LEDs vs CFLs
LEDs get better yields for the same amount of electricity than CFLs. This is because LEDs
are more electrically efficient (produce more light for the same amount of electricity)
Unlike CFLs, LEDs don’t need to be adjusted almost daily
LEDs give off less heat than a CFL setup with the same amount of electricity, and LEDs also
come with additional cooling options like heatsinks and sometimes even built-in fans, which
pushes all the heat up and away from the plants, making it easier for growers to maintain
comfortable temperatures.
LEDs need to be kept much further away from plants than CFLs, which means that CFLs are
better suited to short grow spaces without a lot of available height. LED grow lights
generally need to be kept 12-18+” away from the tops of plants, while CFLs can be kept
just a few inches away.
LEDs vs MH/HPS
I’ve seen many growers choose to mix LEDs with their HPS bulbs. In fact, combining MH/HPS
with a quality LED panel may be a great way to improve the quality of your harvested buds.
There are lots of growers who claim that LEDs increase potency and density, as well as
bring out the natural smell/taste of your strain. On the flip side, some growers believe
that HPS tends to produce “prettier” buds.
If you’re most concerned with improving your yields/watt, skip the LEDs and get an HPS
grow light for your flowering stage. Although LEDs are catching up and there are some
really great LEDs out there that get comparable results, HPS still tends to give you bigger
yields when it comes to how much electricity is being used.
LEDs can get pretty pricey, though not all brands! In fact, some great brands are actually
some of the cheapest!
Several growers believe LEDs produce higher quality buds (more trichomes, higher potency,
and bring out the natural taste and smell of buds). They also tend to bring out colors.
LED grow lights come with built-in cooling systems and heat sinks which vent air up and
away from plants. This can make it so that you can hang the LED grow light in your tent and
not necessarily need an exhaust system to control the temperature
LEDs are plug-and-play which means you can plug them directly into a wall without a ballast
What’s the difference between buds grown under LED grow lights compared to buds grown
under an HPS grow light? Do the buds look/taste/smell different?
Although this is just one example, this is pretty typical of LED grow lights in that they
tend to bring out colors. This Eldorado plant was bloomed under two light sources, an HPS
on one side and an LED on the other. Nothing scientific, no partitions, so there was light
overlap. At harvest the color difference was surprising (see below) and after curing 2
select pieces from each side of the plant, the aromas are slightly different as well.
LED grow lights are a great choice for growers who are dealing with hot HPS lights and want
to change to something that’s going to run cooler. Although LED grow lights do produce
heat, the smaller models might not bring up the temperature of your grow space.
Even the more powerful models of LED grow lights that produce a lot of heat still have
built-in cooling systems to help prevent the heat from beaming directly down onto your
plants.
