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LED means Light Emitting Diode. A LED is an electronic component emitting light when electrical current passes through. LED is also used for growing cannabis plants. Learn more about growing cannabis with LED grow lights in this article!
If you are going to grow weed indoors you need a lot of supplies. A grow light can of course not be missing. There are different kinds, but LED lights are used most often.
The history of LED up to the present
The LED was discovered around 1920 by a Russian scientist. He discovered that diodes are emitting light and applied for a patent on this. However, it took until 1962 for the LED to be further developed. That year the first functioning LED was produced. It was only until the nineties that the LED really became better and brighter. Then it also became affordable and warning lights and small light bulbs were replaced by LED. Around the year 2000 we’ve seen developments with high-bright LEDs; these LEDs are just as good as the light bulb as regards brightness. Since 2006 also blue LED light has been developed and this made RGB color mixing possible.
Growing weed with LED only became popular after the turn of the century. Before then, cannabis was mainly grown under MH and HPS lights with complicated schedules for switches. The first LED grow lights, while more efficient, were not nearly as powerful as MH or HPS lights with outputs of up to 600 or 1000 watts. As LED lights became more powerful and units that could be set to multiple spectra came onto the market, there was a shift. Today LED cultivation is mainly used for its convenience, safety and lower energy costs.
Other Applications of LED Grow Lights
Obviously LED is used in all sorts of consumer electronics, e.g. in cars, but currently LED is also used in horticulture. Because plants do not use the full light spectrum for photosynthesis, energy can be saved by only offering the used light frequencies. LED light is used as an additional intermediate light, but multi-layer arrangements, with just LED light, are also used.
Which LED Growing lamp for Cannabis?
If you decide to grow weed with LED lighting, you will have to choose from thousands of devices. What you have to consider is the intensity and the spectrum. Do you want to do the whole grow with one lamp? Then it's advisable to look for a grow light that you can set to multiple spectra. As for the strength, you can look at a number of factors. Often stores and web shops will indicate how many watts a grow light has. You can find them from 30 watts to over 1000 watts. Often the rule is: the higher the better.
Yet this is not everything. If you really want to make a good choice you have to look at the light intensity. You can measure this by means of PAR, Lux or Lumen. Also the height of the grow light to the plant is very important. For more information read our blog: “Growing a cannabis plant under the grow light - How strong should the lamp be?”
LED Light - Pros and Cons:
Do you want to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of LED grow lights? We wrote a new blog where among others cannabis pioneer and grow lamp expert Hidde Siers talks.Get his advice, learn more about LED lamps and compare them with traditional HPS lamps.Check out our newest blog: "LED Grow Lamp for Cannabis - Pros and Cons".