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CAN YOU LEAVE A GROW LIGHT ON 24 HOURS?

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hydroponics led grow lights ECO Farm
Indoor growers are always looking for ways to increase the health, growth, and output of crops. One method many growers use to accomplish this is to allow grow lights to stay on 24 hours a day. But is that the best option for your plants?

It is not recommended to leave your grow light running for 24 hours straight. Twenty four hours of light can prevent a plant from effectively carrying out the respiration process.

If your plant is not responding to 12 or 18 hours of light, you may need a stronger grow light or you may need to feed your plant nutrients. Also consider whether you need to adjust your grow light hang height.

WHAT HAPPENS TO A PLANT THAT IS KEPT UNDER CONSTANT LIGHT?

Like humans and animals, plants need a break from direct light, too. Imagine they need to sleep as well.

When cannabis absorbs a lot of light, they will constantly engage in photosynthesis. On the bright side, this will result in the maximum growth of foliage.

Yet, there are consequences as well. If your weeds are constantly exposed to light, especially during the vegetative stage, they may experience stress.

Once they get exposed to diseases, they also become susceptible to pests, and consequently, diseases and death.

DOES MORE LIGHT MEAN MORE YIELD?

Growers think that the longer plants get exposed to lights, the bigger their yield will be. Some even leave grow lights on 24/7 during the first weeks of the vegetative stage.

While they are correct about needing more light, the way of gaining light is incorrect. You have to consider some factors including the weed strain, type of light, and growth stage.

It is possible to leave grow lights on for 24 hours, but it is still way better to set lighting times per day.

WHAT’S THE IDEAL AMOUNT OF LIGHT EXPOSURE FOR PLANTS?

The ideal amount of light exposure for fruit or vegetable bearing plants, including cannabis, is between 20 and 40 moles of light per day.

During an 18 hour vegetative phase light cycle, you can produce 20 moles of light by using an LED grow light with a PPFD value of 308 micromoles (umol) of light.

To produce 20 moles of light during flowering phase, you’ll need a higher PPFD value of 462 umol from your grow light due to the shortened 12 hour lighting cycle.

If you want to maximize yield you’ll need to produce 40 moles of light per day for your plants.

To deliver 40 moles of light during vegetation, that’ll require using a grow light with a minimum PPFD value of 617 umols for 18 hours.

To deliver 40 moles of light during flowering phase, your grow light will need a 926 umols PPFD value to compensate for the shorter 12 hour light cycle.

LIGHT EXPOSURE AND PLANT CYCLES

Every plant has a growth cycle, and this is where it’s essential to know what a grower’s goals are.

A grower who wishes to produce plants with an abundance of blooms will inhibit that plant by exposing it to light 24 hours a day. Too much light can interrupt a plant’s natural process of growth, flowering, fruit, and dormancy.

On the other hand, 24-hour lighting can force plants to grow quickly. These plants can then transition to a more normal light/dark exposure when a grower desires the flowering and fruiting cycle to begin.

The ability to manage the life cycles of a plant with grow lights can increase the speed between crop production of flowers or fruit.

BEST GROW LIGHT FOR CANNABIS 2020

It is highly recommended to purchase a full spectrum LED grow light. Most LED lights have a range of colors being emitted (full light spectrum) - the best lights offer the full range, including UV light. 
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LUXX LIGHTING 645W LED PRO

Like the entire line of Luxx products, the new 645 LED Pro was built on the principle of design, test & repeat. It has been developed by assessing SMD (Surface Mount Device) chips and drivers from leading manufacturers in controlled test applications and cultivation facilities for 3+ years.

The LUXX 645 LED PRO is made up of Samsung horticulture whites and Osram reds. The respective companies lead the field in LED R&D, delivering high efficiency, reliability & diode performance. The LUXX 645 LED PRO features manual and auto power adjustment. Delivering the flexibility to dim the unit down to 40% total power for lower photon intensity, without affecting the quality of the spectrum.
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THINKGROW MODEL-H 630W HORTICULTURE LED GROW LIGHT

The Model-H is a high performance LED grow light for the horticulture cultivation. It is designed specifically for high PPFD cultivation practices in vertical farming. Full spectrum design with spectral tuning capabilities cover each critical phase of growth from vegetative to flowering.

ThinkGrow is brought to you by the same company making TrolMaster controls -- currently one of the most sophisticated digital environmental controls on the market. ThinkGrow LED lights are also fully compatible with TrolMaster controllers with up to 256 lights being able to be controlled per digital channel.
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FLUENCE SPYDRX PLUS LED GROW LIGHT

SPYDRx PLUS is designed for full-cycle commercial cannabis cultivation with the power to scale from vegetative growth to bloom.  Also designed to cover a 4’x4’ area at only 6 inches above canopy, SPYDRx PLUS delivers an average of 1030 µmol/m2/s of light over your crop with unparalleled uniformity.

SPYDRx PLUS is designed for close-proximity, controlled environment agriculture, and multi-tier vertical farming environments.   An average — not max — PPFD above 1,020 makes SPYDRx PLUS the perfect choice for high-DLI crops from veg to bloom when paired with a 0-10V dimmer or adjusted mounting height for desired PPFD.

FAQ

24 hours of light healthy for plants?
24 hours of light is not healthy for your plants. Plants need to rest too.

What if 18 hours of light isn’t enough for my plants?
If 18 hours of light isn’t enough for your plants and you want to run your grow light for 24 hours, you need to buy a stronger grow light. You can run the stronger grow light for fewer hours, allowing your plants time to rest.

How much light does my fruit, vegetable, or cannabis plant need?
Fruit or vegetable bearing plants, including cannabis, typically need between 20-40 moles of light per day. That translates to a grow light that emits between 460 and 925 uMols of light per second. 
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