Greenhouse gardening is a widespread practice in almost all parts of the world. It is also a profitable gardening practice as long as the grower uses all the right gardening tools, products, and mediums to grow their crops. In the beginning, it might not be apparent, especially when it comes to choosing the best greenhouse grow lights to use, among other essential products. However, once you learn about the features of the grow lights required for greenhouse gardening, you will never look back, and you can grow whatever you want whenever you want.

Natural sunlight is the cheapest and primary source of light for growing plants. Some people are lucky to receive natural sunlight throughout the year, making it easier for the crops. However, many more live in areas that go through seasons where access to natural sunlight is impossible, especially during the cold winter days. Plants derive their energy from light, and if there is none available from the sun, the only other option is to improvise, and the best choice is a grow light.

Choosing the best greenhouse grow lights for your indoor growing space provides you with all-year-round gardening opportunities. When your crops cannot access the natural light from the sun during the cold winter weather, you can use grow lights to mimic the natural light. Besides lighting, they also provide the crops with the much-needed heat and energy they need to thrive.

What Kind of Indoor Grow Light Options Are Best for Plants?

Fluorescent grow lights
Fluorescent lights are popular for small plants and starting seedlings. They are fairly cheap but don't usually last very long. These bulbs typically have a short lifespan. Fluorescents are most effective for growing leafy greens or plants in their vegetative stages, but they are not ideal for encouraging flowers and fruit in flowering plants and heavy-fruiting crops.

Pros
Medium initial cost

Cons
High power consumption
Requires a ballast or lamp
Ballast is often an eyesore

HID, Metal Halide and HPS
High-intensity discharge lights (HID) such as Metal-Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights are bulbs commonly used in large commercial grow operations. These bulbs consume the most electricity and produce the highest amounts of light and heat. Typically, this results in expensive electricity bills for the entire life of each light. HIDs are typically used if you intend to grow large groups of plants indoors in a space such as heavy-flowering flowering and fruiting plants.

Pros
Medium initial cost
High output strength
High crop yield

Cons
High power consumption
Produces a high amount of heat
Eyesore

Red/Blue LEDs
Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights have recently taken command of the grow light industry because they're able to precisely emit the ideal photosynthetic spectrum for plants while using little electricity. While they are the most efficient type of grow light, many utilize bright and obnoxious red and blue lights to reach that level of efficiency. This may be ideal for plant growth, but is often an unflattering eyesore in the home.

Pros
High output strength
High crop yield

Cons
High initial cost
High power consumption
Blue/Red light is an eyesore

White/ Full-Spectrum LEDs
The search for grow lights that elegantly complement the home instead of bathing it in intensely red and blue hues has inspired the recent development and discovery of white, full-spectrum LED grow lights. This type of grow light is ideal for growers who love their homes just as much as they love their plants. We recommend LED lights as one of the best grow lights for indoor plants.

Pros
Low power consumption
Medium crop yield
Museum-quality lighting
User-friendly
Long lifespan

Cons
High initial cost

Iluminar iL9x 1000W LED Grow Light

Features:
The full spectrum Iluminar grow light was specifically engineered for veg and flower cycles that require a higher μmol performance at a lower clearance to the canopy. Ideal for several applications from commercial facilities to hobby growers. Enjoy the flexibility of hard mounting the LED bars to the center mast or remote mounting the bars directly to the rack for multi-level grow environments where every inch counts. The iL9x LED Grow Light is now available with higher efficiency 2.6 µmol/J, giving you a higher µmol per joule output for the same wattage. The iL9x 1000W LED grow light delivers more when you need it most. The iL9x is now available in a higher efficacy giving the grower higher µmol per Joule output for the same wattage used. The ILUMINAR iL9x 1000W LED fixture delivers more when you need it most.

Lumatek Zeus 1000W Xtreme PPFD LED Grow Light

Features:
Lumatek grow light introduces to growers the most powerful grow light on the market, the Zeus 1000W Xtreme PPFD CO2 LED. Designed for 1.5×1.5m coverage with Supplemental CO2 for optimal efficiency and results. The higher specification Lumatek Zeus 1000W Xtreme PPFD CO2 LED is a linear multi-light bar fixture producing extremely high levels of PPF of 2925 µmol/s and a very high efficacy of up to 2.9 umol/J. With the advances in technology and fixture performance, high quality LED horticultural lighting is now a credible option offering significant return on investment to cultivators. Lumatek full spectrum horticultural LED solutions balance light quality (spectra) with light quantity (intensity and duration) ensuring an even light distribution and uniform spread. The Zeus 1000W Xtreme PPFD CO2 produces extreme high levels of light intensity which requires the use of supplemental CO2 for those who plan to grow on 1.5×1.5m grow areas with short distances from Canopy to the light.

Best Grow Lights on the Market: Making the Right Choice

Thinking about what lights are best for growing plant in an indoor grow room? Chances are, you will be overwhelmed with the possibilities. Nonetheless, make sure to consider the factors that will be mentioned below to help you choose the best marijuana grow light on the market.

Spectrum
Lights come in different spectrums, which is why it is one of the most important considerations when narrowing down the possibilities. The best light spectrum for plants will depend on its growth. For the vegetative phase, the blue spectrum is recommended. On the other hand, to induce flowering, choose lights with red spectrum. Full-spectrum light, meanwhile, can be used at all stages of growth.

Wattage
This will be directly proportional to the power of the light. If you have a large grow room, you will need to invest in a more powerful light. On the other hand, if space is small and if the wattage is too much, you will most probably end up burning the plant.

Speaking of wattage, it will determine the right height between the plant and the lamp. If you are using an HID grow light, here is the suggested distance:
400-watt HID: 12 to 19 inches
600-watt HID: 14 to 25 inches
1,000-watt HID: 16 to 31 inches

On the other hand, if you are using LED lights, here is a quick guide for you to follow:
240 to 400-watt LED: 16 to 30 inches
450 to 550-watt LED: 20 to 30 inches
600 to 850-watt LED: 24 to 26 inches
900-watt and above LED: 26 to 42 inches

Lastly, if you are using CFLs and T5s, you can position them about five inches above the canopy of the plant. They do not produce intense heat, which is why there is a slim chance that it is going to burn the plant.

Lumen
Scientifically speaking, lumen refers to the amount of light that is emitted per second from a specific source. For the marijuana to be healthy, it needs to be exposed to a certain amount of lumens, which is why you need to choose a light that will be able to produce such. For each plant, the minimum requirement would be around 2,500 to 3,000 lumens per square foot. During the vegetative stage, the plant may need up to 5,000. Meanwhile, during the flowering phase, it might need as much as 10,000 lumens.

Kelvin
As you pick the best lights for indoor growing, another technical specification that would matter is the Kelvin. This also refers to the light color or light temperature. During the growing or vegetative phase, choose a light that has about 6400 kelvins, which has a daylight or cool color. It has a blue spectrum. This will replicate the color of the sun during summer or spring.

On the other hand, for the flowering stage, it should be about 2700 kelvins, which is warm and has a red spectrum. It has a color similar to that of the sun during fall or winter.

Conclusion

The best grow lights are really important for cannabis grown in a closed environment. However, not all lights can prove to be promising. For example, you need to choose one according to the growth stage of the plant. In order to avoid regret, I hope you think carefully before buying.