Lighting

[Nedhead]

Hi All,

Still learning the ropes but so far so good with my grow. I want to ask everyone though about lighting and in particular what spectrum of lighting is recommended/used.

When I started my first grow I started by using blue spectrum only and things appeared to be growing fine. Maybe not the fastest grow but the girls appeared happy and healthy. In another post it was recommended I use both blue and red spectrums (led switchable lighting is what I have) so switched on both spectrums on my 5 week old plants. No issues and my plants (in particular the NL strain) seem to be getting bushier (although that could just be the plants stage of life) so I have been wondering what other people do that have red and blue switchable lights?

Do people grow with both spectrums for the plants entire life?

Is there any benefit/purpose/reason to use a specific spectrum at a given point in a plants life? (for example during flowering would it make a difference if I switched to just the red spectrum during the 12/12 phase?)

What do you do?

As always thx in advance for your input!

 

[Remystemple]

I'm a new grower too, but from what i can gather is most say to use both. I have an LED with veg and bloom switches and wanted to know when or if to use both and most of what i found said both. so that's what i've been doing. the next light i got doesn't even have that option so it's both all the way for me.

someone else will have the sciencey answer lol.

 

[LEDXpert]

Different processes within the plant perform better with different wavelengths of light. When those processes are performing well they are able to do their job making other processes easier to do. Meaning the more full spectrum light you have the better. Google spectral distribution of sunlight.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Usually during veg, plants needs more blue and white, while during flowering, they need more red lights, but that is not to say plants don't need other spectrum. Nowadays, usually the lights in the market is full spectrum, which is also great for whole cycle, since plants needs both blue and red spectrum as well as some other spectrums during the whole circle.

If your budget is enough, you can use different light during different grow circle. If not, the full spectrum light usually can still do good job as well,

 

[Pinktiger777]

My dimmable led came with a set of instructions on how to adjust the lights. The instructions are on the mark, as i have proven by doing it. Check with the manufacturer or look around online. There has to be a guide.
My experience with the light is, you can experiment with distance from plants as well as the adjustments on light to give your plants an optimum amount of light at the proper strength. I have clones in my cloning tent that are getting about 40 percent of grow and 15 percent of flower light now. They are in a sort of suspended maturity, building roots. Once the roots are developed well, I will power it up to a better vegging spectrum so the clones will develop leaves and new shoots.
I wish my other lights were dimmable now, and regret not ponying up the extra dough to get them. Oh, well, lesson learned.

 

[Pinktiger777]

Ok, I found this info online. It is for a 300w LED:
3-5 days Acclimation Period: 30"-34" height, 10 hrs on/14 hrs off
Seedlings Stage: 26" -30" height, 12 hrs on/12 hrs off
Vegetative Stage: 20" -26" height, 18 hrs on/6 hrs off
Flowering Stage: 16" -20" height, 12 hrs on/12hrs off

It is news to me about the seedlings stage being 12/12. I wouldn't do that. Not with cannabis. I'd stay at 10/14 or 18/6 until going into flower, unless you are growing autos.

 

[Sueveefrostybudz]

Well i be damed thats the info i got with my Maxisun 300 Remote Control. i followed it in the seedling stage of my grow right that im inn now, but i think they thought that a damn space ship was landing on them, i looked at them this morning they looked scared to shit !!!frozen!!! to much for them at that stage i even had it set just at Veg i think i set @ 40 lumens you can go from 40 to 60 it that stage according to the manual but hell. I shut that shit off befor i killed my little babies i put them under 40 watt blue & Red spectrum from china i got from Amazon and put another little 75 watt soft white Led from wally world that hung from off to the side and thease little hookes are loving it they thinking they in some tropical island, im tricking the hell thease girls!!!!! My wife always siad boy you aint right... Lol...I already seen a increase about a centermeter or two they are loving it;thats all they getting for another week unless they start showing some nodes to top.......well i be damed them instruction is for Maxisun...