Arguably the most important thing next to the seed itself. There are many types or lights:
HPS (high pressure sodium)
MH (metal halide)
LED (light emitting diode)
CFL (compact fluorescent light)
Natural Sunlight
With all the options that are available, I hope we shed some light on the subject and help you with making the best decision for your needs.
Let There Be
LIGHT!
Light's role in cultivation
As mentioned above, light is notably the most important part of cultivating any plant in general. But specifically, its important to cannabis because it helps the plant to produce more of the cannabinoids we love and enjoy no matter if its CBD or THC cannabis. Just like in us humans, light is a necessity for life.
It may not look like it, but light plays a huge role in cannabis growth due to the numerous wavelengths contained in it. The different wavelengths produce different affects that cause the plant to produce certain chemicals to develop. Providing the right wavelength at the right time in the plants life will give the best chance to draw out your plant's highest potential. This includes higher CBD and THC percentages, as well as, higher yields of plant matter AKA more buds.
When it comes to light sources, nothing - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING - beats the natural sun. So it is our jobs to do our best to reproduce the sun in our private grow tents if we are not growing outdoors. Growing outdoors gives you the greatest light and best of all - ITS FREE! Growing indoors in a tent or private room will cause an increase in your light bill monthly, but will soon allow you a HUGE return on your investment in the first couple of harvests.
When I decided to start growing cannabis, I stopped smoking for 3 months to save $400 on my first all-in-one grow kit. Then I ended up spending $500 because I got more stuff than I thought needed. I kind of felt bad for spending that much money on something I didn't know was going to work. Then I started growing. My first time growing yielded me 6 ounces, which was not bad for a first time who knew NOTHING. And at the time, an ounce of cannabis was about $300/ounce. So lets say you add the cost of electricity at an additional $50/month above the normal bill and it took me 4 months from seed to harvest - that's an additional $200, bringing the total to $700 for my first grow cycle. I was able to produce 6 ounces and at that time I was consuming an ounce a month - how about that for ROI. Then wash, rinse and repeat 3-4 times a year for
almost 10 years now.
So make sure you take your time choosing the right lights to maximize your grows!
