Contents
How much light does a weed seed need?
How much light do cannabis seedlings need?
How much light does cannabis need during the vegetative stage?
How much light does cannabis need during flowering?
3 most common types of grow lights
Worried about light schedules? Choose autoflower strains
How much light does a weed seed need? What’s the ideal quantity of rays to provide marijuana plants at different stages of growth? These are common questions among cannabis cultivators.
Weed has special light requirements for optimal bud development. If you want your crops to grow well, ensure they receive the optimal illumination at each life phase.
Here’s a guide to the best light schedules for your indoor marijuana garden.
Let there be light
Along with nutrients and water, light is one of the most crucial aspects of growing cannabis. It plays a key role in photosynthesis, converting carbon dioxide into energy. Without sufficient brightness, weed struggles to survive during various stages of its life cycle.
The plant’s leaves, roots, and limbs develop in the vegetative phase. Should lighting be inadequate, your crops might not progress.
Marijuana only moves to the flowering stage after exposure to sufficient rays. This factor shows knowing the ideal grow light for cannabis growing is essential.
How much light does a weed seed need?
How much light does a weed seed need to germinate? Cannabis seeds should remain in complete darkness to sprout healthy tap roots.
You don’t have to be concerned about how much light your weed seeds get at this stage. Leave them in an unilluminated area, such as a drawer or cupboard, and keep track of when the first white shoot appears.
How much light do cannabis seedlings need?
Marijuana seedlings require as much brightness as possible. For a growing area of around 10 square feet, there should be about 400 watts of light. Expose your crops to this wattage for the duration of this two-week cycle.
While it’s crucial to know how much light cannabis seedlings need, it’s also essential to learn where to place your bulbs. Ensure the lamps are 24–36 inches above the plants to prevent cannabis light burn.
How much light does cannabis need during the vegetative stage?
Vegetative crops require cycles of long days and short nights to grow bigger and taller. Ensure they receive at least 400–600 watts of light daily.
How many watts per weed plant? During this phase, aim for at least 60 watts for each crop at around 12–24 inches above the canopy.
How much light does cannabis need during flowering?
The flowering stage is the last cannabis growth phase. The plant doesn’t increase in size but starts displaying buds that later develop into flowers. Light affects the ability of weed to produce dense, resinous colas.
The requirement for flowering crops ranges from 400–600 watts. Using purple lights for cannabis during this phase could result in optimal bud production.
To avoid light burn, maintain a distance of 18–24 inches between the bulbs and the canopy.
3 most common types of grow lights
It isn’t enough to only calculate how much light a cannabis seedling needs. Familiarize yourself with the types of grow lights that maximize the development of your weed.
Although there are many options, the three most common variations are light-emitting diode (LED), high-intensity discharge (HID), and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL):
- LED: This type is the most energy-efficient. LEDs come in various forms, such as infrared grow lights. They’re suitable for cannabis plants at all developmental stages. While LEDs are the most expensive option, they’re durable and save money in the long run.
- HID: These lights come in metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS). They’re cheaper than LEDs and could maximize yields. Since they consume high amounts of electricity, they’re less energy-efficient than the other two options.
- CFL: These lamps are the cheapest option of the three. They’re environmentally friendly and easy to install and operate. CFLs are best for small home cultivations and are excellent for first-time growers.
Light schedules
Cannabis plants require specific daily illumination periods for optimal development. How much sunlight does a weed plant need to balance its hormones and internal clock?
Let’s look at how many hours of light weed seeds need at different stages.
For seedlings
Seedlings require as much care and nourishment as possible and should get 16–18 hours of light per day. Leave the plants in darkness for around six uninterrupted hours to help reduce stem elongation and internodal spacing.
For vegetative cannabis
Illuminate vegetative weed for 13–18 hours daily to prevent early blooming. A six-hour period of darkness encourages healthy, steady growth.
For flowering cannabis
During the flowering phase, cannabis requires an almost equal amount of darkness and illumination to produce flowers.
Ensure blooming weed plants receive light for at least 12 hours per day. Should you not provide an equal amount of darkness, your crops may revert to the vegetative phase.
Worried about light schedules? Choose autoflower strains
Despite knowing how much light a weed plant needs, you might be unable to stick to the routine. Many growers struggle to follow this guide on cannabis grow lights due to space restrictions or commitments keeping them away from home.
Cultivating autoflower seeds may solve this issue, as they don’t need a change in light schedule to begin flowering. These strains also require less time to complete development, with some ready to harvest around eight weeks after sprouting.
As autoflower varieties are so convenient, they’re ideal for beginner or busy cultivators.
Grow cannabis with ease
How much light should weed plants get? The correct answer depends on the life cycle of your crops. Cannabis requires varying amounts of illumination at different schedules during certain phases.
Use our guide to determine how much light weed seedlings and other plant stages require.
Do you want to get the highest yields from your weed crops? Order our top-quality cannabis seeds today.
