The LED lamp is an extremely popular type of lighting device that is increasingly being used all around us: in urban spaces, in indoor and outdoor public areas, and in all kinds of private homes. Nowadays LED technology is everywhere, so it is therefore reasonable to think that it can also offer great advantages in cannabis growing.
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Why have LED lights become so popular nowadays?
LED lighting is already widely popular in many places, both at private and public level, in the home as well as in different industrial applications. This technology has a great future ahead of it and is becoming increasingly relevant at all levels of society, simply because its low power consumption means that it uses less resources than other existing lighting techniques. An LED bulb has an average lifetime 30 times higher than that of other bulbs, and it also produces less heat.
There’s no doubt that this added value is vital in a society that, based on ecological values for the preservation of the environment, is looking for improved technological performance as well as for a reduction in energy consumption.
What is LED technology?
For many years, LED lamps have been present in many of our electrical devices and known as diode bulbs. Electroluminescent diodes (LEDs) started being integrated into many electrical appliances in the 1960s and were mainly used as light indicators. Despite having been around for so long, their use went completely unnoticed for most people.
LED or ‘Light-Emitting Diode bulbs’ were known as diode lights for more than 50 years, until they were finally named ‘electroluminescent diodes’. LED bulbs are composed of an electronic unit equipped with two terminals through which current flows in a single direction until finally producing light. LED lights require four basic elements for their correct operation:
Firstly, a semiconductor material linked to a reflecting element on which light can be produced. Secondly, conductive poles made up of an anode and a cathode. Thirdly, a conductor wire to link the two poles; and, finally, a lens that serves as an insulating protective layer for the LED transmitter.
Electricity passes through the diode, and the electrons around the atoms receive enough energy to start moving, leading to the emission of photons. These photons are the most basic units of light, and, when they reach the reflecting element, the light is focused outwards.
In the ‘60s, LED technology was very costly because the LED lamps were only manufactured on a small scale. The first models produced red light, and then later green, blue and white, until reaching the point that we’re at now, which practically covers the full universal palette of colours.
Why use LED lights in marijuana cultivation?
Nowadays, the development of LED lighting technology has reached such a dimension that we can no longer doubt its properties. When the first models of LED lamps and light fixtures for horticultural production appeared on the market, many growers were amazed at their viability and effectiveness. The performance of the initial models could vary a great deal depending on the specific model, but since the arrival of brands like Lumatek, Secret Jardin, or Sylvania, product quality has improved enormously.
The price of LED lights was costly, and the results could be random; but these lights offered great results regarding aroma, flavour, or even effect. The aroma and flavour of crops cultivated using LED technology featured amazing organoleptic and psychoactive richness and complexity, never seen before in grows that used sodium lamps. Nonetheless, the final yield lagged behind in comparison to crops that used standard HPS lighting. As they offered the same amount of power, the initial investment for LED systems didn’t seem worth it. This is why the commercial success and popularity of the LED systems were very limited during the first 7-8 years since their introduction to the market.
Nowadays, the results are unprecedented, and one has to admit that LED lamps have come a long way and are becoming a true universal reference in marijuana cultivation. Today there are plenty of reasons to choose LED lamps both for personal and professional cannabis growing. LED lighting systems run the risk of becoming all the rage in the not too distant future. From now on, this lighting technology is going to be present in many greenhouses, as is already happening with licensed producers (LPs) in California, Colorado, and other American states, as well as in Canada and in other continents.
Generally speaking, the different types of LED light bulbs for growing indoors or in greenhouses feature an outstanding design; they consume much less energy than conventional high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS); and produce little heat, which translates into better plant development because potentially stress-inducing situations are drastically minimised.
Besides saving electricity, climate management is also easier to deal with as the devices produce less heat. Cannabis plants can be placed closer to the lamps, and space is gained vertically. It is possible to grow in more reduced spaces or in smaller grow tents, and the risk of burning the plants is completely avoided. Heat reduction also helps minimise thermal contrast and reduces plant transpiration. This also helps prevent the appearance of pests and diseases, as well as decreasing water and fertiliser consumption.
The shelf life of an LED lamp is much higher than that of an HPS or MH (Metal-halide) lamp, or even an LED fluorescent tube. The evolution of LED lamps and the wide range now available on the market facilitates the production of heavy, dense, and resinous cannabis flowers with ample, complex, rich and top-quality cannabinoid, terpene and flavonoid profiles.
The fact that they produce a light spectrum that isn’t aggressive to cannabis plants creates the perfect balance. If you had any doubts about the viability of the use of LED lamps in your marijuana grow, it is evident that this technology has already captivated the most demanding and reluctant growers. Now it’s time for you to make your choice!
Benefits of LED lamps
Benefits of LED lighting systems:
- Modern and contemporary design.
- Low electricity consumption.
- Low energy consumption of other grow devices.
- Low heat emission, stress reduction, and decrease in nutrient solution consumption. Minimised risk of burning, more pleasant and stable climate.
- They save vertical space.
- They facilitate cultivation in confined spaces.
- Long shelf life.
- High top-quality yields.
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