If you want to succeed in your mission as a marijuana grower, then you must absolutely acknowledge what’s the best light spectrum for cannabis.
Yes, access to consistent and suitable lights is extremely important. However, the light spectrum is another crucial key factor.
It will either make your green beauties flourish and grow like crazy or if you fail to utilize the most suitable light spectrum, you will be very disappointed upon harvesting.
The good news is that there is nothing too complex that will stay on your way of understanding the best light spectrum for your green princesses.
Read on and you will get prepared for reaping the benefits of your cannabis cultivation journey with confidence and a smile!
#1 – What is a Light Spectrum & Why is it so Significant for Cannabis Cultivators?
The light spectrum is also referred to as visible spectrum or color spectrum, among others.
We all see the light of the day, which is emitted by the sun.
However, as human beings, our perception of the more delicate aspects of the light spectrum – the colors – remain mostly invisible.
But just imagine the colors of the rainbow. Yes, this is a beautiful example of how the light spectrum actually looks like when we can perceive through our vision.
In fact, the waves which the Sun emits come in many forms, such as x-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet light, and nonetheless – visible light.
It is exactly the power of that so-called visible light that plants use during their different stages of development.
The light spectrum comes in wavelengths, representing the visible colors, and raging from 380 to 750 nm.
As a comparison, the UVB lights are only 280 to 315 nm. These also fall into a whole different category of the light spectrum, and thankfully most are reflected back by the ozone layer.
Marijuana plants do not perceive light the way we, humans, do.
It is just that your green beauties do not have eyes or ears but they do have a very sensitive reaction to the various colors of the light spectrum.
In fact, your cannabis plants use the wavelengths to receive important information about the surrounding environment.
That is exactly how cannabis varieties have managed to evolve and we must learn how to use their amazing light sensitivity in the most beneficial ways in our cannabis cultivation quest.
#2 – What is the Best Lights Spectrum for Marijuana during the Vegetative Stage?
Your green babies will develop through 2 major stages – vegetation and flowering.
During the vegetative phase, your marijuana plants do not need to grow any flowers, right?
All that you want from your green goddesses during vegetation is to develop multiple healthy leaves.
Subsequently, those leaves will play a key role in the process of photosynthesis, by literally creating food for the flowers, which will then turn into juicy and delicious buds.
Nevertheless, you don’t want tall, stretchy, hobbledehoy plants as this will make a place for dreadful issues, related to the poorly developed stems. But in the case you supply your cannabeauties with the wrong light spectrum – this is exactly what you will get!
The best light spectrum during vegetation is none other than the Blue spectrum. This color spectrum reaches between 400 and 500 nm.
If you are an outdoor marijuana grower, then the Sun will do all the job of supplying your green babies with the best light spectrum they need.
During the spring and early summer, more blue waves fall naturally on Earth, due to the particular angle of the Sun, allowing plants to thrive and grow, preparing to bear fruit.
In the case you are an indoor cannabis cultivator, then fluorescent lights with cool white light, as well as Metal Halide bulbs will do an excellent job of promoting strong stems and leaves.
Utilizing both the power of the Sun and additional grow lights is also welcome if possible during vegetation when the more light you give to your plants, the better.
#3 – What is the Best Light Spectrum for Cannabis during the Flowering Stage?
Once your plants enter the Flowering stage of development, they will no longer need that much of the blue light spectrum.
After all, once flowering begins, you want your green princesses to produce buds and not leaves and stems, right?
The best light spectrum during the flowering phase comes in Red waves of light.
In nature, your weed plants will get plenty of Red wavelengths, as the angle of the Sun promotes an abundance of that light spectrum.
Red lights range from 620 to 780 nm, as 660 nm is considered the optimal number for supporting the flowers turn into potent, THC-coated buds.
Thus, the best lights for growing your cannabis to promote flowering are HPS grow bulbs, and nonetheless – the notorious LEDs, apart from the Sun, of course.
Surprisingly (or not at all!), scientists are discussing another intriguing ability of marijuana plants, regarding their reactions to the light spectrum.
According to researchers, it is very much possible that UV rays (UVB in particular), which are so damaging to humans, are actually THC-inducing to your green cuties!
That theory relates to the fact that some of the most potent cannabis varieties originate from landrace strains, grown in high mountain altitudes.
The high elevation of the marijuana plants in the mountain regions makes up for high exposure to UV light.
Thus, UV lights would cause the human skin to burn and turn more brownish, increasing the levels of melanin.
Meanwhile, it acts pretty much the same with marijuana plants, except for instead of increasing melanin, it most probably raises the THC levels!