What Does Grow Lights Mean?
In cannabis cultivation, the term grow lights specifically refers to lighting systems that have been tailored to the indoor horticulture industry.
Grow lights is a broad term, referring to the cultivation of many indoor-grown crops, especially marijuana, but also other crops that are increasingly being grown indoors with supplemental lighting year-round.
It is important to note that the term grow lights refers to artificial light sources, rather than the natural light put off by the sun. Grow lights and grow lamps are considered interchangeable terms. Growers also refer to their grow lights as their 'lighting set-ups', or their 'growroom lighting configurations'.
Maximum Yield Explains Grow Lights
In horticulture, there are many types of grow lights for cultivators to choose from, including high-intensity discharge (HID) options like HPS (high-pressure sodium) and MH (metal halide) bulbs, as well as T5 fluorescents, plasma lighting, induction lighting, ceramic metal halides, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Light is absolutely essential to plant growth and vitality as it is a key component in photosynthesis. However, different types of plants, both indoor and outdoor, require different amounts of light. Although sunlight is best for most plants, they can still be successfully grown using only artificial light. It's important to research grow light manufacturers thoroughly.
For example, when choosing the proper grow light, you need to consider several different factors in artificial lighting. First, plants require a light that emits the complete spectrum of light, or “full-spectrum” lights. Although blue and red lights seem to have the most effect on cannabis plant growth, cannabis plants use the full spectrum for photosynthesis. This is known as PAR, or (photosynthetically active radiation).
Cannabis plants require particular lighting levels during the propagation stage, vegetative stage, and blooming stage, so many growers tailor their systems for each of these growth stages.
Plants also require certain amounts of darkness per 24 hours (photoperiod), the amount of which depends on the grower's goals and the strain/phenotype in question.
Another aspect of lighting that should be noted is the intensity of light. This is determined by the wattage of the bulb and how close the plant will be to the source of light.
