LED distance from the plant
When you grow with HPS lighting, you can place the lights at a distance of 24 to 30 inches from the plants. However, with LED lighting, the plants must be much closer which is why this is one of the most frequent mistakes among gardeners that go from the old HPS lighting systems to LED. To obtain the maximum performance, some LED lights need to be placed at a distance of 6 – 12 inches from the tip of the cannabis plant. This is due to the fact that the temperature that this type of lighting produces is lower than an HPS bulb. It should be noted that currently LED lighting systems have a more uniform format, therefore, they allow a better way to expand the light spectrum throughout the plant.
We must emphasize that in the growth phase of your weed plants, you can put the LED lighting a little more distant to allow it to glean a little more and also allow certain parts such as the side branches receive a greater amount of light. This is different in flowering which is why the plant needs more light to develop its buds. To avoid damaging the plant, avoid allowing excess heat to reach it and also ensure that it always has good ventilation between the LED lighting system and the tip.
Light Spectrum
A full spectrum of light wavelengths that emulates sunlight is needed for weed plants to grow because they require photosynthesis. Although red and blue lights are the best known, hemp plants also require green and yellow lights. In addition, it is good to note that a complete spectrum of light is needed that combines all wavelengths and colors.
The above is super important because, for example, lights like green are difficult to see through the upper part of the weed plants, however, this light can penetrate into areas where other colors do not reach. Therefore, this enhances complex areas of the plant. When LED lights first became used for the cultivation of weed, only lighting systems with red and blue lights were found which did not allow harvests of abundant crops or healthy and strong specimens. So, to avoid these types of problems, a full spectrum LED system is required. This is very common in today’s market so that the plant has the light spectrum it needs and can develop in a good way.
Lights with a special range for growth
Take the necessary precaution to correctly select the lights you need for the growth phase of the plants. For example, if you have lights with a mostly red spectrum, your plants will not get all the lighting they want, therefore, their growth will be obstructed.
Remember that for optimal growth of your weed plants, blue light is required in the spectrum of your LED lights. It is also important that the environment, that is, the dimensions of the space and also the conditions in which it is located, are adequate so that the lighting is not scattered or lost.
Have controlled times
Controlling the times in which the plants will have light and darkness is essential for weed plants to develop in a great way. Without a guideline or schedule of time, the plants can be affected either by excess lighting or lack of light.
At this point, we must highlight how vital a timer is to control the hours of light that the plants receive and also the hours they rest in full darkness. Controlling the lighting hours effectively promotes optimal plant development and great flowering.
Forget other factors and focus only on lighting
Focusing on lighting as an essential factor for the great growth and flowering of cannabis plants is essential. However, neglecting other factors is really relevant. Factors such as humidity, the temperature in the growing place, pests, ventilation, and even hygiene in the growing space are essential to have healthy and productive plants.
For that reason, in addition to lighting, we also invite you to worry about those other factors because without them, you will not be able to get the production and amazing buds that you want to harvest.
Failure to maintain LED lights regularly
We suggest that you do maintenance every few months or crops to your LED panels. If you forget this, you could have big problems in the future, an issue that can damage your crops or even prevent you from cultivating.
It is important that you check the chips of your LED lights with some regularity and also avoid damage because these small devices give life to your LED lights. Today, LED technology has advanced a lot and for this reason, it is also likely that in a short time you will have to replace your old panel or LED lighting system with a new one that optimizes your cultivation.
Take care of the temperature of your LED panels
Although we know that panels and LED lighting do not emit heat as HPS lighting systems do, there is a certain temperature that can affect your plants and also your lights. That is why it is important that in your growing area you have a good ventilation system with fans that help to cool the LED lighting system and also collaborate by moving the air inside the crop to avoid stress on the plants due to heat.
Appropriate Watering when you grow with LED lights
As we told you in the previous point, LED lights do not emit as much heat as HPS lighting. Despite that, many gardeners continue to water with the same amounts used when growing with sodium.
When the roots are extremely wet, they become breeding grounds for bacteria, insects, and fungi. it can also cause a deficiency of nutrients that the plant requires to grow and flourish. To avoid the above, you must reduce the amount of water and gradually adapt to your new lighting system.
The 3 genetics to grow with LEDs
You are probably wondering which cannabis strains are the best to grow with LED lighting. Well, today we know that a large number of cannabis varieties are excellent for cultivating with LEDs. We are going to recommend some of the ones that are better suited to growing with LEDs so you do not have problems selecting the next strain for your weed cultivation.
1- Sweet Island
This variety is special to grow with LED because in some cases when it has been grown under HPS bulbs, it tends to show a bit of heat stress. As we teach you in the tutorial, you must be careful with excess watering and especially with Sweet Island because it is not a plant that demands a lot of food. On the contrary, with a medium nutrition it is fine.
On the other hand, excess water in the substrate can cause an increase in humidity and that means that fungi can appear on the plants and destroy your harvest. For this reason, when you grow Sweet Island, it is important that you have a good ventilation system and that the growing space is optimal as well as the LED lighting.
2- Grizzly Purple Auto
This autoflowering variety is special to be grown with LED lights because in addition to being fast, it is a good producer and you can harvest plants of compact and discreet size, ideal for small spaces indoors.
This Grizzly Purple Auto was grown with a 300w power panel in a 2 gallon pot and the gardener harvested 40gr of dry buds. This is a good amount of flowers for an autoflower that does not need a lot of care and is easy to grow, especially for beginning growers.
3- Alien OG
Here is the beautiful Alien OG, grown with a combination of LED panels, 2 small 100w and another 310w. In this case, the 2 small 100w panels complement the light spectrum of the larger 310w panel. Some gardeners use it to locate them and enhance specific areas of the plant such as the lower side branches or the middle areas of the plant. This ensure that the flowering is more homogeneous and the buds are much more forceful and hit harder.
Also, we can tell you that Alien OG is a tremendous warrior that adapts to hotter and humid climates as well as colder climates and high humidity, flourishing greatly and delivering beautiful crops of compact flowers that usually grow close to the stems of the plant. Without a doubt, this variety is a best-seller because you can grow them wherever you want.
