When it comes to using LED grow lights for cannabis, it's important to keep the lights the correct distance from your plants to prevent bud burning and/or bleaching.
Many LEDs work best when kept around 18" or more from the top of the plant, but it's important to ask the manufacturer about the specific LED grow light model since each one is different from each other. The size of the LED bulbs, the way the lenses are made, and the angle the lamp directs light downward all make a big difference on how far your cannabis plants need to be without experiencing "sun burn" from LEDs.
When the light's too intense for your plants it will either cause heat stress or will bleach them with light. Strong grow lights will bleach and/or burn the tops of your leaves, while lights like strong LED grow lights may only bleach your leaves, so it’s important to understand what’s happening to your plants when it comes to these issues. Now, what we should note first is that light bleaching or burning may look like nitrogen deficiencies.
The key difference between the two is that light burn or bleaching will occur on the leaves of the plant closest to the light, whereas a nitrogen deficiency is something you’ll see from top to bottom. A burned and bleached plant will also have wilted and discolored top leaves that are hard to pluck, whereas a deficiency will make the leaves simply fall off. Light Bleaching- If you use LED’s you may not stress your plants from heat, but hanging your LED’s too close to your plants will bleach your leaves. If you let it go on longer, it’ll eventually start bleaching fruits and flowers, which will result in an underwhelming yield.
How Close Should LED Grow Lights Be to Plants?
Indoor grow lights of different power ratings will perform best at different distances. Which LED grow lights are the best for my space? The 240 Watt LED Grow Light is for 2-4 mature plants, with a distance of 12-24 inches from the top of the canopy. The larger 450 Watt LED Grow Light is for 4-8 mature plants, with a distance of 14-30 inches from the plant canopy. These lights also work well for mother plants and cloning. Higher wattage lights such as the 600 Watt LED Grow Light and the 900 Watt LED Grow Light have a distance range of 16-36 inches from the top of the canopy.
Cannabis grow lights do not emit a great amount of heat like MH/HPS grow lights. LED lights allow for easier temperature control in the grow space and in the space immediately below the lights, eliminating the risk of burning plants with the lights. The ambient room temperature can be 82 degrees instead of the lower temperatures needed to avoid burning plants with HPS bulbs.
So, Are LED Lights The Best For Indoor Growing?
As you can tell, there are definitely some advantages to going with an LED system, but whether they’re the best choice for indoor growing depends on a few factors. For a lot of growers, the low temperature, efficiency, lifespan, size and spectrum of LEDs make them ideal for indoor grows. Other growers, typically those running large-scale operations, prefer HID lights because they provide the most intense light. Of course, HIDs come with their own challenges — they consume way more energy than LEDs, and also force the grower to invest in additional equipment, like protective hoods and exhaust fans. But if your main goal is to maximize the quantity of crops that your garden produces, then HID grow light is probably the way to go.
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