide band spectrum — while saving you big on energy. Read on to discover the best professional LED grow lights available right now.

Should seedlings get 24 hours of light?

In general, seedlings should receive roughly 14 to 16 hours of light a day when situated in a south-facing window. Many people make the mistake of leaving their seedlings under fluorescent lighting 24 hours a day. This does not make them grow faster, and can actually hinder the success of your seedlings.

What do you need to know about lumens for a CFL bulb?

You may also want to look at “lumens” to understand light output. This is another way to measure light output and is often listed on the package of your CFLs. Each plant should be covered by around 10,000 lumens per plant or even more. So if a bulb gives off 2,500 lumens, you’d need 4 or more of those bulbs per plant for optimal light coverage.

Is it OK to use CFL lights for marijuana?

If you don’t use a warm white CFL for flowering, you won’t ruin your marijuana. This advice is more about how to set up CFL grow lights in a perfect world. Investing in a timer to turn the CFL lights on and off on an optimal schedule for the plant’s stages of life is a good idea.

What do you need to know about lumens and cannabis?

Kelvin, watts, different light spectrums… there’s so much jargon it can end up getting all jumbled up. Which one do you need to know to make sure you’re getting your cannabis plants the proper amount of light?

How much light do you need for a cannabis grow?

When setting up something like a small CFL closet grow, you might want as little light as possible. Each cannabis plant will require around 80 watts of light, with more being better. Using 2 40 watt CFL bulbs is sufficient for a mini CFL grow. Ready To Start Your CFL Cannabis Grow?