Best Indoor Marijuana Growing Lamps

After seeing how to grow a Marijuana plant and learning how to produce the best substrate for growing weed, choosing the right Indoor Cannabis Grow Lamp can make all the difference. This is because Light and Cannabis travel side by side throughout the entire growing period. You’ll need to pay close attention to this detail, and our guide is here to help you every step of the way!

Sunlight vs Cannabis Indoor Grow Lamps

In cannabis cultivation, light is a parameter that plays a decisive role in the development of the plant.

It took decades of experimentation before we found out which are the best light characteristics that support the cannabis plant. Over the decades, we have gone from the simplest indoor techniques to the most innovative and complex Marijuana cultivation techniques. All this, only to realize that, nowadays, there is no better lamp than sunlight!

The cannabis plant is a photoperiod plant, so it changes its behavior based on the hours of light it receives. It is therefore necessary to give him the right amount of light to produce his beloved quality buds.

An exception to the photoperiod cycle is Ruderalis Cannabis, which blooms regardless of the amount of light it receives. It develops thinner flowers with a lower percentage of cannabinoids and essential oils such as terpenes and flavenoids. The various types of Cannabis and the differences between them will be discussed in the following chapters (stay tuned to find out more about this!).

If it is therefore true that the sun is the best lamp we can afford, it is also true that sunlight cannot be separated from the rest of the climatic factors. They are unpredictable and can often be catastrophic. Furthermore, in many northern European countries, there is often neither the climate nor the hours of light needed to have satisfactory harvests.

Over the years, therefore, the need has arisen to be able to grow in a safe and controlled space, which can guarantee a conspicuous production in relation to the resources invested and which can prevent climate catastrophes and which can be decided parameter by parameter: the Indoor Cultivation.

Indoor Cannabis grow lamp

Nowadays, it is easy to buy different types of indoor grow lamps for Cannabis Indoor on the market, from the cheapest to the most efficient. The final choice of the user will greatly depend on the final use, as not all lamps are suitable for various cannabis developments.

CFL – Compact Fluorescent Lamps for Indoor Marijuana Growing

CFL, or “compact fluorescent lamps,” are fairly common lamps to be found in the corners of indoor gardens. They are readily available and their cost is very low compared to other solutions.

They are Indoor grow lights suitable for small grows, and are highly recommended for beginners as they are easy to use as they do not require various ballasts or power supplies, but simple standard sockets to work! Furthermore, CFL lamps do not need a ventilation system, as the heat emitted is relatively low.

CFL lamps are available on the market with a blue spectrum of 6500K (vegetative growth phase) and a red spectrum of 2700K (flowering phase).

Listed the pros, it must be said that the CFL is a lamp that has a poor penetration of light between the leaves, and despite containing a good dose of UV-B rays that cause the plant to develop more trichomes in flowering, the quantity of lumens it can emit is sufficient for a small number of plants and for the germination phases of Marijuana seeds and the vegetative phase, remaining not recommended for the Flowering phase of Cannabis.

Neon (TCL Lamps)

TCL neons are tubular lamps ideal exclusively for the germination and cutting (or cloning) phase of the Marijuana plant. They are readily available in any hardware store, consume little energy and produce few lumens.

They are also available in various spectra, mainly the aforementioned “2700 ° K” and “6500 ° K“, which, unlike CFL or HID lamps, are still sufficient to support a single plant, but not for several specimens, even if they are few.

HID lamps (MH and HPS) to grow successful Marijuana!

HID lamps are divided into MH Grow Lamps (metal halide) and HPS Lamps (high pressure sodium). The difference between the two is that while HD lamps tend to produce a “colder” bluish light, HPS lamps have a red spectrum, similar to sunset.

MH lamps are therefore more suitable for the vegetative phase while HPS lamps are the most effective lamps in the flowering phase.

HID grow lights are significantly cheaper than LED grow lights, relatively easy to use even for beginners, and can produce excellent yields in a very short time. On the other hand, they emit a lot of heat, increasing the temperature of the room and requiring adequate ventilation if the desired results are not to be achieved.

They require an electronic ballast (or electromagnetic ballast) connected to the outside of the grow room and a good reflector in order to function. It should also be noted that they consume a lot of energy. Finally, the bulbs need to be replaced after about a year to ensure ideal light output.

The new LEC lamps!

LEC CMH lamps are a new generation of Cannabis Indoor Grow Lamp. They mainly difference with MH lamps in that they use a ceramic tube instead of quartz. This gives them a more natural color, more lumens per watt, and a much longer life. They have a built-in power supply and are easy to install, even for beginners.

They emit UV-B rays, which cause the cannabis plant to produce more trichomes, which are medically / terpene essential (but when exposed, harmful to human health!)

Instead, they are expensive to install and tend to generate an intense amount of heat, forcing you to equip yourself with a powerful suction system.

Are Indoor LED grow lamp the best type for Cannabis Grow?

Modern LED indoor grow lights, those equipped with COB (chip on board) technology, are able to provide quite significant light intensity and penetration, even for the most demanding crops. Today, LEDs can easily compete with the performance of more powerful grow lights, such as HID lamps.

LED lamps emit light spectra suitable for the entire development cycle of the cannabis plant, from the vegetative phase to the flowering phase, significantly reducing energy consumption.

They also have the added benefit of operating at much lower temperatures than HID lamps, causing only slight heat. The only drawback is the cost, which is still difficult for most cannabis growers to afford. However, the cost is offset by the life of the LED lamp itself, which requires replacement after about five to ten years on average.

Light and Cannabis: a parameter to pay close attention

Whether using CMH, HPS, LED or CFL, also make sure to properly extract the stale air from the grow area by ventilating the grow space with a suitable fan, as high temperatures (28 ° +) can degrade cannabinoids and volatile compounds, inhibit the development of flowers and leaves, stress the plant or, in the worst case, suffocate it.

Also remember that lamps should not be used if there is even the slightest visible trauma or scratches on the protective glass. Try to avoid accidents (due to carelessness of the material or carelessness in isolating electrical sources from water and humidity) that could draw the attention of neighbors to you.

Make sure the lamps have manufacturer’s test certificates and never work with substandard materials or materials of unknown origin.

That’s it for this chapter on Grow Lamp for Cannabis Indoor! Keep following us in our next chapter dedicated to the best substrate for growing cannabis!

Greetings from the Annibale Seedshop Team, see you next time!

Davide, CEO, Founder and Geneticist