What Type of Light is Best for Indoor Growing? - Happy Hydro

What Type of Light is Best for Indoor Growing?

When getting started with indoor gardening, many people struggle with finding the best lighting solution for their space. The type of light you need depends on a few factors, such as the size of your growing area and the number of plants sharing your light source. Here is a quick guide to help you choose the right light for your indoor garden.

Seedling and Early Vegetation Lighting

If you want your seedlings and clones to grow, we recommend using a low-output light that emits blue and white light. This type of light promotes vegetative growth and helps your plants develop strong stems and leaves. Using lights that are the wrong spectrum or too weak will present in many different ways, such as stretching (increased space between branches), and slow plant growth. 


HPS & MH Lighting

Many growers still choose high-pressure sodium (HPS) or metal halide (MH) lights over other types of grow lights. These traditional grow lights are often more economical than LEDs, making them appealing to hobbyists who don't want to spend a lot of money upfront. They can also be used to cover large areas without incurring the upfront costs associated with LEDs.

CMH & LEC Lighting

Ceramic metal halide (CMH) and light-emitting ceramic (LEC) are, in fact, the same thing - they just have different acronyms. They are both high-intensity discharge lights similar to HPS and MH fixtures. More so, they have a fuller spectrum and can be used throughout the entire growth phase as opposed to only using an MH light during veg or an HPS exclusively during bloom. Some argue that CMH fixtures produce more yield with less wattage than HPS/MH; however, this is a debatable topic that largely depends on many other outside factors.


LED Lighting - The Best Indoor Lighting Setup?

Finally, we come to LEDs, which are quickly becoming the preferred type of grow light for indoor gardens. LEDs emit very little heat, making them ideal for small spaces where temperature control is a challenge. They are also more energy-efficient than HPS and MH lights, which can help reduce your electric bill. In addition, LED lights offer a full spectrum of light, which can mimic sunlight and promote growth throughout the entire plant life cycle.


Our customer favorite and best seller is the Grower's Choice ROI-e420. It’s full spectrum for every stage of growth, covers a 4 x 4 space, comes with a 5-year warranty, and produces big yields in grow tents and commercial spaces.


Conclusion

No matter what type of light you choose, be sure to get a light meter to help you monitor the amount of light your plants are receiving. Too much or too little light can stunt growth or cause other problems, so it's important to stay within the optimal range for your particular plants.


At Happy Hydro we pride ourselves on stocking the best LED lighting systems for home growers and commercial operations alike. We’ve got you covered on veg lights, bloom lights, vertical commercial lights, cloning lights, and more.

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